Apple Blossom Trail

We've been camping here at Lake Ottawa for about five years now and I've done some awesome trails hereabouts, yet somehow we missed the Apple Blossom Trail until today.It could be because it runs through Iron River, Michigan and when we go there it's to shop for necessities at one of the two grocery stores, eat out, or get ice cream, not take a long walk.

It rained last yesterday and last night, so one of my favorite hikes to Bennan Lake would be too muddy, so Gary thought of the Apple Blossom, which is mostly boardwalk or paved.  We drove to Iron River, got sandwiches from Subway, parked the van, and we were on our way.

We went down the boardwalk with the city on either side of us and under the bridge under Highway 2.

This brought us next to the RV park, still filled with big campers, but from then on we were in wilder country. 

The Apple Blossom is only two miles long from the trail head in Iron River to the City of Caspian.  Not a long hike but the weather was still uncertain.  We didn't figure on doing the entire four mile round trip and we didn't.  We almost immediately met two moms pushing strollers, one with a little boy who did his best to climb out.  They had come from Caspian as they did almost any day in decent weather.   

We exchanged greetings and kept going.  Mallards swam in the swampy areas beside Iron River.  A Frisbee golf course is at least a mile long with some tricky shots made more difficult because of the ponds and forest.

We crossed the river on a recently built bridge and paused a while to admire the view and eat our sandwiches. 

We came to tall pillars that Gary tried to convince me were old Roman aqueducts.

"You never knew the Romans were here?"  But of course they were remnants of the railroad lines that ran between Caspian and Iron River. In fact we were walking on the path once trod by the miners who walked to the mines.  

The clouds starting throwing raindrops at us and the stroller moms came hurrying back up the trail.  We turned around and had just gotten to the bridge when the rain turned to hail, small bits of ice but they stung our faces.  We scurried to the RV park and the Chamber of Commerce office.  

The manager greeted us.  He used to run a real estate agency but now he was the head of the Chamber.  He told us that Iron County lost 3,000 of its population in the last ten years and the population wasn't that big to begin with.  No wonder we see so many properties for sale.  

He gave us maps and information about the area trails, including the Ge-Che Trail that runs out of our campground.  I've tried to hike it before but without a map it was far too confusing.  Much of it was overgrown when I tried it last time and I almost found myself lost.  It runs from Covenant Point on Lake Hagerman through forest and swamp for almost eight miles. I may try it again next year.  

If we get another good day this fall, we'll be on the Apple Blossom Trail again but start from the Caspian end.