Tioga Mine Pit.
Another summer weekend and it was time to get back on the water and discover new places to visit. Earlier in the spring I read a post about this mine pit lake that was so blue that it was reminiscent of the ocean. After doing some research I found out it was the Tioga mine pit and the wheels in my head started to turn. I looked up the lake and what other things were in the area and figured I would surprise Heidi with a day trip and make her guess where we were going. I sent her a couple of pictures of the lake and it took her about 3 minutes to figure it out. I guess I will have to make it a bit more challenging next time. She was still really excited and we made plans to head up to Tioga Recreation Area and check out Rapids Brewing Co as well as Klockow Brewing Company in mid July.
On July 16th we packed up the truck with the kayaks and headed north to the parking area at Tioga Mine Pit. When we arrived we found a large parking area that was mostly full but we were able to find a place to park. We took a couple of minutes to figure out where to drop the kayaks and tried to get the lay of the land. We discovered the water access is down a short tight road with a small area to turn around at the bottom. We pulled the truck down and dropped off the kayaks and then returned it to the parking lot and got ready for kayak adventure. The water was warm and an incredible shade of blue. We paddled around the perimeter of the lake slowly looking at the shore line and how the water changed as you paddled over deeper water. The lake was really quiet with only a few people swimming and hanging out on the beach area. We took our time paddling around the lake and were surprised to see that there were a couple of docks on the lake. There looks to be a couple different houses up off the lake but the only thing you can see is small alterations to the shore line where they are. One privately owned property looked to be set up for fun and time on the lake. There was a huge rope swing that must have been at least 20 to 30 feet tall and a raised dock with a slide on it. Each one of the shorelines were different. One was more loose material and the other was bowling ball sized rocks. After paddling the perimeter of the lake we decided to find a place to swim. We ended up on a small piece of shoreline that had what looked to be a sand bar but it turned out to be more of a loose material. We decided to head back to the boat landing and swim there instead. By the time we pulled the kayaks out of the water there were more people at the beach and on the water. We swam for a short amount of time and then decided we would move on to the second part of our day.
The Tioga mine was open from 1955 -1961 and was dug to the depth 225 feet deep. During its years of operation the mine produced an incredible 3.7 million tons of iron ore. After the mine closed in 1961 the mine was allowed to flood and return to nature. In the 1980’s the pit was stocked with trout by the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB). The city of Cohasset now maintains the Tioga Recreation Area, which is located on 460 acres where the mine used to operate. The recreation area has something for everyone. There is hiking, 25 miles of mountain biking trails, swimming , Scuba diving, and fishing. The lake now has brook trout, rainbow trout and largemouth bass for anglers to fish in the summer and winter. The boat landing, fishing pier, playground, picnic area and bathrooms are within walking distance of the parking area / trailhead.
Our next destination was Grand Rapids and Klockow Brewing Company. Klockow Brewing company is located in the middle of Grand Rapids and is located right next to the water tower. In 2017 Klockow Brewing became Grand Rapids first microbrewery and is located in a building that looks to be a former industrial or city works building. There was ample parking and a food truck in the parking lot. The interior and exterior have nothing in common. The inside of the building is warm and welcoming and one wall was completely covered with a mural depicting the outdoors. We were greeted by a worker behind the bar as we walked in. He was extremely nice and knowledgeable about the brewery and the beers. We decided to order a flight so we could try a variety of beers. Our flight consisted of Mlinar Delight - Raspberry Smoothie Sour, BHK - Nut Brown Ale, The Pits - Nitro Cherry Maibock, and Tandys Shandy - Cream Ale with blood orange & lemon. The beers had distinct flavors and were very enjoyable. We talked about getting a pit but decided that we had another destination before we headed home. We are excited to spend more time at Klockow next time we are up in the Grand Rapids area.
The next and last stop of our adventure was Rapids Brewing Co. It is just a mile up the road from Klockow and was the former home of the Rialto Theater. The Rialto Theater was in operation in 1934 and closed in1982. In 2019 Rapids Brewing Co repurposed the theater as part of the brewery. Rapids Brewing didn’t just open a taproom but opted to open a brew pub to allow them to serve food as well as other types of beverages including wine and hard alcohol, including bourbons. The location is in the old downtown area of Grand Rapids and they have done a great job of bringing together a modern facility with the charm of an old building. We decided to start with flight and we picked Raspberry Dream Cream (a cream ale mixed with raspberry puree and vanilla bean), Brown Boot Brown Ale (a brown ale with nutty, tobacco, and chocolate notes), Papermaker Cream Ale (a traditional cream ale) and Milky Way Porter (a brunch porter made with maple syrup, vanilla and coffee). We took our flight and sat on the patio and talked about the day's adventures. After finishing the flight we decided to go inside and try their wood fired pizza. Heidi went with the Caprese Pizza that has a rosemary and garlic oil base, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, confit cherry tomatoes, gremolata and balsamic reduction. I went with The Hot Potato that is topped with bacon fat potatoes, bacon, aged cheddar and is topped with a dollop of Top the Tater. We also ordered a pint of beer to go with our pizza. I went with a pint of the Raspberry Dream Cream and Heidi went with a pint of Brown Boot Brown Ale. As we waited for our food we looked up the building's history and that is when we found out it was once the Rialto Theater. The brewery has done a good job keeping parts of the old theater alive in its decor. The fresh hot pizza was incredible and had unique flavors that worked very well together. We did get a chance to talk to the manager before we left and he told us a bit about the brewery and the difference between a brew pub and a taproom. We packed up our leftovers and headed back home with full bellies and new stories to tell.
Another day trip and another great adventure. We were not sure what to expect from this adventure but it turned out to be a great place to visit and we can't wait to return soon. The history and new development of the Tioga Recreation Area makes it a great place to enjoy and to explore. Klockow Brewing and Rapids Brewing are great places to relax after a long day out exploring all the area has to offer. We didn’t find Dorothy's Ruby slippers but we did find a new place to visit. If you're looking for a new area to check out don’t hesitate to look at the Grand Rapids area.
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