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A slice of campus life written by an MTU student |
ParentNET/International
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The Tech Trails are a popular
place to run, whether you're a two-legged or four-legged
athlete!
(Photo courtesy the Pasty Cam at Pasty Central.)
Summer School Adventures
Students at MTU are already enjoying a warm Keweenaw summer. So far the weather has been great, with temperatures in the 80s and only a few quick rain showers and thunderstorms. With all this awesome weather, what can students do once they get out of class or work? Two popular places in the area are Hancock Beach and the Tech Trails.
Hancock Beach is the main student destination for relaxing, lying in the sun, playing beach volleyball (this beach has three sand courts), and cooling off with a swim in the icy cold Portage Waterway. The beach is open until 9 p.m.--with lifeguards for the swimmers--so there is plenty of time to get used to that Keweenaw water.
The students who prefer the mud and shade over the sand, sun, and water venture to the Tech Trails to run, walk, or mountain bike on what used to be a place to cross country ski or snowshoe in the winter. The trails don't only offer exercise, but they give students an opportunity to see nature at its best. Up in these north woods, trail users get to see more than trees, bugs, and squirrels: I was running on the trails early one morning when a very large doe got spooked by the sound of my footsteps and sprinted in front me. I thought that would be the highlight of my run, but it was nothing compared to the site of the black bear that I encountered just 50 meters down the trail in front of me. This was the closest I had ever seen a bear in real life, and it was a fascinating experience for about three seconds--then I walked out of its sight and ran back the way I came . . . fast! Luckily the bear didn't follow me--I'm pretty sure it was more afraid of me than I was of it. Please don't panic because of my experience: I have been told that black bears don't like the taste of Tech students, or any humans for that matter! They do run very fast, however, so I'm glad I didn't try to run past the thing! If your Tech student sees a bear at school, I would be surprised: this is my third year here, and I have never seen one here before--but I'm glad I finally did!
Until next time,
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