It was about 7 a.m. as I inched my way up a ski trail in the near dark. The eastern sky was illuminated with a soft red glow as dawn was just starting to break.
I quickly reached a rocky, snow-covered bluff about 100 feet above a frozen expanse of Lake Superior and stood silently with a few other individuals who were already there. They looked about as frozen as the landscape.
I was standing on Presque Isle Park, a rocky piece of land that juts out into the lake. Located within the city limits, it offers a two-mile scenic ski trail that circles around the islandlike park. I was there to watch the sun rise, a popular winter pastime with city residents.
The red glow in the east quickly brightened as the first rays of sunlight streaked across the frozen lake, striking the ice-encrusted bluffs and illuminating them in a golden glow. It was beautiful. I stood transfixed as the sun seared the image into mind and memory, a lifetime memory. In just a few moments the effect was gone, and it was time to head back down to a warm, hearty breakfast.
This area has all the ingredients for a great winter vacation: miles of cross-country and snowmobile trails, one of the biggest ski hills in the Midwest and lots of opportunities for back-country ski touring in the nearby Huron Mountains. And, to top it all off, the area averages more than 200 inches of snow per year.
The largest metropolis in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Marquette (population 70,887) was known as the “Queen City of the North” when 40 percent of the world’s iron shipped from its huge ore docks. It was one of the busiest ports on the Great Lakes. Mining fortunes built the ornate facades of rose-colored Lake Superior sandstone that line the city’s streets, which slope steeply to the harbor.
Throughout Marquette, you can see the restored grandeur of the “glory years.” St. Peters’ Cathedral once was declared the most beautiful example of sandstone architecture in the world. Cobblestone sidewalks still accent historic structures downtown.
The Upper Peninsula contributed much to skiing in America. In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, Scandinavians came to work in the iron mines. Some brought skis along, and others built them from barrel staves or boards.
At the turn of the century, Ispheming, just west of here on U.S. Highway 41, boasted more ski hills than baseball diamonds. In 1904, the town hosted the nation’s first ski tournament. Today it is home to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame. Well worth taking the time to visit, the museum offers an entertaining look at the history of skiing, from 4,000-year-old skis and poles found in a Swedish peat bog to America’s most current Olympic medal winners, Tommy Moe and Picabo Street.
With the decline of mining, tourism is now one of the area’s largest industries, and skiing and winter sports are still at the forefront. If you’re a snowmobiler, you have more than 300 miles of groomed trails just in the Marquette area alone. Cross-country skiers have a variety of trail systems to choose from totaling more than 100 miles, with close to 70 miles of groomed and tracked pathways. Ski-jumping competitions still flourish, and you can even take a luge or toboggan run.
Cross-country skiing
The Marquette Country Convention and Visitors Bureau has a map that lists 12 nearby areas, from small, easy community-run pathways in township parks to more demanding, hilly terrain with miles of trails. Following are a few of the more popular areas.
Blueberry Ridge Pathway: Located 6 miles south of Marquette, the pathway is one of the better-known trail systems in Michigan. It hosts the Red Earth Loppet and is a nordic training site for Northern Michigan University and its Olympic Education Center.
The pathway offers 12 miles of impeccably groomed trails for skating and classic-style skiers. The northern two loops are best for a more relaxed, easy ski. The southern three loops are predominantly used by the racers and skaters. Wildcat is the most scenic trail in the system: You ski out along a cliff that drops into a deep gorge.
Suicide Bowl/Cleveland Ski Trails: Located northwest of Marquette between Ishpeming and Negaunee on Michigan Highway 28 (business loop), the trails run out of a long valley that is home to a ski-jumping hill (hence the Suicide Bowl name). There are nearly 15 miles of trails that meander along the ridge tops of the surrounding hills. The trails on the Suicide Bowl side are groomed for skate and classic, and are suitable for all levels of skiers.
The Cleveland trails, located in the hills above the ski jump, are tracked for classic skiers only. They are more advanced as evidenced by some of the phrases on the trail map. “Bad downhill” and “hairpin turn at bottom” are a couple of examples–best avoided by beginners.
Maple Lane Touring Center: Located 15 miles south of here near Skandia, this area offers a small scenic trail system that rolls through forested hills and along Nelson Creek. The 7-mile pathway is groomed for both types of cross-country skiing. There is also a ski shop with rentals.
Anderson Lake Pathway: Located 5 miles southwest of Gwinn on County Highway 557, Anderson is a pretty little system that is mostly easy skiing. The 6-mile trail system winds over some low hills, but is two-thirds flat. The trails are not groomed, skier-tracked only.
National Mine Ski Area: For those who like hills and steep terrain, try the National Mine Ski Area. Located just a couple of miles southwest of Ispheming, it has some of the largest hills in the area. Originally operated by the Michigan Biathlon Association, it has a biathlon range and is still a training site for Olympic hopefuls. The 6-mile trail is groomed only for skating.
Alpine skiing
For the downhill crowd there’s Marquette Mountain. It’s big, by Midwestern standards, with a 600-foot drop that caters nicely to all ability levels. Nineteen runs–some up to a mile-and-a-quarter long–plunge down the mountainside.
Rocket is a long fall-line run that will provide advanced skiers with all they can handle. The top portion is akin to skiing a frozen waterfall. Weasel Gulch is a milelong cruiser that slithers down the west side of the mountain–a great intermediate run. And the Bowl, located in between, offers some nice open-slope skiing with a little steep. The right side of the mountain has a little easier terrain, with some nice long beginner and low-intermediate runs.
Most of the area received a much needed facelift during the last few years. Another chair lift was added last season that carries skiers right over the scenic Carp River, and the lodge was recently expanded and enlarged. The main lodge’s T-Bar is a favorite local watering hole. Call 906-225-1155 for the latest ski conditions.
Other area attractions
One of the more unusual winter attractions in the area is the chance to experience the fast-action thrill of luging.
The Lucy Hill Naturbahn Luge Track, located in Negaunee, is a part of Northern Michigan University’s Olympic Education Program. You don’t have to be an Olympic hopeful to feel the thrill of zipping around 29 curves on the half-mile ice track. Families head to the lower portion of the track, where instructors teach first-time racers. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students. It’s open from noon to 4 p.m. weekends. Call 906-475-LUGE to make sure there isn’t a meet scheduled before making the trip.
Nearby Sugarloaf Mountain, located northwest of town on the way to Big Bay, also offers a unique outing. You can hike to the top of the mountain for some incredible views of Lake Superior, with Marquette nestled along the shore and the Huron Mountains inland. The hike isn’t easy in the wintertime, and skiing isn’t an option; it’s too steep, and there are several sets of stairs. Normally the path has been beaten down, and the climb isn’t too strenuous. Pick a sunny day with light wind, pack a lunch and a camera and spend some time enjoying the view.
While in the area, visit the Vierling Saloon in downtown Marquette. It has been in the same location with the same family operating it since 1883. The decor is authentic, complete with the original stained-glass windows and oil paintings. The oak bar, which greets visitors as they walk in the cozy establishment, is more than 100 years old. It really gives you the flavor of this historic community, and the fresh whitefish and lake trout dinners are excellent.
Marquette has the usual number of chain and small “mom and pop” motels. Another option is a bed and breakfast, and there are several from which to choose. For a complete list of lodging choices, ski trails and other options, call the visitors bureau at 800-544-4321.
As of mid-January, the area had nearly nine feet of snow.
