HANCOCK — With support from the Keweenaw Community Foundation’s PHF Outdoor Wellness and Recreation Fund Grant, the Chassell Trails Mapping Project was successfully completed. The project supports existing and new trail development in Houghton and surrounding counties by providing users of the existing classic cross-country ski and snowshoe trails and the new fitness trail with GPS mapped trails laid into Google Maps. The project also provides large-scale, detailed maps installed at the Heritage Center, former ice rink, Marinette Street, and Archambeau Road trailheads, as well as the 2K and 5K cutoffs of the trail system.

“The Keweenaw Community Foundation’s PHF Outdoor Wellness and Recreation Grant and the significant volunteer effort by Gowtham Sh (G) to collect the data we needed to create these awesome maps were instrumental in putting this new signage and Google mapped trails in place, said Chassell Township Supervisor David Mattison. “Having this awesome signage produced by Copper Island Printing and installed by the Chassell DPW staff, Joe Youngman and Cole Smith, at key trailheads and on the trails will substantially enhance users’ confidence about not getting lost when they use the trail system and will hopefully encourage others to utilize the trails to enhance and maintain their fitness.”

Chassell Township Planning Commission Vice Chair Keith Meyers wished to also acknowledge Jay Fedorocko who oversees the snowshoe trails; Julie Meyers who helped Keith and Gowtham with the GPS mapping; and Jim Tervo, who oversees the ski trail. Meyers also wished to highlight the work Chassell Township Clerk, Lynn Gierke, who coordinated with the township’s insurance carrier’s risk management function to provide input on our trail rules, in conjunction with the Chassell Township Planning Commission and the township’s attorney Amy Schultz, who provided legal review.

To learn more about the Chassell Township Recreation Trails visit:

http://chassell.net/

https://www.facebook.com/ChassellMI

To learn more about Keweenaw Community Foundation’s grants, visit https://www.keweenawgives.org/grants

A map and photographs, courtesy of Keith Meyers, Vice-Chair of the Chassell Township Planning Commission, are available at:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DOzWIzuHl5uhmroJvGCkCGm5KFS3Yy7W?usp=sharing