Tag Archives: Copper Harbor

Brockway Mountain-Paradise Lost?

A Brockway Mountain Sunset.

A Brockway Mountain Sunset.

What is the most scenic spot you know? If you’ve been on this road, the Brockway Mountain Drive has to be at the top of your list. During the Great Depression unemployment in this area wasa staggering number, 75-80%. This scenic drive was created by unemployed miners digging through the rocky terrain of the northernmost area of the Keweenaw Peninsula ending in Copper Harbor, Michigan. Other New Deal projects were numerous and have contributed to the landscape in the area even today.

The 16 mile long road passes by a huge rock face on one side, with a steep drop off on the other side, in many places. Canopied with trees and unencumbered my man-created buildings, the Brockway Mountain Drive is a beautiful trip. At the summit, nearly everyone stops for a look at the scenery. On our last night we saw two lake freighters while we watched the sunset. From the summit you can see harbors, islands, lakes, trees. It is a priceless view, and it is FOR SALE!

Privately owned, this park-like setting has been used by the public since the road was built, but now it could be cut off to the public and sold to developers. Several organizations have joined together to raise money so that Eagle Harbor Township might buy it and keep it available for public use. The Nature Conservancy and the Audobon Society are adjacent landowners and are partners in the fund raising, along with many others including the Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District and the Kewwnaw Land Trust. The are working to obtain grant and private funding to acquire the top of Brockway Mountain and surrounding 320 acres, and to keep it forever in the public trust.

The tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula is an important migration path for raptors as they move north. You’ve heard the phrase, “as high as the eagle”, well up on the summit that’s where you are!

Bonnie has family photos from the 1940’s of being on Brockway Mountain Drive. The trees are bigger, but the effect is the same-beautiful surroundings. We support the efforts of the local people of Eagle Harbor Township to keep this treasured piece of land available to the public. For more information, visit ­www.eagleharbortwp.org.

We have sent a check and invite you to help save the view for public use.

KCWC-Brockway Mountain Project

Eagle Harbor Towship

321 Center Street

Eagle Harbor, MI 49950

Did I mention that we drive up there every night while we are in Copper Harbor?! It is the only place for miles around that we can talk on our cell phone! Can you imagine a place where you have to drive 4-15 miles to use your cell phone, and the one spot might become someone’s walled-off castle?

We invite you to help get the word out, and the money in, and save this piece of Paradise.

Aliens and Salamanders

Copper Harbor (left) with sheltered harbor and Lake Superior on far left.

Copper Harbor (left) with sheltered harbor and Lake Superior on far left. Lake Fannie Hooe on the right. We are camped on the west side of the lake.

Today was a wonderful 75 degrees with a nice breeze. It rained during the night so we thought maybe some Greenstones would be washed out at the Central Mine. We headed out with our rock buddies Chris and Krystal, but had limited luck. There was not enough rain to wash the stones out.

It's a long way down US41 to Miami from here.

It's a long way down US41 to Miami from here.

I found a rock with a drill core hole in it and forgot to take it when we left. I stashed it so I’ll get it tomorrow. I thought it would make a great planter for Bonnie. We all got a few things, but nothing to brag about. We left the Central and headed out to the logging road where Chris found his float copper the other day.

Chris again was the star, with a nice Lake Superior Agate he found where the bulldozer tracks were in the logging area. He also found a couple small pieces of Float Copper and Crystal found a small piece of float also. I hiked back into the bush and found an exposed Prehnite outcrop where I picked up a couple pieces to cut later.

These guys were digging so fast they were just a blur.

These guys were digging so fast they were just a blur.

After we had lunch Chris, Bonnie, and I hiked back to the Prehnite area to dig. Krystal rested in the car as she got little sleep due to a bear roaming around their campsite during the night. We all dug, but the holes produced little except the blue spotted salamander Bonnie unearthed which was interesting to examine. It emitted some sticky substance from glands in its’ tail onto Chris. We released it so it could crawl back into a hole.
Just after that wildlife encounter the strangest alien looking bug landed on Chris. It stood still long enough for we to get a great shot of it. If anyone can ID either this Salamander or the bug, please let me know.

The Salamander. When we sprayed water on him he really was excited.

The Salamander. When we sprayed water on him he really was excited.

We think the "alien" is a moth. Does anyone know about this chartreuse bug?

We think the "alien" is a moth. Does anyone know about this chartreuse bug?

We split up and Bonnie and I checked some outcrops on Brockway Mountain Drive for rare agates, but found none.

I think after some burgers on the grill we will go downtown Copper Harbor and be tourists tonight.