By STEVE NEWMAN
Ironwood – Saturday’s Copper Peak Trails Fest featured a variety of running and bike races for all abilities. For runners, there was a 7 mile trail run. For bikers, there were mountain bike races of varying lengths on a course that ran to the top of Copper Peak and down to the Black River. There was also a kids’ mountain bike race. Organizers stated that there was a total of 105 runners and bikers that took part in the event, including 30 kids who ran in the kids’ race.
Runners were unanimous in their praise of the beautiful sunny weather and the condition of the course. Scott Erickson ran both the 7 mile trail run and the sport mountain bike race of 7 more miles. “Not the smartest thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “The course is really nice but hard,” he said. Bike racers ran the road up to the top, then had a two-mile descent to the river. After the descent, it was time to go back to the hard work of going up to the top of the peak again. The longer bike race was 3 1/2 loops, or 16 miles through the course. “Serious vertical,” said Erickson.
Gary Engstrom, an Ironwood resident, was out riding his bike at age 71. A couple years ago, Engstrom almost died when cross-country skiing, but has made a full recovery and enjoyed the day on the trail. Engstrom said he rides his bike “every day” and ran the Red Bull 400 this spring.
The races were a fundraiser for the Sisu Dirt Crew, partnering with the Gogebic County Health Foundation. Andrea Newby, a spokesperson for the foundation, stated that the foundation was matching the funds raised at the race. The proceeds go toward trail development and encouraging healthy lifestyles in the area. Newby said that combination of the views from the peak and the river make the event a potential draw to the area. She stated that a little more than 50 percent of the participants were from out of the area.
The groups are working on extending the Iron Belle Trail out past Bessemer toward Ramsay and Wakefield. The funding is looking “really positive” according to Erickson, with the goal of design in 2019 and building the trail in 2020. The health foundation has been a strong financial partner to promote healthy lifestyles and extend the trails.
The combination of recreation opportunities in the area is a showcase for those from out of town who enjoy the active lifestyle opportunities it affords. Brother and sister Dave Sgro and Mary Jo Bailey grew up in Rhinelander, but had a friend who bought a place in Bessemer. Dave, currently from Green Bay, and Mary Jo, from Minnetonka, Minn., then bought the house from the friend and come up most weekends to enjoy the area. “It feels like home, “she said. They have hosted relatives for weeks during the summer. “We enjoy the hills and hiking the waterfalls,” Mary Jo said.