New Bridge Spans North Country Trail in Forest
By Paul Gingras

Kay and Stanley Kujawa of the Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore chapter of the North Country Trail Association pose on the newly constructed Silver Creek Bridge near Worth Road, celebrating maintenance of the scenic trail on National Public Lands Day Saturday, September 29. (Photograph courtesy of Justin Carrick)

Spanning picturesque Silver Creek in the midst of the Hiawatha National Forest, a new, wooden bridge near Worth Road has been opened by U.S. Forest Service crews. The bridge links the North Country Trail, helping ensure the trail's safety and all-season use, while protecting ecosystems.

The project was celebrated by the Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore Chapter of the North Country Trail Association, which staged a hike to the Silver Creek Bridge on National Public Lands Day Saturday, September 29. The bridge area can be accessed by entering the trail where it crosses Worth Road.

The goal of the hike was to acknowledge Forest Service efforts to maintain the North Country Trail, said Kay Kujawa, hiking coordinator for the local branch of the Trail Association, which works with the Forest Service to keep 122 miles of the trail in good shape; 70 miles are in the Hiawatha.

The Silver Creek Bridge is a good addition, Ms. Kujawa said. The bridge that preceded it was more rustic and in poor repair, which could have dissuaded hikers or caused an accident, particularly in wet or wintery conditions.

The new bridge also provides a pleasant stopping point for hikers to pause and reflect in the lowland area, she said.

Many people do not know that the North Country Trail is on a par with the Appalachian Trail, she added, which are among the United States' eight National Scenic Trails.

The North Country Trail begins in New York, crossing several states, including Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and ends in North Dakota. It is divided into sections that are maintained by regional groups, in association with the Forest Service. The local Trail Association's 122-mile section runs from the Mackinac Bridge to Lake Superior. On the route, it passes through the Hiawatha Forest, between Castle Rock at St. Ignace and the Curley Lewis Memorial Highway.

Although most work on the Silver Creek Bridge was done in the past five weeks, the need for a new span was recognized eight years ago. Its predecessor had become nearly impassible for hikers wearing backpacks, Ms. Kujawa said.

Once the local Forest Service secured funding, the work proceeded quickly, said Forest Service Recreation Technician Justin Carrick.

"These are the fun projects," he said of building the bridge.

An undertaking like this offers Forest Service personnel with different jobs a rare chance to work together, he said.

"It's a nice spot," he added. "People like that creek," where an occasional fisherman can be found angling for trout, and where hikers often pass.

Replacing the old bridge was part of a Forest Service mandate. If the organization designates a trail and offers maps, the trail must be passable, he said.

After working with a prison crew to remove the old bridge, Mr. Carrick worked on the new one intermittently from June to the end of September, with assistance from a handful of other Forest Service workers.

The woodland span is 18 feet long, although it appears 40 feet long, owing to an attached boardwalk that provides a smooth transition, he said.

Complete with handrails, Silver Creek Bridge is wide enough for wheelchairs. Usually, in remote areas, the Forest Service puts in railroad ties and attaches planks to them. In this case, the boardwalk and bridge are more highly developed.

"It looks like a wooden sidewalk," Mr. Carrick said, adding that the Silver Creek Bridge now requires only a little more work on the handrails and final cleanup at the site.