A Fitting tribute

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Ironwood — A group of bike riders gathered in Ironwood’s Depot Park Sunday to remember Mark Fitting with a bike ride through the Gogebic Range.

There were two routes for the Fitting Fall Ride; one that used the Ironwood Belle Trail to travel to Bessemer and back, and another longer ride was 20-mile ride that wound through Erwin Township before going through Bessemer and back to Ironwood.

The ride served as a tribute to Fitting, who died in 2011 and was responsible for starting the Wednesday community bike rides and snowshoe walks that remain popular in the area.

“We do a Fitting snowshoe walk in the winter, we do this Fitting Fall Ride in the fall,” said Sam Davey, who helped organize the ride.

The Fitting Fall Rides started five or six years ago, and while they may not have been held every year, Davey said the plan was to restart the ride as an annual event.

He wasn’t sure if the date for future events had been set, but that it would take place in September.

Enni Gregas credited the Wednesday community rides Fitting started with helping get recreational bikers like her out and riding in the area, building momentum and support for non-motorized sports and efforts such as the Iron Belle Trail.

“This is such a nice event,” she told the Daily Globe while taking a break in Bessemer during the ride.

Around 25 people participated in this year’s ride.