Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
DEB LEONARD enjoys a new pair of skis in the fresh snow at ABR Trails in Erwin Township, Wednesday, on the first day the trail system was open.
By RICHARD JENKINS
ERWIN TOWNSHIP - This week's storms brought enough snow to the Gogebic Range that local winter sport enthusiasts were able to get out and enjoy some of the area's trails with two weeks of November still on the calendar.
Roughly 18 inches of snow fell at ABR Trails in Erwin Township, according to co-owner Angela Santini, which was enough to open 43 kilometers of cross country ski trails on the property Wednesday.
The open trails featured a mix of skate ski and classic skiing.
Santini said Nov. 13 was one of the earlier openings for ABR, but noted the trails opened Nov. 17 last year.
With the ABR parking lot mostly full at roughly 3 p.m., Santini said traffic was "real steady all day" as skiers from as far away as Merrill, Wis., Duluth, Minn., and Hayward, Wis., came to take advantage of the snow.
Elsewhere on the Gogebic Range, cars were also seen in the Miners Memorial Heritage Park's parking lot in Ironwood Wednesday as people enjoyed the groomed trails there.
According to information on the Wolverine Nordic Ski Trails' Facebook page, much of the trail system is open - although a shortage of volunteers meant trails won't be groomed before Tuesday.
Part of Wolverine's trail system is closed to accommodate hunters, according to the Facebook post, which includes a map of the closed sections.
At the area's ski hills, work continues to prepare for the respective openings for the downhill season.
Big Snow Resort's Blackjack Mountain hopes to be the first local hill open with a target date of Nov. 29. The resort's other local hill, Indianhead Mountain, is hoping to open Dec. 13. Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort is also striving for a Dec. 13 opening.
Iron County's only ski hill, Whitecap Mountain Resort, is hoping for a Dec. 11 opening.
