Michigamme Shores Campground Michigamme, MI

 Michigamme Shores Campground Michigamme, MI

We traveled to Michigamme to wander around the Huron Mountains and to visit the Hiawatha National Forest.  Most of the Upper Peninsula is very heavily forested.  Logging is still a huge industry in the UP. We found that the people that live in the UP refer to themselves as Yooper's.  They are very proud of being Yoopers. The name Yoopers is incorporated into many of the business names and is on many of the tourist souvenirs.  We wondered why the UP is part of Michigan instead of Wisconsin.  Goggle is a great thing.  It all came about when Ohio and Michigan applied for Statehood.  The border between the 2 states was controversial. They were arguing over a stretch of land between Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. This stretch was 5-8 miles wide and was known as the Toledo strip.  The government bartered with the states and the land was divided. The strip was awarded to Ohio and Michigan was given the Upper Peninsula.  Ohio actually gloated over the deal and was happy with the result. The people of Ohio were less happy after they learned the mountains in the upper peninsula were full of copper and iron ore. More wealth came out of the UP than out of California during the gold rush. The area supplies 90% of America's iron and copper. Sounds like Michigan got the better end of the deal. 

 Looking at the area, we decided our first venture should be Bond Falls.  They were a short distance west of us.

Lisa and Karma sitting in front of Bond Falls.

Lisa enjoying the water mist from the lower falls.

Lisa and Mark preparing to discover Bond Falls.

Bond Lake feeds into Bond falls

Water released from the hydro units at Bond Lake prior to it spilling over the falls.  The water released from the lake is run through a hydro turbine and generates 12.5 MW when operating.

Upper Bond Falls after it leaves the hydro station.

These were views of the falls from the trails as we hiked down from the top of the falls to the pool.

This was a frontal look of Bond Falls.

East of Michigamme is Ipsheming, home of the Yooper Tourist trap.  A very aptly named store that sells souvenirs from the UP. We seemed to miss getting pictures of the signs that literally call it the Yooper Tourist Trap.  We kept seeing signs for the store and had to go check it out.  We had a good time looking at the various souvenirs but successfully made it out of the store without spending any money. 

We didn't spend all of our money and there is no fear in us moving up here.  

That's a light tower that was in the parking lot bragging on the snowfall that happened in the winter of 96-97.  They have not updated their sign, but in 2002 Marquette received 296.2 inches, which is another 2 feet. We definitely will not be visiting up here in the winter!!

These were views of the Peshekee river before it enters Michigamme Lake.

That's Karma taking a swim in the Peshekee River.  Karma thinks he is a water dog and enters the water every time we are near it. He is not the world's best swimmer, but he absolutely loves the water. We laugh and say he identifies as a Labrador.

Mark and Karma were at the overlook above Peshekee river.

Lake Michigimme is in the distance.

We have exhausted our time on the Michigimme lake shores.  We are off to Munising, MI on Lake Superior where the Pictured Rocks National Park is located.