Sunday morning began our true Keweenaw adventure. Our first object was to get out on the amazing mountain biking trails that Copper Harbor offers. We rode into downtown Copper Harbor using the paved trail that runs along the front of Fort Wilkins. The ride into town was about a mile from the East Campground, where we were staying, and the ride is flat and very easy.
Our first stop was Keweenaw Adventure Company to buy an updated map. The trail system was expanded since our last visit here, in July 2017, so we wanted to find out what was new. Trail maps are just $5 and the money goes to support the trail system, so it’s well worth it to pick one up. Jeff and I are at different skill levels for biking. I am an intermediate level biker, while Jeff can handle most expert trails. The great thing about the trail system here is that there really is something for everyone. I really enjoy Garden Brook, with plenty of ups and downs: a tough workout with lots of payoff, no matter which direction you ride it. Jeff loves fast, downhill riding (can we say adrenaline junky?), so his first choice is Overflow, which is a downhill trail that starts at the top of Brockway Mountain. Throughout the trail system, there are lots of features for more advanced riders to enjoy, but those of us who are less brave can simply go around or avoid these expert trails altogether. Unfortunately, we didn’t even turn our cameras on while on the trail this day, so our pics are all from July 2017.
After three hours of biking, we were beat. It was an exceptionally hot and humid day for Copper Harbor, so we rode back to the campground and ate a late lunch of sandwiches and rested for a few hours. By late afternoon, we were ready to hop back on our bikes and check out downtown Copper Harbor.
Since it was after 4 pm, the Brickside Brewery was open, so we stopped in for a beer. The place is small and dimly lit, but the bartender was friendly girl with a funky retro vibe, and the place was busy with what appeared to be a mix of locals and tourists, including a table full of mountain bikers. We both ordered the sour beer, which was excellent, but we wanted to keep exploring so limited it to one beer.
Next, we rode out to Hunter’s Point. This was about a three-mile ride on town streets, a paved trail, and a gravel road. We were both hot and tired, and, had we known that it was so far, we would have driven. The park itself is very cool, with Lake Superior surrounding it on three sides. Porters Island is just across from the point, and I wanted to get to it. The water looked shallow and swimmable, so I wished for my swimsuit! We decided to come back to Hunter’s Point later in the week so we could swim.
After Hunter’s Point, we rode back to town and decided to try dinner at The Mariner North. We chose to eat a simple dinner at the bar and chat with the friendly local bartender. She had Leinie’s Summer Shandy, so we were happy. The food was good and not unreasonably priced.
We left the restaurant just as the sun was going down, so we missed sunset over Lake Superior that night, but it didn’t get fully dark for a long time after that, so we got to explore the fort a bit. Barely anyone else was around at this time of night, giving the place a pleasantly haunted feel.
We read many of the signs detailing the history of the place. We learned that the fort was built in 1844 after the discovery of copper in the area. Apparently, the mining industry feared that the Native Americans would attack. However, the fort was never attacked and was abandoned after only two years. The fort was reoccupied by the US Army in 1867 and permanently abandoned in 1870.It became a state park in 1923. More history about Fort Wilkins is available at the Fort Wilkins Natural History Association website.
The UPside 