Since our first Christmas together, we have tried to go hiking every year to celebrate the holiday. Some years we have family obligations, some years the weather doesn't cooperate & then some years like this one are perfect for hiking. The weather has been very mild without a lot of snow which makes it much easier to get out & take a few photos. This year, we chose 5 of our favorite spots close by to go & explore over the long weekend.
The Miscauno Wildlife Area is in Wisconsin about 20 miles from where we live. It is a cedar swamp with huge white pines & lots of critters. Pemene Falls is on the Menominee River & part of the Menominee River Natural Resources Area, this year we hiked in on the Wisconsin side of the river to explore. On the way in to the parking area, our little 2 wheel drive truck broke through ice on the "road" & went down almost to the axles. Luckily, we had a big bag of cheap pootie litter in the back which we were able to use to get a little traction & hubby had to push like crazy to get the truck out of the hole it was in. The last spot for the first day was on the Sturgeon River not far from Loretto, a dam was removed at the spot we hiked to making for a stretch of rapids & rock that is a sight to behold. Unfortunately, the area is now up for sale which means soon we might not be able to get to that spot anymore :(
On the second day, we went to another two spots. Rock Dam is north of Iron Mountain & has just started to be developed for hiking. We have been there before but I hadn't hiked up the steep side of the canyon before so up we went. On the way there, we had another adventure with the truck, it was unable to make it up a hill so we wound up sliding sideways downwards, luckily for us hubby is a fantastic winter driver & was able to keep the truck on the road, for the most part anyway. I had the honor of doing the pushing on this trip :) After Rock Dam, it was off to Pier's Gorge, a very well known spot on the Menominee River just south of Norway, MI.
This diary will cover our first day at Miscauno, Pemene Falls & the Sturgeon River.
Miscauno Wildlife Area
Pemene Falls
Eagle!!!
Sturgeon River