$15,000 Awarded for Brockway Mountain Connector Trail

Hancock, Michigan – Keweenaw Community Foundation (KCF) announced that a second grant has been awarded from the Portage Health Foundation (PHF) Community Wellness and Outdoor Recreation Fund to Copper Harbor Trails Society Inc. also known as Copper Harbor Trails Club (CHTC) to provide a family-friendly alternate option to navigating the intimidating and challenging “On The Edge” Trail on Brockway Mountain. As a result of the PHF Community Wellness and Outdoor Recreation Fund was open to the four counties of Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon, CHTC was able to take advantage in two separate regions.

The purpose of this project includes the construction of an approximately 1-mile novice/intermediate trail from “West Woopidy” Trail to Brockway Mountain Drive and connecting to “The Flow” Trail within the Copper Harbor Trails System. The new section of trail will greatly improve the connectivity of the Copper Harbor Trail System for users of all type, ages, and skill levels, as well as for any weather condition. The only current access to Brockway Mountain Drive is via an intimidating, elevated wood structure (On the Edge Trail) that is not usable when wet, and greatly limits access and safety for users, specifically families. The new trail will traverse a gap in the conglomerate ridgeline on Keweenaw County property farther west of the current access. The Brockway Mountain side of US41 provides some of the most family-friendly trail in the system and this link is key to additional routing options. This project will also be a first step in the long planned Keweenaw Ridge Trail to Eagle Harbor. Work for this project will be contracted to Rock Solid Trail Contracting out of Copper Harbor, the preferred builder for the Copper Harbor Trails. Construction will begin once conditions allow in Spring 2018 and be completed by August 2018.

CHTC is a member driven organization, 125+ members strong, with a volunteer board of directors and one paid staff person, an Executive Director, to help keep the wheels moving. To put high quality trail on the ground, CHTC contracts with Rock Solid Trail Contracting from their tiny little town of Copper Harbor. To fund trail building efforts, CHTC relies on generous donors, fundraising events, and grant writing. To learn more about CHTC and their upcoming events, visit their website at www.copperharbortrails.org.

KCF welcomes partnerships in the Foundation and urges interested parties to share this information with their constituents and all sub-groups within their organization. Tax deductible contributions may be made to the PHF Community Wellness and Outdoor Recreation Fund (or to any of KCF’s 80+ other funds) online at www.keweenawgives.org. All contributions to a permanent endowment of KCF qualify for a Federal Tax Credit.

For more information on giving or grant opportunities, please visit the KCF website (www.keweenawgives.org) or email mail@k-c-f.org. To be placed on KCF’s request for proposals list, please email your contact information to mail@k-c-f.org. You will be notified when grants become available.

Through philanthropic services, strategic investments and community leadership, Keweenaw Community Foundation helps people support the causes they care about, now and for generations to come. For more information on Keweenaw Community Foundation and how to give, visit its website at www.keweenawgives.org.