Pig Iron Park Traditional Cache
Gitchee-Gummee: Muggled for the second time. Sorry, cannot afford too many more ammo cans. [:(!]
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(regular)
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Near Bay Furnace, a Federal Forest Recreation Area.
Located close to, but not in the immediate vicinity of of the historic furnace used for smelting iron ore during the mid to late 1800's, along the shore of Lake Superior.
Cache is located for minimal muggle interference, and to not contaminate the preservation of this historic site.
NOTE: There is poison ivy nearby to the cache, pay attention to the "three-leaved devil". You can safely approach the cache without going through the poison ivy. Just to let you know that it is nearby.
The old blast furnace was located in the town of Onota up until the year 1877. After the town burned down multiple times (due to the furnace operation), the town itself and the furnace was abandoned. The Village of Christmas is nearby and now occupies a portion of what was once Onota.
Iron ore, from various mines located west of here was carried by freighters and barges, unloaded, smelted into pig iron, then shipped south into Lakes Huron and Michigan, destined to the steel mills in various locations (Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, etc.). Many shipwrecks along the shore of Lake Superior included these carriers. Some wrecks are yet visible from the water's surface, others require diving. Access to both types of recreation are available in the nearby City of Munising (as well as tours of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the first designated National Lakeshore).
Camping is available at Bay Furnace Recreation area itself, Munising Tourist Park (almost walking distance). Motel, eats and yes, a casino are all within walking distance.
Enjoy the park, Lake Superior and its' beautiful beach (nice and rocky for you rockhounds), wonderful swimming (you brave soul, "BRRRRRRRRRR"), great photo ops, and superbly clear water.
ADDITIONAL INFO: The term "pig iron" came about primarily because when the molten iron was freed from the furnace, it was channelled along the ground to branch channels, ending with individual ingot molds. The layout design somewhat resembled piglets nursing upon a sow. Secondarily, when iron freighters would come into sight of a loading facility, from a distance the stacked ingots also resembled nursing piglets (again)!
Additional Hints
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