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Peter Wolfe
Chapter
North Country Trail
Association
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Trail Maps and Trail
Conditions
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Segment 11, Old Victoria
vicinity
(all trail on Rockland 7 1/2' quad)
Length: 6.46 miles (Lookout Mountain to Forest Road
733-F)
0.79 miles from Lookout Mountain to Victoria Road, 0.60 miles from
Victoria Road to Old Victoria Shelter, 3.19 miles from Old Victoria
Shelter
to West Branch of Ontonagon River, 1.88 miles from West Branch of
Ontonagon
River to FR 733-F)
Ownership: Mostly private, some U.S. Forest Service at
each end
Responsible for maintenance: Peter Wolfe Chapter
Developments along trail: Numerous trail signs, Lookout
Mountain scenic view, Old Victoria restoration site, town of Victoria,
Victoria Dam powerhouse and flume, various buildings and other
structures
from 19th and early 20th Century copper mining, Old Victoria Shelter
General description of segment: Highly varied,
interesting,
and scenic. Mixed forest including, hardwood/hemlock, oak,
aspen/red
maple/ash, and aspen/conifer, with some bare rock areas on Lookout
Mountain
and a gravelly, open floodplain along theWest Branch of the
Ontonagon
River. Trail follows tramway for ore cars from Victoria Dam Road
above Victoria Dam partway to Victoria. Old Victoria has restored
miners' cabins with period furnishings, interpretive tours and displays
(see Chris the caretaker for tours), huge craft fair in August, and
lean-to
for hikers. The Captain's House is the only occupied building
you'll
pass as you follow the road briefly through Victoria (large gray house
on east side of road). In fact, it's the only frequently-occupied
building you'll pass on the NCT anywhere in the western or central U.P
between the Black River and the Marquette area (over 200 miles).
Victoria (Victoria village) is a small occupied community near the
junction
of Victoria Road and Victoria Dam Road. Old Victoria (Old
Victoria
restoration site) is the group of restored miners' cabins and other
facilities
on the northwest side of Victoria Dam Road, just NE of Victoria
Village.
Excellent views from Lookout Mountain, the summit of the "Rock Pile"
(copper
mine waste pile) on top of the hill north of Victoria, and from the top
of the bluff northeast of the Victoria Dam power house. NCT
passes
through an abandoned, roofless, stone-walled building east of the Rock
Pile (perhaps the only place where the NCT passes through a building
anywhere).
Recommended camping areas are at Old Victoria (check in with Pat
Pattison if she's
there; if not, set up in the shelter or north of and well
out
of sight of the developed area, and check in with Pat later), and
along the West Branch of the Ontonagon River on the southeast side of
the
river crossing. Crossing the West Branch requires a long
ford.
Water level is controlled by the Upper Peninsula Power Company, which
operates
Victoria Dam upstream. A siren sounds when water is being spilled
from the dam. In very dry weather, with no water being spilled,
one
can cross the river without getting wet above the ankles (sometimes
even
totally dry-shod). In wetter-than-normal summer weather, expect
to
get wet up to the knees. Early spring can be tricky because
they're
normally spilling some water. Footing is generally good.
Above
all, USE EXTREME CAUTION at this ford; listen
for the siren, and NEVER CROSS IF THE SIREN IS SOUNDING OR IF THE WATER
LEVEL IS RISING! Fast-moving water, even if it only comes halfway
to your knees, can be dangerous!
See the following link for water levels in the
Ontonagon River (main branch) on Victoria Dam Road below the NCT ford
on
the West Branch. Ontonogan
River water level stage at Rockland
Victoria Dam Road is plowed in winter, though
steep grades in the Ontonagon River valley between Victoria and
Rockland
could present a serious challenge after a snowstorm or when the road is
icy. Victoria Road (Victoria to
Norwich)
can be a real challenge to drive
during
the spring, as it washes out in spots most springs. In past
years, even in summerand
after a rain, the long straight stretch a few miles west of Victoria
(see
map),
where the power line is just north of the road, could be treacherous in
the
low, clay area for the 1/2 mile east of where the power line veers
northwest;
even 4WD vehicles can't drive in a straight line when the clay is wet,
and with too much speed (10 mph!) most vehicles can end up off the
road.
As of 10/01, coarse gravel and cobbles have been spread on this
section,
making most of it better (but watch for the big cobbles!). There
is still often a wet, muddy spot about 2 miles east of Norwich Road
(just
west of the trailhead for the side trail to the NCT). It can be
difficult
for 2WD vehicles when conditions are wet.
Trail conditions (as of 2005): Trail is usually
easily followed and is well-cleared. Trail from FR 733-F north to the
West
Branch of the Ontonagon River was cleared and mowed with a brush mower
in 2005. Make sure to stay on the blue-blazed
trail in the Victoria area, unless you want to follow the interpretive
loop trail; that trail is blazed with white blazes. NOTE: Roadbuilding
associated with logging has obscured part of the white-blazed
interpretive trail. Hopefully we can reestablish the trail in
future years, as it made a nice loop hike. Watch carefully
for blazes on either side of the powerline south of Victoria Road; the
trail angles almost straight across (very slightly east as you're
southbound),
but the crossing may be brushy (blackberries, etc.). The first
few hundred feet of
the NCT north of the West Branch cross a rocky floodplain.
Flooding periodically obliterates the trail. If northbound, cross
the river to a blue blaze on a small
tree (if you can see it - otherwise go straight across), bear right,
and curve left around the side of a brushy patch to find
a small stream to step across and then angle right where the trail goes
up a sand bank. If southbound, follow the trail down the sand
bank,
cross the small stream, angle left around the brush, and then angle
back
to the right until you find blazes on scattered trees
(hopefully!). Regardless, the blaze on the south side of the
river is pretty easy to see in good light conditions. There's
also a pretty obvious gap in the trees where the trail goes up a small
hill on the south side of the river.
Link
to online map
NOTE: As of 2005, the Interpretive Loop
(white blazes) is discontinuous due to roadbuilding associated with
logging.
NOTE: Trail north of Victoria Dam and
east of the Old Victoria Shelter has been rerouted and now mostly stays
parallel and close to Victoria Dam Road until is crosses that road at
the top of the Ontonagon River hill.
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Last modified: March 2, 2006
