UPMTBaka U. P. Mountain Biking

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2016 PRINT EDITION2016 PRINT EDITION

LUNCH LINES: THE U.P.’S BEST QUICK RIDES

LOST & FOUND: U.P. TRAILHEAD GUIDE

JUST FOR KIDS: YOUTH PROGRAMS

Red Earth ClassicJULY 16

Margi GessikSEPTEMBER 24

Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic

AUGUST 13Marquette Mountain Bike Enduro

OCTOBER 12

Iron Range Roll

Marquette Trails Festival

JUNE 4

JUNE 24-26

B I K E E V E N T SI N M A R Q U E T T E M I C H I G A N

TRAVELMARQUETTEMICHIGAN.COM

TRAVELMARQUETTE

CHECK SERIES SCHEDULES ON

PublisherBob Hendrickson

EditorRyan LaBar

Contributing WritersLori Hauswirth

Ryan LaBarMarc Norton

Trail Write-up Contributions: Kyle LindstomSam Raymond Bill Quigley

Contributing PhotographersJon Becker*

Andy Gregg, MQT PhotoChris Schmidt, xmatic.com

Jon Swenson*UPMTB x-files*

*And that one guy

*contributions to Center Spread, pgs. 18 & 19

Cover Creditgraphic design Ryan LaBar

photo Aaron Peterson

This issue is dedicated to:The 20th Annual Printing

--Gratuities Appreciated

--

©2016 U.P. Mountain Biking™ All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Views and opinions of contributors are their own and may differ from those of

U.P. Mountain Biking™ magazine.

U.P. Mountain Biking™ is a publication ofMicrocosm Adventures, L.L.C.

--U.P. Mountain Biking Negaunee, MI 49866

www.upmtb.com--

Some of the activities covered in U.P. Mountain Biking may carry significant risk. We recommend abstaining from these activities if you are not qualified. We assume no responsibility for

your actions.

School’s Out for Summer5 - Giving Youth a Handup Life skills that will make an impact

6 - Where to Ride Study Guide Think of it as cliffnotes for dirt trails

Publisher’s Note:Well, this is a milestone. This issue marks the 20th printing of UPMTB. Next year we celebrate the 20th Anniversary. We’d like you to join us. Plan a trip this summer, next summer and the summer after that, to check it out. We feel we have a pretty good thing going on here and hope you do too.

Cover: rider-Nic Dobbs, trail-Doc Nobbs, location-Marquette County

In This Issue:

Under da Apple Tree

Gary Fisher Ribbon Cutting Eh! Line NTN Style

UPMTBaka U. P. Mountain Biking

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Ore to Shore an’t no Road Race-Pole Position: “Dude, what tire PSI are you running?”

Are We There Yet? 22 - Hope You’re Hungry Top 5 for an afternoon delight

24 - Riding on Top of the Bay This is a little town that could

28 - Keebler Would be Jealous Swedetown elves don’t live in trees

How I Spent My Summer Vacation12 - Getting Together to Reminisce Ride with no regrets

21 - The Only Crib Sheet You’ll Need Pssst, this is not a test

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There are several opportunities for youth to get in-volved in mountain biking across the Upper Peninsula. The descriptions were provided by the organizers directly or their website and Facebook pages.

Down Wind Sports Junior MTB Team, MarquetteThis will be the 16th year of the Junior Mountain

Bike Team. Jeff and Melanie Stasser organized this pro-gram to introduce local youth to the joys of mountain biking. Riders can expect to learn trail riding techniques, bike maintenance, nutrition, and training schedules. The program is for area youth, ages 8-14 years old.

Riders should have a working mountain bike, hel-met and hydration system. It is asked that participates please bring in their bike prior to the start of the pro-gram to make sure all is in working order.

A complete program schedule can be picked up at Down Wind Sports of Marquette We were thrilled with the success of last year’s team and look forward to an-other sensational year. We have planned a season full of riding, learning and fun.

The team will meet weekly each Tuesday morning at 9 AM at Tourist Park and begin each week discuss-ing maintenance, nutrition, racing and other aspects of riding. We will then take to the woods in our ability ap-propriate groups and ride on mountain bike trails for the duration of the 2 hours. We will ride a variety of terrain. Most importantly, we will have FUN!

Best of all, the program is free. Contact the Mar-quette Down Wind Sports store for more details.

Youth Mountain Biking Development Program of Ishpeming & Negaunee

The Youth Mountain Bike Development Program (YMBDP) of Ishpeming and Negaunee will be accepting new participants this year again. This is a FREE commu-nity youth clinic that teaches healthy living through the sport of mountain biking.

Please attend the orientation on June 9 and come ride and train with us all summer! We have free helmets available for those in need, we provide bike tuning and maintenance instruction and much more.

Kids are given drills to work on, we split into ability groups each week and ride the trails and play games on our bikes, etc. Program starts June 9 and runs through August 23. Meet at Jackson Mine Park (199 Tobin St. Negaunee, MI) 6:30 pm. Rides conclude and children can be picked up at 8:00 - 8:15 pm.

Parent information and waivers will be available at each ride and at orientation. New participants are wel-come at any time throughout the year.Volunteers are needed to help with weekly rides and clinics.

For more info look up YMBDP on Facebook.

Just for Kids, mostly... 906 Adventure Team, MarquetteLocal community cycling group, 906 Adventure

Team, to organize a youth team that will compete in the Wisconsin High School Cycling League this fall. Team members attended the NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) Leaders Summit at Trek Head-quarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin to become certified ride leaders and officially register the “906 Composite Team” in the Wisconsin League.

For those not familiar with who NICA is, from their website, they are an American non-profit organi-zation that promotes high school mountain biking pro-grams in the United States. NICA provides governance, leadership, and program support to regional high school mountain biking organizations.

906 Adventure Team is probably most recognized through their local family events (FREI-Day Family Rides) and Take-a-Kid-Mountain Biking Days or the popular events 906 Polar Roll and Marji Gesick 100. 

From 906 Adventure Team Founder, Todd Po-quette: “Our goal is to get more people on bikes. The family friendly events have been a great, casual format for mountain biking families to meet other mountain biking families and get kids riding with kids. We intro-duced a lot of new kids and parents to the trails last year. 2016 is the year we establish the foundation for a High School Cycling League in the UP. Our first mission? Compete in Wisconsin and learn the ropes. NICA has a ton of amazing resources for us to pull from. Wisconsin has 25+ cycling teams for us to network with and learn from… there’s no reason to re-create the wheel. The long-range mission? To establish a local UP League in the next 1-3 years.” 

Revolutions, MarquetteRevolutions is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

that teaches bike repair skills in a shop setting. After completing the first year of running programs just for kids, they’ve learned a few things. For instance, adults are really interested in learning too!

Revolutions is modeled after numerous successful programs that exist in other areas of the country. The shop offers a constructive and creative space for youth to go and spend time. Adults learn skills as well and help kids through their projects. Problem solving, patience, and working together is rewarded with successful proj-ects and bikes that work well.

Revolutions is located in the Masonic Square Mall at 130 W Washington Street, downtown Marquette. Community memberships and donations (especially of bikes and bike parts) are always encouraged.

For more information on classes and membership check out www.revolutions-marquette.org.

cont. on page 16

The following is not an all inclusive list. The trail information was provided to UPMTB by the respective region’s DNR, chamber of commerce, tourism associations or council, U.S. Forest Service, local mountain bike club, and by our own personal experiences.

EASTERN UPPER PENINSULADrummond Island

Location: Drummond Island, the eastern most point of the Upper Peninsula, is the largest freshwater island in the United States. The island contains over 87,000 acres with well over 100 miles of terrain to explore. There is also a technical riding area called Turtle Ridge which is a limestone out cropping that allows numerous routes and trial challenges. For those freeriders look-ing for a challenge this is the place to go. Island trail guide books are available at the Drummond Island Resort & Conference Cen-ter, 906.493. 1000 or 800.999.6343 or call the Drummond Island Tourism Association at 906.493.5245 or 800.737.8666.

Canada Lakes Pathway, Luce CountyLocated 5.5 miles southeast of Newberry via M-123 & Co. Rd.

403, the Canada Lakes Pathway offers 14 miles of trails broken

into three loops. Although the soil is a little on the sandy side, the trails are well used and a stable tread winds it way through a jack pine for forest and on the back loop it climbs into a hard-wood forest before looping around back to the trailhead. The ride is easy to moderate, sometimes a little dusty when dry but really nice just after rain fall. It is a marked DNR trail system and a rec-reation passport is required. For more information contact the DNR Newberry Field Office at 906.293.3293 or search for it on the Michigan DNR website: www.michigan dnr.com

Seney National Wildlife Refuge, Schoolcraft County

Boarded by Highways M-28 & M-77, the Seney National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to take the family or if you looking for a mellow ride through some of the most diverse wetlands in the Upper Peninsula. This place isn’t about epic trails. It’s about getting into nature, taking a relaxing cruise on the dirt/gravel roads which are only open to automobiles one-way, and checking out some truly unique U.P. wilderness.

Comprised mainly of wetlands, the Seney Wildlife Refuge is home to all types of native animals and migratory birds. The land is managed for wildlife. Water levels on over 7000 acres are regu-

Here’s the Dirt...

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lated using a system of spillways and dikes. Cyclists can see this management system first hand as they pedal along the streams and pools. The visitor center is located near the town of Germ-fask off Hwy M-77. It is open daily from May 15-Ocotber 15 from 9am-5pm. Exhibits, and orientation show and friendly staff will help you get started with your visit, for more information call 906.586.9851 or online at www.fws.gov/refuge/seney.

CENTRAL UPPER PENINSULABruno’s Run Trail, Alger County

Bruno’s Run Trail is located approximately 11miles south of Highway M-28 on Forest Highway 13. The trail may be accessed from Widewater and Pete’s Lake campgrounds, as well as Forest Highway 13 at Moccasin Lake and Forest Road 2173 at Grassy Lake. Limited parking is available at each site.

The trail offers a nine mile loop ideal for advance beginner to intermediate mountain bikers. Described by many as an enchant-ing trail it winds its way past small lakes, over rolling hills and along ridge tops and valleys. For more information call the Mu-nising District Ranger Station at 906.387.3700.

Valley Spur Mountain Bike Trails, Alger CountyThe Valley Spur Mountain Bike Trail System is located five

miles southwest of Munsing on Highway M-94 and is part of the Hiawatha National Forest. The Friends of Valley Spur are the care-takers of the system. The trails offer riding opportunities from be-

UPMTB Bicycle Shop DirectorySault Ste. Marie:

Pro Sports, 2621 Ashmun St., 906.632.8161Newberry:

S&J Sports, 222 Newberry Ave., 906.293.9330Munising:

Grand Island Ferry Service, just west of Munising, 906.387.3503Marquette:

Downwind Sports, 514 N. Third St., 906.226.7112Lakeshore Bike, 505 Lakeshore Blvd., 906.228.7547Quick Stop Bike Shop, 1100 N. Third St., 906.225.1577Revolutions, 130 W. Washington St., 906.235.0412Sports Rack, 315 W. Washington, 906.225.1766The Flying Moose, 351 W. Washington St., 906.273.2246

Keweenaw Peninsula:Cross Country Sports, 507 Oak St., Calumet, 906.337.4520Downwind Sports, 308 Sheldon Ave., Houghton, 906.482.2500Hancock Bike Shop, 115 Quincy St., Hancock, 906.482.5234Keweenaw Adventure Co., Copper Harbor, 906.289.4303Rhythm -, 52 Huron St., Houghton, 906.487.9500

Gladstone/Escanaba:Beaten Path, 1015 Lundington, Esacanaba, 906.789.6220Brampton Bike & Ski, 910 Delta Ave., Gladstone, 906.428.2135Mr. Bike, Ski & Fitness, 1016 Lundington, Escanaba. 906.786.1200

Iron Mountain:Mortl’s Sports Center, 120 E. Main, 906.774.9519

Menominee:Cycle Path, 2329 13th Street, 906.863.9361

Ironwood:Hobby Wheel, 1435 E. Cloverland Dr., 906.932.3332

cont. on page 8

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ginner to intermediate. It offers four loops that provide 26-miles of marked trail. Riders travel through northern hardwood forests, meadows, past lakes, hemlock groves and giant white pine stands. For more information call the Munising District Ranger Station at 906.387.3700 or online at www.valleyspur.org.

Grand Island, Alger CountyGrand Island is a Congressionally-designated National Recre-

ation Area (NRA) located in Munising Bay for recreational pur-suits. The island contains 22-square miles of land with 300’ sand-stone cliffs on the north side, beaches and historical buildings. For more information call the Munising District Ranger Station at 906.387.3700 or online at www.grandislandmi.com.

Noquemanon Trails Network, Marquette CountyThe Noquemanon Trails Network is a 501c3 organization ded-

icated to developing, maintaining, signing and mapping non-mo-torized trail networks throughout Marquette County. The multi-use trail system is being created to connect communities, foster stewardship and draw tourism. The NTN feels a trail network is an important asset to the health of the residents and economy.

A jewel of the NTN system is the South Trails of Marquette. This multi-loop system offers great mountain bike singletrack. The trailhead is located just off County Road 553 just south of the City of Marquette and just before the downhill ski area Marquette Mountain. For more information go to www.noquetrails.org.

Range Mountain Bike Trails, West Marquette CountyThe Range Mountain Bike Trails are located in and around the

cities of Ishpeming and Negaunee. It has marked and un-marked trails that are easily accessible via Highway US-41. The Iron Ore Heritage Trail runs between the two communities. This paved greenway connects the two communities and allows access to several trails within the location called Old Town.

The best way to experience the Range Mountain Bike Trails is to join up on an open ride on Wednesday evenings leaving at 6:30pm from Cognition Brewery, Ishpeming. For more informa-tion go to https://ramba-public.sharepoint.com or Facebook.

SOUTH-CENTRAL UPPER PENINSULADays River Trail System, Delta County

Located about five miles north of Gladstone, the Days River Trail System offers riders a looped run of up to nine miles. With scenic lookouts and rolling hills this is one of the more popular trail systems in the south central U.P. The trails are well marked with four loops from two miles to nine miles. Several unmarked singletrack connectors add some mix the system. For more infor-mation contact Brampton Bike & Ski at 906.428.2138 or online at www.michigan.org/property/days-river-pathway.

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Iron Mountain, Dickinson CountyDickinson County is located in the south central section of the

Upper Peninsula. Mountain biking and hiking trails are available at most state forest campgrounds and county property. Specific trail information includes:

Fumee Lake Natural Area: Fumee is a wildlife area that is only minutes from downtown Iron Mountain and contains both dou-ble and single track trails. It can be accessed from both the Iron Mountain and Norway sides of the area. It contains double track trails around Big Fumee (4.45 mi) and Little Fumee (1.55 mi) lakes. Built in the 1999 and 2000 the North Ridge (2.93 mi) and South Ridge (1.43 mi) singletrack trails have survived the test of time and are used on a daily basis. Currently these are the only 2 trails of dedicated single track in the county. The local Dickinson County bike path group has been working on local routes in town and are currently working with the city of Norway to build the first single track trails since 2000. Fumee Lake Trail map http://fumeelakes.org/Fumee%20Lake%2011x17.pdf

Genes Pond: the 2.3 mile trails begins at the boat launch and travels to a scenic overlook and through wildlife openings.

Iron Mountain City Park: This trail system offers four loops to-taling 3.5 km with east to difficult paths. These wide trails are used as ski trails in the winter as well as running a biking in the sum-mer months.There are several other trail head in this area. For more information call the Tourism Association of the Dickinson County Area at 906.774.2002, or www.dickinsonchamber.com

-Submitted by Kyle Lindstrom

NORTHERN UPPER PENINSULA

Houghton/Hancock/Calumet, Houghton CountyHoughton/Hancock offers a variety of trails and terrain for

mountain biking. Using an old railroad grade, bikers can start in Chassell, ride along Portage Lake to Houghton, cross the lift bridge to Hancock and continue on the grade to Calumet, the to-tal distance being more than 25 miles.

But there are a lot of interesting loop systems in-between and at both ends. The Chassell ski trail offers 10K of mostly wooded single track. Moderate elevation changes suited toward beginner to intermediate riders. You can find the trail one block west of town. Follow the signs off US-41 for the ski trail.

In Houghton, the Michigan Tech Trails offer a variety of chal-lenges, from beginner loops to expert dirt jumping & technical features. The stacked loop system is located just south of the MTU campus off US-42 turn on McInnes Drive. Follow the road up the hill and past the football field and turn on to Sharon Drive. Look for the water tank and turn left. Take the dirt road to the trail head.

One of the gems of the area is the Maasto Hiihto Trail/Churning Rapids Trail Systems which offer scenic views of the Swedetown Creek Gorge, dramatic up-hills and down hills, plenty of single-track and a rhythm pump-style track section that is sure to bring a smile. The trailhead is behind the Houghton County Arena in Hancock.

The Swedetown Trails located near Calumet host the annual cont. on page 10

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cont. from page 9Great Deer Chase mountain bike race in mid-August. It is home to some 20+ miles of sweet flowy singletrack and is a system that will challenge the beginner or intermediate. And for experts, a few more challenging trails have been build over the past couple seasons. For more information on these trails call Cross Country Sports at 906.337.4520 or go online to www.keweenawtrails.com.

Copper Harbor, Keweenaw CountySome of the most unique mountain biking in all the Midwest

is located in Michigan’s northern-most resort community, Cop-per Harbor. The narrow finger of land known as the Keweenaw Peninsula extends nearly 70-miles north and east into the center of the world’s largest fresh water sea, Lake Superior. The Keween-aw’s northern tip is particular is a geographic anomaly consisting of a series of spiny ridges and undulating valleys amidst some of the oldest exposed rock in the world outside the Grand Canyon.

The rocky, rugged terrain and sustained elevation changes in-clude a multitude of singletrack climbs and descents that are up to 550’ vertical over the course of up to three-miles at a time and are comparable to the western-like mountains biking experience... some even say “BC-esque.”

The singletrack trails wind over exposed bedrock, extensive cedar planked bridges and boardwalks, and through enchanted Boreal Forest, along the scene vistas above Lake Superior with bermed switchbacks, edges of hidden canyons, scenic streams

and historic locations. For more info on the Copper Harbor Trail System go online to www.copperhabortrails.org.

-Submitted by Sam Raymond

WESTERN UPPER PENINSULAAdventure Mine Trails, Ontonagon County

Located in little town of Greenland, the Adventure Mine Trails host the annual Miner’s Revenge, early July, mountain bike race where participants race on a five mile cross country loop that even goes through one of the mine drifts. Literally “underground” rac-ing at its best.

These are very rugged and technical trails, but also have a two-track road system that winds through the mine are where founda-tions of the old mine structures can still be seen. Even if the trails are too technical this is a great stop to discover some of the history of the Upper Peninsula while in route to the Porcupine Mountains. For more info online go to www.adventureminetours.com.

Porcupine Mountains, Ontonagon CountyThe Porcupine Mountain on the western north shore of the

Upper Peninsula offers some great easy riding along the cross-country ski trails there, but plans are underway to expand singletrack options at the downhill ski area located on the east

cont. on page 14

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Carrollisms: “Always, Jesus hates a coward.”

“I turned something down once, I regretted it ever since.”“Friday night bible studies, Sunday church rides.”

“Got any bad habits?”“Let’s see where this goes.”

Carroll Jackson Memorial Ride, June 8

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On Wed. June 8, the Range Mountain Bike Association will be hosting a memorial ride in honor of founding member Carroll Jackson who passed away on June 4, 2014 during a mountain bike ride on a trail that he just completed building.

The ride will start at Jasper Ridger Brewery, 6:30pm with a bonfire and reminnces of Carroll after the ride at Country Village Campground.

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cont. from page 10

side of the park. The first singletrack trail under development is Log Jammin.

The 21 miles of designated mountain bike trails offers loops ranging from 1.5 to 10.5 miles long. Riders can expect rugged terrain, incredible vistas and abundant wildlife viewing op-portunities. For more info online go to www.porcupinemoun-tains.com

Wolverine Mountain Bike Trail System, Gogebic County

Located on the far west end of the Upper Peninsula near the town of Ironwood, the Wolverine Mountain Bike Trail Sys-tem has an extensive loop system built on private land and privately owned. It is open to non-motorized use only. It has a mixture of technical singletrack and wide cross-country ski trails. Please observe signage as some of the ski trail system is closed in the summer.

The Powers Trail System is a fun network that has a mix of two track, single track and gravel roads. There is around 25 miles of trails total. Some of the trail is shared with ORVS and horses but generally a nice quite place to go ride. It is an easy trail system to get lost on so make sure to carry a map: www.getaroundwup.org/non-motorized/maps/gogebic-county/

The newest trail system on the western Upper Peinsula is Copper Peak Trails. These are modern Flow style trails with great views and a lot of elevation change. They are located at

the Copper Peak Ski Jump just off Copper Peak Road north of Ironwood. These trails are open but in progress so use caution. Currently there is about six miles of ride able single track that winds down a valley along Black river then up the back side of Copper Peak Ski jump with the last two miles being a fun downhill section. These trails would be rated at an interme-diate level. Maps should be available by mid-summer at the trail head and at Hobby Wheel.  Check out copperpeak.com for updates.

Also located within the town of Ironwood is the Miners Memorial Heritage Park which offer and easy 2.6-mile loop taking riders past historic mine sites and interruptive markers. There is a section of the trail that is two-way traffic. This sys-tem is more of a tour and trail etiquette needs to be followed.

For more information of mountain bike opportunities in the Western Upper Peninsula contact Hobby Wheel at 906.932.3332 or go online to www.westernup.info.

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Youth Programscont. from page 5

MTU Junior Mountain Bike Camp, June 19-23Ride through beautiful scenery on well-maintained

trails of the local area, including the Michigan Tech Trails, Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids, Swedetown, and the Copper Harbor MTB Trails. Gain experience at your own pace as you develop riding skills, get training ideas, learn race strategies, set goals, and tackle some of the coolest single-track in the Midwest.

What to Expect: Two to four hours of training per day. We will instruct campers to train at paces and riding levels that are appropriate for them; however, the camp may be intense for novice riders.

Special Requirements:Your own bike (with good brakes and appropriate gearing for serious off-road rid-ing) and a helmet. A Health Assessment/Code of Con-duct Agreement form and Concussion Awareness Ac-knowledgement form must be submitted.

This is a junior camp for cyclists ages 13 to Under 20 (U20). A cyclist is considered 20 for the year if they will be 20 as of December 31, 2016.

Start the Cycle, YMCA Marquette CountyNow going into it’s fourth year, Start the Cycle gives

mentoring, goal setting and a supportive environment for kids to challenge themselves and find their confience.

In the beginning, it was two men with an idea to help kids stay out of trouble by getting them on a moun-

tain bike. Very simple in its origin, Dr. John Olesnavage, a local psychologist, and Curtis Hewitt, a board mem-ber at Northstar Academy, were seeing at risk kids who needed a focus, a boundary, and a dream.

In 2013, working alongside Child and Family Ser-vices, the Marquette County Juvenile Probation staff, with a small budget, and donated equipment, 6 Start the Cycle volunteers/mentors met weekly and trained 16 youth to ride mountain bikes.

In 2014, Start the Cycle approached Lisa Coombs Gerou, CEO at The YMCA of Marquette County, about becoming a part of the YMCA programs. The YMCA is well versed in organizing and creating sustainable pro-grams for youth and could offer administrative help as well as fundraising and grant writing.

The Start the Cycle program was awarded a grant for winter Wellness in 2015. Working with Sports Rack Marquette, 5 Start The Cycle riders got the chance to ex-perience fat tire biking. The conclusion of the 6 weeks pilot program was riding the inaugural 906 Polar Roll fat tire bike race on February 21st.

The program now is year-round with many of the kids who started now mentoring. Start the Cycle believes all kids are at risk kids. We are giving them something to strive towards, a goal, a dream. It gives Mentors and Volunteers a chance to give back in a very physical and emotional way. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child. To give of your resources and/or time, please con-tact YMCA of Marquette County.

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HOTSHEETRaces:June 18: Keweenaw Tread Fest: 12 &25 mile XC races, youth races, contact: MichiganTechRecreation.com

June 24-26: Marquette Trails Festival, cross country, gravity events, youth events, for more info: marquettetrailsfest.com

July 16: Red Earth Classic, Ishpeming , multiple cross country event lengths for more info: redearthclasic.com

July 23: Miner’s Revenge Mountain Bike Race, 1/3 mile under-ground, for more info: minersrevenge.com

August 13: Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic, 48-mile and 28-mile races, youth events, info: oretoshore.com

August 20: The Great Deer Chase, 17.5 & 27-mile cross country races, 3 & 4.5-mile youth races, contact: greatdeerchase.org

Labor Day Weekend: Bell’s Copper Harbor Trails Festival, Mich-igan’s northern-most MTB event: copperharbortrails.org

September 24: Marji Gesick 100-mile & 50-mile self supported races, Marquette County, contact: 906adventureteam.com

October 2: Marquette Mountain Bike Enduro, enduro stage race, more info: marquetteenduro.com

Sept.-Nov: UPCROSS, cyclocross series, multi-venues; mulitple catagories; more info: upcross.net

February 18, 2017: Polar Roll snow bike race, short & long, Marquette County, contact: 906adventureteam.com

Events:May 27-29: Ride the Keweenaw, organized group rides, multi-ventues contact: copperharbortrails.org or keweenawtrails.com

June 19-23: MTU Youth Mountain Bike Camp, featuring coach Brian Matter, ages 13-20, www.michigantechrecreation.com

Weekly Rides: Range Mountain Bike Association, Ishpeming: Wednesday, Cognition Brewery, Ishpeming, meet 6:30 p.m. open group.Down Wind Sports, Marquette: Group rides Thursday night, ride starts at 6:30. For more info call 906.226.7112.Quick Stop Bike Shop, Marquette: Group rides Tuesday nights, ride starts at 6:30. For more info call 906.225.1577.Cross Country Sports, Calumet; Wednesday night, 6:30pm906.337.4520 or www.crosscountrysports.com, open groupKeweenaw Adventure, Copper Harbor: Thursday evening rides, for more info: keweenawadventure.com or call 906.289.4303Hobby Wheel, Ironwood: Tuesday evening group rides, call 906.932.3332All events & rides: Helmets are mandatory! 21

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The Top Five For...Lunchtime Rides

Marquette, South Trails: The Blue Loop is perhaps the Marquette South Trails’ most iconic ride, and it can be ridden in right about an hour with a few thimble berry breaks here and there or extra credit loops. Starting from the South Trailhead ride in a counter clockwise direction around this loop. Highlights include Doctors’ downhill, riding along the creek on Up a Creek, and the Split Tree descent (Staying left at the split will put you on one of the gnarlier rock gardens in the area).

Houghton, Tech Trails: This ride is a wonderful conglomerate of technical and flow. Take on the Time Trial loop, to the rocky, root-filled challenge of the Hairy Toad and Barking Frog loops. Finish up the T.T. and head to the Outer Limits loop for a hoot of a downhill. Once at the bottom, you’ll have a solid leg burner on your way back up to the trailhead.

Munising, Valley Spur: Valley Spur, just west of Munising on M-94 offers a solid 4.5-mile loop of beautiful singletrack. The loop starts at the ski trail portion referred to as Stairway to Heaven. Looking something closer to town? The Hillside trails are just up the hill from the Hillside Store, and are should be mostly revamped from being logged.

Bessemer, Copper Peak: While Copper Peak is most famous for its winter activity, sky flying, the folks in Bessemer have been busy putting in some work for the other half of the year. The Copper Peak Loop offers riders a solid upper-intermediate-level ride. If your legs aren’t feeling the climbs, chairlift access is available.

Copper Harbor: If you’re in the Harbor, you’ll likely have some time to put in some big rides, but if you only have an hour, head up Stairway to Heaven, take a right on Here We Go, Stay right, and keep climbing, up Dza Beet, and start the descent (finally) down the Blue Trail to US41. Cross the highway and roll with gravity down the scenic and fun Garden Brook trail. This ride doesn’t disappoint.

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It is a very exciting time for the little town on the bay. Multiple projects are in the works for MBTN for the 2016 season. Ground breaking on the Trust Fund “Munising Bay Mountain Bike Trailhead/Parking/Universal Access Trail” project that was awarded to the City of Munising in 2014 will begin soon.

The trailhead will be constructed on the South side of M28 as you enter the city of Munising from the West. A 1.6 mile universal access trail will loop to and from the trailhead and connect with the newly constructed (fall 2015) 1.4 mile singletrack trail located at the top of the hill behind the Hillside Party Store.

MBTN was recently awarded grant money through the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians via the Center for Disease Control. The grant money received will support an upgrade to the trail system in the hills surrounding Munising. The planned upgrades will expand the trail into a bike park by adding a jump trail and a skills loop with multiple features that will attract users of all abilities. Construction will begin in the spring of 2016.

Valley Spur Trail system singletrack trails will continue to expand as logging allows, with five miles completed to date. The finished length will be 12 miles. MBTN members continue to work towards expanding the trail network in the Munising area by pursuing additional mileage through the

Munising Bay HappeningsUSFS as well as private land owners to connect the two trail systems.

Fundraising initiatives are going strong with a fat tire raffle underway. We were fortunate enough to receive a cus-tom built frame built by 616 Fabrications in Grand Rapids, MI. The bike was built by South Bay Outfitters in Munising, MI. The drawing will be on July 4th. The 41st Annual Pic-tured Rocks Road Race is happening on Sunday June 26th. This is MBTN’s first year as the host for this event which will begin and end at Munising’s Bay Shore Park. Visit http://www.picturedrocksroadrace.com/ for more information or to register for this event. All money earned goes back into the trail system in the Munising area.

Weekly work bees will begin (Tuesday evenings from 4:30pm – 6:30 pm) and continue throughout the trail build-ing season with additional weekend work bees randomly scheduled as the projects above require additional support. If you would like to get involved please email rhondalas-sila@gmail.com or call Rhonda Lassila at 906 202-1679 to be added to the volunteer distribution list. Visit mbtn.org to stay up to date on what is happening with MBTN. Also visit our Facebook page. continue to work towards expanding the trail network in the Munising area by pursuing additional mileage through the USFS as well as private land owners to connect the two trail systems.

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A pic from last fall of the renovated singletrack on the ridge-line above the city of Munising. After logging operations al-tered the landscape, MBTN got busy. After a winter to settle in the tread should be prime this season. photo: MBTN

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Those trail elves whose passion is the Swedetown trails often feel like our trail system is Copper Harbor’s little sister. Granted the majority of mountain bikers who travel hours to ride often come to an area like the Har-bor for the challenge and rocky terrain it affords.

But when it comes down to just having a fun ride without high consequence for error you can’t beat the Swedetown Trails. The trail elves take pride in keeping them in good shape and well signed which allows guests to add and subtract trail segments and loops to create their own personal ride.

The Swedetown trails do have the element of close, twisty singletrack with short ups and downs that can make it challenging to ride at speed. This comes from the fact that the elves have hand sculpted all 25 miles of single track. Ride them and you’ll feel the love.

Swedetown adds to the mix of a variety of trails one will find in the Keweenaw and is cen- trally located in Calu-met, Michigan. If one comes up for a week of riding, they can warm up at Swedetown, venture down to the Adventure Mine trails, take in the Tech Trails, Maasto Hihto/Churning Rapids systems and add the challenges of Copper Harbor. It is a veritable mountain bikers buffet, to suit many styles of riding and what challenges one feels up to that day.

Keweenaw’s Lil’SisterCurrently there are no fees charged to ride at Swe-detown, however donations are accepted gratefully to keep the elves at work improving and expanding the trail system. The big fund raiser, The Aspirus Great Deer Chase will be August 20, 2016 with 2 & 4 mile youth races and 15 & 30 mile events. Aspirus and the other sponsors as well as participants of the Deer Chase have made it possible to create this system and keep it going. Your participation would be appreciated and the trail elves guarantee you’ll have fun.

Future projects at Swedetown: - A flow/jump trail on the south side of Tower Hill (the elves will be using heavy equipment for this.) -  Improving two track access and mowing of the ski trails for side by side, more gentle rid- ing -  Extension of Sandy Bottom Bypass to add a connec-tion from south trails to north trails. -  Addition of a few more trails.

Follow the Great Deer Chase on Facebook for updated information or one can go to www.GreatDeerChase.org. Winter and general trail information regarding Swedetown itself may be found at SwedetownTrails.org.

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Stretching out into Lake Superior, the rugged strip of land known as the Keweenaw Peninsula has established itself as a leading mountain bik-ing destination. While most people have heard of the Copper Harbor IMBA Ride Center, what they may not know is within a two hour are five additional trail systems, each a worthy day trip or a stop while traveling to or from Copper Har-bor. Collectively, the Keweenaw offers over 125 miles of singletrack trails to keep any non-mo-torized trail enthusiast occupied but the question is where to start.

Adventure Mine/Soke Trails, Greenland – Hand-built and technical, be ready to challenge yourself on this small but growing network of trails built around the Adventure Mine. On special occasions, including Ride the Keweenaw on Memorial Weekend and during the Adventure Mine race on July 23-24, you get to ride through the mine!

Michigan Tech Trails, Houghton – A little bit of everything can be found at this trail system on Michigan’s Tech’s campus and abutting the com-munity of Houghton. Looking for an easy cruise in the woods, yes. Need some twisty singeltrack, yup. Looking to get some air, hit the jump lines. Pump track, yes. Flow trail, check. There are 35 miles of trails open for biking at Michigan Tech and for every style of rider. And new this year, the Keweenaw Tread Fest on June 18.

Churning Rapids/Maasto Hiihto Trails, Han-cock – Accessible off of M203 in Hancock, this trail system is protected through a conserva-tion easement that encourages silent recreation. The trails are primarily handbuilt and wind through hardwood forests with scenic surprises and a random flow trail highlighting this special system. Over 25 miles of singletrack trails are available when connected with the nearby Mass-to Hiihto System. Note that Churning Rapids is

well-signed for summer use but Maasto Hiihto is not.

Swedetown Trails, Calumet – Directly adja-cent to town and also accessible from M203, the Swedetown Trails can occupy your single-track desires for hours upon hours. With over 20 miles of twisty, flowy, handbuilt singletrack, Swedetown provides an unintimidating adven-ture for newer riders but is also a favorite for more experienced riders that want to get some extended mileage. In August, riders can chal-lenge themselves at the Great Deer Chase on August 20, featuring the U.P. SingleSpeed Cham-pionships.

Copper Harbor Trails, Copper Harbor - Sce-nic, challenging, magical, and more, Copper Harbor is known as a special place. In this cell-phone service free town, visitors can disconnect and engage with the outdoors and those around them. This beloved destination continues to grow thanks to the efforts of the local IMBA Chapter. With over 30 miles in place, an addi-tional 6 miles of singletrack will be added to the system this summer with sights on an additional 15 miles, pending DNR approval.

The trails are known to be challenging due to mostly rocky terrain, but even the most novice riders can find a little something within this system. Shuttles are also available via the Ke-weenaw Adventure Company. This year, you can play a part in protecting the future of this great system as the Copper Harbor Trails Club-IMBA Chapter and Grant Township are working together to secure 94 acres at the heart of the system.

Donations can be made through the www.copperharbortrails.org website. The website also has a full schedule of events for the summer highlighted by the Bell’s Beer Copper Harbor Trails Fest on September 3-4.

Ride the KeweenawThere’s a Little Bit of Everything Packed into One Peninsula

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