TRAIL RUNNING YOOPER STYLE
Michigan's Upper Peninsula is becoming one of the country's meccas for this growing segment of the sport
of running
By Jeff Crumbaugh
Most endurance athletes are aware that trail running has gained enormous popularity recently. Yet most of the national press focuses on trails and races taking place out west or the northeast. While everyone has been clamoring over the trail–running growth in these regions,
Michigan's Upper Peninsula has been quietly gaining a foothold as one of the sport's meccas. A casual look at the trail–racing calendar reveals a schedule rivaling Colorado or New England. I've run the trails in Crested Butte, Boulder, Stowe and Lake Placid, but the trails in the U.P. remain my favorite. Here's why.
Lake Superior
The trail from Wetmore Landing to Little Presque Isle and beyond in Marquette County hugs Superior's shoreline. One moment you are running on a wave–crashed rocky boulder point and then before you know it. you're gliding by a white sand beach. A few moments later, you are up on an 80–foot red sandstone cliff gazing north over the blue green vastness of the big lake. Or run the shoreline northward at McLain State
Park outside of Hancock. The whole north coast of the Keweenaw stretches before you while lake breezes cool you. However, the best thing about running trails near Lake Superior is the post–run swim. Recently, I ran a hard, hilly 10–mile trail run with Chad Christensen of Iron River on an 88–degree day here in Marquette. A plunge in Lake Superior afterward provided instant relief.
Terrain
Granted, we lack trails that can climb thousands of feet up an Alpine peak. Yet if you study the course profile for the 25K race in the epic Keweenaw Trail Running Festival, you'll find over 1,800 feet of climbing, much of it in and around the glacially cut Swedetown Creek Gorge with
its lovely waterfalls. Or give the Al Quaal Recreation Trail in Ishpeming a try if you want relentless, air–sucking hills and trails so winding you feel as though you are lost in a deep–woods maze. I have yet to find a flat stretch in that trail system. Then there is Razorback Ridge north of Marquette. The trail begins on the north side of Harlow Lake and climbs and climbs and climbs. Much of the surface is glacier–polished granite or
dirt and rock. Just when your heart rate hits the roof, you round another bend to see yet another insanely steep ascent. Some sections require arm and leg scrambling. The view of the Huron Mountains and Lake Superior from the top justifies your exhaustion, and then you can enjoy the precarious descent into the forest that must have been designed by mountain goats.
Views
I accept the fact that the wildflower meadows up near Conundrum Pass between Aspen and Crested Butte are drop–dead gorgeous. But try running the Escarpment Trail in the Porcupine Mountains on an early morning in late September, and tell me it doesn't leave you speechless for days. There are colors you can't describe and eagles flying right by
your shoulder before precipitous drops down to Lake of the Clouds. You can follow that with a descent into the old–growth hemlock forest, following the trail to remote Mirror Lake, ascend Government Peak, and swim under a waterfall before your trail run reluctantly ends in this wilderness state park on the U.P.'s far west.
You can also ask a friend who has endured the Hill Climb, the second race in the Keweenaw Trail Running Festival, where runners ascend 821
feet to the summit of Mount Lookout near Eagle Harbor. When runners arrive, they find Alpine flora, courtesy of the northern exposure of this peak overlooking Lake Superior. A runner turning atop the summit soaks in views of Brockway Mountain, the East Ridge, Mount Houghton, Mount Bohemia, the Gratiot Ridge, Lake Medora, Mount Horace Greely, Eagle Harbor and the haunting vastness of Lake Superior. Thanks to a recent purchase by the Nature Conservancy, Mount
Lookout will be saved from development forever.
Food
Most visitors to the U.P. will enjoy at least one pasty, one of the last truly regional foods in a nation with a homogenized menu. The best pasties are made at Tony's in Calumet and are a favorite post–trail run recovery
meal. The recipe was brought over by miners from Cornwall, England, and it is basically a pastry filled with beef, potatoes, onions and rutabagas. Protein and root crops – perfect food for the trail runner.
If you've just finished a run on Hancock's Maasto Hiihto Trails and are hungry for some pasta, head downtown to Gemignani's. This restaurant is a third–generation, family–run café with authentic Italian food. The ravioli is homemade and the sauce a recipe from the Old World. They
bake thick pies and brew strong coffee, too.
If you're tired and hungry after a run on Marquette area trails, head down to the Third Street Bagel Café. When you arrive, you can carb up on 20 varieties of the U.P.'s best bagels, plus fruit salads, lemon scones and thick lattes. If you're up for more of a full course meal, cruise down the street to Sweet Water Café, where you can find an eclectic menu from both steak and potatoes to tofu ginger stir–fry. The salads are made
from organic greens and the bread is homemade and sliced thick.
Racing
A trail runner can race from May through October in the U.P. Currently, 15 events fill the calendar. Here are some of my favorites. Check the Silent Sports Calendar of Events for contact information.
The Carl Olson Adventure Run 5K and 10K, first weekend in June, Chassell.
Jim Tervo has maintained the Chassell trail system for many years. He grooms the ski trails in winter and maintains the trails for running and mountain biking in the summer. The trail is deceptively difficult, traveling uphill for nearly 3 kilometers through dense hemlock and hardwood forests. The high elevation parts of the course traverse vast open
meadows and skirt a pond. On a clear day you can see Lake Superior and the Huron Mountains to the east. Expect a nice awards ceremony at the Chassell Community Center near the waterfront. This race also kicks off the U.P Trail Running Series sponsored by Downwind Sports.
Horsetail Scramble 10K, July 4, Hancock.
The venue for the course is the Churning Rapids Trail System. Hancock physician Terry Kinzel designed the trail himself on his own land. It is a
spectacular system of single track that flows seamlessly through rolling meadows, stands of maple and along cascading streams. Runners follow a horse for the first mile of the race, thus the event's name. The race starts and finishes at Kinzel and Kingsley's home, a model of environmental responsibility with its natural landscaping and solar power system. A sumptuous potluck follows with live folk and bluegrass music.
Keweenaw Trail Running Festival (KTRF) 10K, Hill Climb, 25K,
July 13, Hancock and Eagle Harbor.
An epic weekend of trail running on some of the best trails the U.P. has to offer. The race features organic cotton T–shirts and a breakfast with all organic foods. This race was selected by Runner's World as one of the top five trail races worth traveling to in the U.S. Prizes include hand–thrown porcelain latté mugs and bowls and wild fruit preserves made at a local monastery. The race attracts runners from over seven
states. Several European runners also participate each year.
Catch the Spirit Trail Run, 11 miles, Sept. 14, John W. Hansen Estate (near Gladstone)
This race features two knee–deep river crossings, plenty of rolling hills, and deep hemlock and pine forests. Awards for overall winners include engraved knives made by Marble.
Lake Superior Shore Run/Race Against Tobacco, Half–Marathon, Sept. 21, Marquette
This is the final race in the U.P. Trail Running Series, and all the best runners in the U.P. show up. On top of that, cross country skiers from NMU and MTU and biathletes from the USOEC have it on their calendars. Several years back, some U.S. Ski Team members decided to run the race, and I found myself standing next to Olympian Nina Kemppel at the starting line. One climb ends on top of a small knob with far–reaching views of the Huron Mountains and the Lake Superior coastline.
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