Eponymous Valley

The Jordan Valley is a beautiful stripe of land near Alba that stretches for several miles along one of the northern Lower Peninsula's handful of northward-flowing rivers. The Department of Natural Resources has given these rolling hills and lowlands bisected by a Blue Ribbon trout stream a special designation.

But you don't need a state bureaucracy's say-so to realize the incredible splendor of this place.

A simple glance will suffice.

That's the view from Deadman's Hill, so named because it was the site of a fatal logging accident years ago (such was the life of the logger; newspapers of the era are peppered with grisly accounts of maimings, crushings, killings, frostbite, etc.).

The Jordan Valley Pathway takes you on an 18-mile loop through the heart of the valley. It's a popular weekender backpacking trip, as it's just enough for a good hike-in, hike-out challenge.

My trip was much shorter, as I stopped at one of six parking places and walked a short loop from there and back. It took me down that massive hill, along the river valley and back up.

Enjoy this obligatory sun-through-trees picture.

Part of that 1.9-mile loop includes yet another segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail. As beautiful as the Jordan River Valley may be, I can't help but speculate that it would hardly register in the top 10 sites that a through-hiker would see en route from New York to North Dakota.

But never mind that. My hike took me through the woods as the last of the fall leaves held out. You can see the bare boughs interspersed with trees still going through the change, and with evergreens staying, well, ever green.

It also took me past several springs (seeps? Artesian wells? Whatever, it was groundwater becoming surface water). They made quiet gurgling sounds as each one contributed its little share of cold, clear, well-oxygenated water that makes Jordan River trout so happy.

But I had to go a bit off-trail (I know, tsk) to see the Jordan River itself. This segment of the trail never takes you very close, so I crashed through some dried-up undergrowth to see its cedar-lined banks.

Look at all that woody debris! Perfect for trout to hide,
and for snagging your tackle.

This little loop makes for the perfect afternoon hike, and anglers surely will find plenty of good fishing spots throughout the valley. You can camp at Pinney Bridge State Forest Campground (for a fee, and it's hike-in only) if you're doing the whole trail. Jordan River Valley is the exception, but in most stretches of state land,  you can camp anywhere on state forest land for free if you're a mile or more from a designated campsite.

When you're done, you're not far from Bellaire, so stop in at Short's and have a beer and some dinner.

This is the second of six hikes I took inside of a week, each one at a place new to me. Stay tuned for some winter hikes, and the rest of this little series.

Me, giving a clinic in jackassery.

And one final view, from a different lookout just outside of Alba.

Purple mountain's valley's majesty