Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
IRONWOOD — The Ni-Miikanaake Chapter of the North Country Trail Association held its yearly wrap-up meeting and potluck Nov. 7.
Chapter president Cal Kangas reviewed the summer’s work progress, according to a chapter news release, most notably the crew of Amish volunteers that helped with trail maintenance in October.
The group of 12 volunteers helped build bridges on the trail and remove fallen logs.
The chapter also finished a boardwalk along the Black River, near Conglomerate Falls, and cleared a section of trail between Black River Harbor and County 519, which hadn’t been maintained in recent years.
Kangas said work will continue next year, according to the release, with a focus on building additional footbridges on the trail and finalizing a route change west of County 519.
The chapter will also begin to address the planned expansion of the trail between the Montreal River and Copper Peak.
The group also heard from Deb Fergus, from the Gogebic Range Trail Association, who explained what the association does to maintain snowmobile trails in the area and asked for volunteers.
The chapter is responsible for 55 miles of the North Country Trail between Copper Peak in Ironwood Township to M-64, north of Bergland. The entire trail is 4,600 miles and runs from North Dakota to Vermont.
—Richard Jenkins