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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 22, Likely route
across
Baraga Plains
Length: to be determined. See mileage
calculator for approximate distances between points on completed
trail
in this section.
Ownership: Trail crosses lands of Michigan
Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Electric Power Company,
and will likely cross lands of Michigan
Technological University - Ford Forestry Center, Michigan Department of
Transportation - Canyon Falls Rest Area, and Escanaba Paper Company.
Responsible for maintenance: Will mainly be Peter Wolfe
Chapter.
Developments along trail: Big Lake State Forest
Campground, numerous boardwalks
General description of segment: Trail connects
Tibbets Falls area to Big Lake State Forest Campground and extends
north
and east to the east boundary of Copper Country State Forest
lands.
Eventually it is likely to connect to the Ford Forestry Center at
Alberta
and the Canyon Falls Trail and Rest Area on U.S. 41. Passes
through
a wide variety of habitats, from jack pine plantations and clearcuts to
mixed aspen/conifer stands to wetlands and wildlife openings.
Will
likely eventually pass through hardwood/hemlock forests.
New trail construction east of Michigan DNR lands is possible this
summer (2006).
Plains Road is plowed in winter from M-28 north to Baraga Plains Road
(Prison Camp Road). Baraga Plains Road is plowed from US 41 just north
of Alberta west to Plains Road. Plains Road was plowed north from that
junction
during the winter of 2001-2002, but for an undetermined distance. It
has not been plowed as far as M-38. Big Lake Campground
Road may or may not be plowed. All trail
east of Plains Road is skiable by someone with average cross country
skiing skills. There are a few hills, but they can be sidestepped
by novice skiiers. This section would be an excellent choice
for cross country skiing, though it is not groomed, and when snow is
deep
and not compacted one might have a lot of difficulty breaking
trail.
Note, though, that there are no plowed sites for parking a vehicle
along
Plains Road, so park as far off the road as possible, and preferably on
a straight stretch.
Trail conditions (as of 2005): Trail should be
well-cleared except for occasional blowdowns, and is well-marked.
Some areas in the northwestern section of this segment were clearcut in
2005, but loggers did an excellent job of preserving tree stubs with
blazes, and cleared brush off the trail.
Link
to online map
Link
to online map covering parts of segments 21 and 22 (includes trail
built in 2001).
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Last modified: March 2, 2006