Color Peak

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - The sun came out Saturday to help outdoor enthusiasts enjoy their visit to Copper Peak for the facility's first "Light to Night Festival."

The festival ran from noon into the evening and included music, games, horse and wagon rides, food and discounted rides to the top of the ski flying hill in Ironwood Township.

The parking lots were close to capacity during the afternoon, and there were lines of people waiting to get on the chairlift to go up the mountain. At the top, a cold wind blew much stronger, making it challenging for those wanting to get a bird's eye view of Lake Superior and beyond from the top of the ski jump structure - just an elevator ride and a few stair steps upward.

Among those at the top of the hill were four people on vacation from Shanghai, China. They said, in their limited English, that they came specifically to the area on vacation to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. For them, the ride to the top of the ski jump gave them a chance to get "above the woods" to see the long-distance view.

One member of the group called the view "thrilling." They were shaking from the wind and cold at the top, but said it was "very beautiful."

The Jansen family, from Little Chute, Wis., came up to enjoy the view in the fall and planned to enjoy the falls on the Black River after going to the top of the ski jump.

Lisa Jansen was familiar with the area after having run the Red Bull 400 this spring. She commented on how much she enjoyed the physical challenge of climbing up the ski jump, but was glad to enjoy the view in the fall.

The family is used to heights, as they help their community run a 120-foot high operating windmill in their town, though they said the windmill is "nowhere as high as this."