Streams and Yellow Snow

I was working last Friday evening, so I couldn't take part in the block party, fireworks and start of the CopperDog 150 race in Calumet.  That's fine with me because the next day, they all came to da Harbor!

Looking out my kitchen window, I watched our driveway fill up.  People parked along the side roads.  Pedestrians shuffled, all bundled up, to the Gas Lite and the Brickside Brewery.  Wow, I thought.  This is like the Fourth of July!  Even most of Main Street was shut down so the mushers had a place to park their big vehicles full of dogs.

Sunday morning I volunteered to be a dog handler with some friends.  That means we each grabbed the ropes between each set of dogs and held on tight, so they wouldn't take off too soon.  Even after running 100 miles the previous two days, they were ready to run fifty more.  I mean really ready!  Some of them kept jumping in their spot like a fly who keeps buzzing into the window.

Then everybody left.  Gone.  The only thing to show was banks of yellow snow.  The contrast was stunning.  Ahh, I though.  My town is back.  If you want to see highlights, pictures, articles and winners of this event, visit their site at CopperDog150.com.

There hasn't been much action here since then.  No snow even (except today).  I mean, it didn't snow for almost two weeks!  But we already had so much, and the temps stayed cool enough that we were okay.  The xc ski trails are nice when groomed and the snowmobile trails are great.  Mt. Bohemia, though it has a deep base, is getting crusty, so this will help.  Looks like we'll get at least a couple fresh inches!

We need something to cover the ice on our roads.  Holy buckets!  I had conversations with multiple people yesterday about how it's almost impossible to walk anywhere in this town without wiping out or walking awkwardly.  Baby steps!

On Monday, Aaron was going out to see if he could catch some minnows for ice fishing.  We drove along M-26 to the Silver River, parked on Brockway Mountain Drive, and snowshoed along the river to Lake Upson.  Neither one of us had been through these parts before, so we had a great time.  Here's what we saw.

 The reddish structure in the mid-back
is the Silver River bridge you can see on M-26 

Pretty ice crystals lining the river

A fallen tree makes a nice bridge

Aaron setting a minnow trap

Watch this one in full screen

Something else has been here... often!

Looking east at the top of Brockway from Lake Upson

Even though Aaron didn't catch any minnows, we still had a fun adventure.

Oh, boy.  This weekend is Mardi Gras at Bohemia.  We'll see some crazy folks then!

Before you go, would you mind taking a moment to vote for the Copper Harbor Trails Club to win $35,000 to build a downhill trail?  Please?  Here's what you have to do.

1) Click this link to vote through facebook (you'll have to sign in to facebook).

2) Scroll to the Downhill Category

3) Click on the Overflow project for the CHTC

4) Click to place your vote

5) Click to "Allow the app"

It might sound like a lot, but keep voting!!!  This is going to be an awesome trail down the north face of Brockway Mountain!  Thank you, thank you!