Heat Wave!

Baby, it's hot out there!

Ore to Shore Weekend Epic

Maybe a little bit on the humid side but overall the event went great.

View from Panorama, Old Town Negaunee

Looking south from the Panorama Trail, Old Town Negaunee.

Revenge is Sweet, but still hurts

The boys from The Bike Shop in Houghton had some new ideas for the Miner's Revenge layout this year which eliminated the direct climb up the Greenland Twp. ski hill and added additional single track lengthening the course by a mile. Two loops, 12-miles, doesn't seem like much of a race but by the time you complete the first lap it leaves you wondering how so much can be packed into such a tight loop. And competing in the 4-lap event is beyond my scope of comprehension. The sane ones to me are the riders with DNFs, but then again I grew up in Newberry before the hospital closed.

The Miner's Revenge ranks as one of my favorites. It's not a traditional XC race by any means. It takes grit, determination and some luck just to finish. For those who take home the hardware it is truly a season's accomplishment. I'll throw in my entry fee as long as the event exists just to get the chance to race underground.

Race Event Web Site: Miner's Revenge

Full Race Results: Superior Timing

Recommended iPod
Movie Sound Track: Apocalypse Now

Feeling Summer'ish...

After some riding in Colorado toward the beginning of the month, it took a while to get back on the local trails. Lack of time and a persistent pattern of rain made it difficult to find rhythm.

Until this week.

I finally made it out on a ride with the Range Mtn. Bike boys for a rare Tuesday evening tour that took us on a triple panorama climb sequence. The reason for the ride was to get a pic of a check presentation from Matt Calacaterra, owner of Lake Shore Bike, Marquette, to the Range Mountain Bike Club for trail improvement and signage. (more on this to come)

The second event is the Superior Bike Fest in Marquette this weekend. I missed the first two events of the season. The first being the Bear "NN" Down mountian bike race in Crystal Fall and last weekend a classic Father's Day event the Keweenaw Chain Drive. From what I've heard on the street both events went off well and had good reviews. Especially the Chain Drive where the trail conditions were quoted "the best they've ever been."

The SBF feels like the kick off to summer for me. It's only a couple weeks away from the 4th of July and bring a great group of cyclists to town. I'm signed up to race the 2-lap SBF Mountain Chase tomorrow and am looking forward to it. Last year's third place in age catagory was my first hardware for racing in quite a number of years. I'm looking to improve on it this year. The forecast calls for rain. My riding style perfers a technical course and mud. I'll be running my favorite tires and hope the performance is what I imagine. I'm just hoping chain suck doesn't become an issue.

Fort Collins, Colorado

Doing some riding at altitude and feeling good.

Epic Weekend

If Memorial Day weekend is any indication on how things are going to flow this summer, get ready for one of the best. Ride the Keweenaw was a great success for the organizers and great exposure for the trails on the Keweenaw Peninsula. Matt Belic and I only made it to the Epic Ride in Copper Harbor on Sunday afternoon, but that was enough to get the riding stoke going.

For more info on Copper Harbor's Epic Ride designation "click here"

Wow!

It looks like a week of epic weather and great trail conditions. Did an off road lap around Teal Lake tonight. The connector trail between Negaunee and Ishpeming on the north side of Teal Lake is very fun right now. Just enough mud to make it a real mountain bike ride, but not too much to bog you down. Came out on the Olympic Loop at Al Quaal, linked up with the Blue Trail and cut over U.S. 41 to the Mather Mine Trail running along the south side of 41. Took a quick break to shoot this video. Ended the ride on a with some chain suck on a climb and bent a link. No tools, so had to limp home with a chain skip. Even that couldn't ruin the night. Get out and ride as much as you can this week!

7-Day Forecast for Latitude 46.52°N and Longitude 87.53°W (Elev. 1299 ft)

7-Day Forecast for Latitude 46.52°N and Longitude 87.53°W (Elev. 1299 ft)

55 Minutes in Old Town

Went out for a quick ride tonight in Old Town Negaunee. Found a new spur that came out on top of a great vista. Trails are in prime shape. Amazing what 7" of snow can do to settle the dust and start greening up the trails. Sunset was around 9:30pm. Great light, nice temps. Get out and ride this weekend. It looks to be golden.

7-Day Forecast for Latitude 46.54°N and Longitude 87.53°W (Elev. 1456 ft)

7-Day Forecast for Latitude 46.54°N and Longitude 87.53°W (Elev. 1456 ft)

Westward Ho! Well, at least to Duluth.

The first shipment of UPMTB print has been mailed to shops in the western U.P., Wisconsin and Minnesota. For a list of shops look below.

Iron Mountain, Michigan:
-Mortl's Sports Center

Iron River, Michigan:
-Hobby Wheel Ski & Bike

Ashland, Wisconsin:
-Bay City Cycles

Hayward, Wisconsin:
-New Moon Ski Shop
-Riverbrook Bike & Ski

Green Bay Metro Area:
-Bike Hub
-Gear N Up Bicycle Shop
-Wheel & Spocket

Duluth, Minnesota:
-The Ski Hut
-Continental Ski & Bike

Limited copies will be available. If you don't get a chance to pick one up let them know they need more.

Gotta' Love the U.P.

Where It All Began

I recently took a spin on Blue Loop of the South Trails, Marquette. These trails have a certain nostalgia for me because this area was the first trails that I experienced when I moved to Marquette 20 years ago. The Blue Loop circumferences Mount Marquette, aka Mount Mesnard. Typical direction takes a rider in a counter clockwise rotation on the trail.

The most popular starting point is the Co. Rd. 553 trailhead heading south of Marquette, just before the ski hill. It is located on the east side of the highway with a distinct open parking area which is almost always occupied by a least two or three vehicles and somedays over a dozen.

From here the ride starts with a moderate climb to the east connecting to a section of trail locally referred to as Southern Cross which then links into the Doctor's Trail.

An overlook road, open to vehicular traffic accesses, the area from the east of Marquette along the Carp River road. It's a gravel road which is open to one way traffic in the summer and serves as a snowmobile trail in the winter. The west exit of the road comes out on Co. Rd. 553 just down from the South Trails main trailhead.

Taking the trail to the right of the overlook road entry is Up the Creek. A very gentle trail which follow a trickle of water that flows down the from high ground to the Carp River. A series of small bridges criss-cross the valley bringing you along the back hills of the Shiras sub development.

The Goat Trail is one of the original namesakes on this loop, but shows very little resemblance the original gnarly decent from the top of the lookout. Erosion was the main factor for which re-routes were cut in and wild decent was tamed. However, it still keeps its essences as the winding single track leading riders to the top of bottom of Mount Marquette.

The Split Tree section of the loop offers a roller coaster decent along the northwest section of the loop. It was named after a large oak tree that grew up into multiple trunks from a main stump. There are some incredible old growth oaks along this loop. Some so large that they resemble Greek columns.

Upon completing the decent of Split Tree, riders have a choice of taking an easy out to Co. Rd. 553 and returning to the main trailhead or opting for the Gurly Trail which is a technical rock trail that is very narrow and has potential for severe consequences if a rider should mishap off the right side of the trail or go over the handle bars.

After negotiating the tight stairstep decent a short section of single track returns you to the start.

UPMTB Print Hits the Streets Tomorrow

Let's Get the Season Started

An obviously staged video, but spontaneously produced.