NCT group hikes to Montreal Gorge

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — The hardy few who braved the cold, wet, windy weather Saturday morning got the chance to preview the future path of the North Country Trail on Little Girl’s Points and enjoy one of the best views of fall leaves in the county as the Ni-Miikanaake chapter hosted a hike to the Montreal Gorge.

The small group hiked along Lake Road from the Superior Falls parking lot for a short distance before heading off road and along a muddy all-terrain vehicle trail to the cliffs above the Montreal River.

Saturday’s hike was the final group hike of four the chapter has hosted over the summer, with the earlier hikes exploring other sections of the trail in Gogebic County.

“(We’re) definitely pleased with the group hikes,” chapter vice president Cathy Flory said. “We look forward to hosting more group hikes next year.”

The Montreal River Gorge is one of the sites on Little Girl’s Point hikers traveling the North Country Trail will be able to see once a planned trail reroute is complete.

Preliminary flagging for the route began this year and work will continue next season to move the trail off Lake Road. Once complete, the trail will go from the Wisconsin border past the Montreal Gorge and Bald Mountain before heading toward Copper Peak.

Along with the Little Girl’s Point reroute, the Ni-Miikanaake chapter is working on an effort to reroute the trail in the eastern part of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

This plan will allow the trail to take advantage of existing trails in the park and move the route closer to the Lake of the Clouds.

Along with the group hikes, Flory said the chapter is also planning some weekend work events next season for additional trail blazing and help on the reroutes.

The North Country Trail is the longest National Scenic Trail in the National Trails System, according to the trail association’s website, and stretches 4,600 miles over eight states from North Dakota to Vermont. The Ni-Miikanaake chapter oversees the section for trail running from the Wisconsin border to M-64.

More information on the chapter can be found on its Facebook page or its page on northcountrytrail.org.