North Country Trail Closed Near Highbridge

historical marker just west of the cave in

by Joan H. Young

The North Country National Scenic Trail is temporarily closed from Highbridge to Dilling Road, just south of Brethren, Michigan.

There is a section of trail just east of the historic location of Highbridge (just east on the trail from Highbridge Road), that has slumped away. The trail in this location is benched in to a steep hillside. There have always been springs on this section of trail which flow in spring and then dry up. For whatever reasons, probably including the high amounts of rainfall the area has seen this year, the springs have continued to run. The result is that a 16-foot section of the trail has fallen down the hillside.

Due to the steep hillside, there is no safe way for hikers to detour around this section, so the Forest Service has temporarily closed the trail.

Members of the Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the North Country Trail Association, working with the Forest Service, will be attempting to fix the problem on Saturday, October 4. Rather than try to cut trail into the now-damaged hillside, a bridge will be built across this section.

For more information contact Ed Chappel, Trail Work Coordinator for Spirit of the Woods.

See Spirit of the Woods Chapter NCTA
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See North Country Trail
See Get Off The Couch