Hop-a-Long Ridge Traditional Cache
Gitchee-Gummee: See you in the Lower!
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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"Ghost town" of Ridge, along with a learning/treat experience.
Ridge Rd. is year-round to the first curve, then seasonal from that point, during winter is a groomed snowmobile trail.
Ridge is a long-abandoned town, evidenced by lilac bushes and apple trees in the middle of "nowhere".
Ridge history: (circa 1900) A small logging camp, where from a loading facility, trains were loaded with timber, rail ties, fence post and telephone poles. Children living in Ridge attended the Ridge School, three miles to the north (during winter they were transported by a contracted horse-drawn sleigh -- an early version of the school bus). Ridge was named for Will Ridge, Autrain Postmaster, 1888.
Access to the cache is along a decommissioned railroad, which is now a snowmobile/ORV trail. From Ridge Rd. it is 350m, an easy walk. You can drive the rail grade, HOWEVER, there is nowhere to turn around, you MUST back out. Best to park on Ridge Rd.
Cache is a blackened 2-liter plastic screw-top container.
At the site there are old apple trees, lilac bushes and a HUGE hops bine (yes, bine - not vine). During August/September (before a frost) go ahead and pick a hop flower. Crush and roll it between your fingers and marvel at the wonderful aroma. It was probably planted around 1900 for homebrewing purposes. Yes, I do homebrew and I do harvest from the bine each year. It dies off after a hard frost and grows back in its' entirety each year (due to its' size, that alone is impressive). MSU Botany Dept. has classified this bine as "Cascade" variety.
Enjoy the plentiful deer and occasional bear.
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