We hiked quickly to the Oren Krumm Shelter. This was the first or second shelter built on the NCT in the UP. That was in 1998. It is named in honor of a young man who was a freshman at Michigan Tech, but died of a rare disease. He was a Scout, and his family maintains the shelter. However, the original shelter burned in the Baraga Bump fire of 2007. The real tragedy was that the log book also burned. It contained many entries by people who knew Oren or were touched by his story. So, this is the new shelter which was built in 2007, not long after the fire.
This was also the first NCT shelter anywhere to have a screen front. You can appreciate how nice that is after seeing us in head nets for 10 solid days. Now a screened front is almost the norm for the Upper Peninsula. It has bunks. Bill signs the log book.
At the shelter, we again joined the Sturgeon River. Here it is placid and looks like it would be great canoeing.
Less than a mile upstream, it changes to rocky rapids.
The rapids begin at a small drop called Tibbit's Falls. I'm pretty sure you used to have to take a side trail to see this. Now the trail goes right by it.
Abruptly, the trail leaves the river and heads north into an area of wetlands. This is one of the larger ones. We heard lots of sandhill cranes in the area.
We approached Big Lake. You'll see it tomorrow.
Miles today: 10.9. Total miles so far: 4799.7- can you believe that? Miles to go: 15.4.
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3 comments:
I love seeing the shelters, always a welcome sight. Chance to sit and rest out of the weather. I've never actually spent the night in one. Seems the timing hasn't worked out. I remember sitting in Krum shelter wringing water out of my socks from my fern walk. :)
That's a shame about the first shelter but this one must be a welcome retreat. Nice to escape the mosquitos for a while.
Charlee: "That is too bad about the log book. Maybe it's like that thing some people do where they write a prayer then burn the paper to send it up to heaven, and Oren got to read all the log book entries that way."
Lulu: "Mind the skeeters!"
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