This past weekend, the 31st Annual Copper Harbor Trails Fest took place in the Upper Peninsula’s Keweenaw Peninsula. The event spanned the Labor Day weekend and included multiple races and events, including a 10-kilometer run, cross-country mountain bike races, enduro races, and live concerts featuring multiple artists. The event was hosted by Copper Country Trails Club and had something for everyone to enjoy throughout the three days.
To begin the event on Saturday, Aug. 31, there were the XC mountain bike races, including short, medium, and long races for riders to choose from depending on their skill level. A racer spoke for “Sweaty Yetis” after the long XC race, “We’ve been coming up to Copper Harbor for the last 10 years. The team came from all over the country to make this weekend’s events. These are some of the best trails in the state, it’s so nice to be out here right now.” He said the Keweenaw is a great place for every skill level to grow and learn, and he is excited to come back next year with the team.
Following these races was the downhill biking race, featuring Overflow, one of the most intimidating trails in Copper Harbor. A local Copper Harbor viewer who has been enjoying the trails fest for over 15 years said, “This event is my favorite, everyone cheers on riders who come by and it’s just really cool to watch.” He plans on returning for as long as the events occur in the future. The downhill race was later followed by young riders for the pint-sized XC race. Saturday night ended in live music in the pouring rain, but that didn’t stop Copper Harbor’s concert spectators, the music continued through the rain and ended late in the night.
On Sunday, Sep. 1, the day started off with a 10-K race for the runners, followed by the enduro bike race split into three levels of difficulty to allow for a more diverse skill range. At night the awards ceremony was held at the Donny Kilpela Memorial Park, awarding the King and Queen of the mountain to the fastest riders in the Expert Enduro, Downhill, and Long XC events, and many raffle prize winners, followed by “4onthefloor” live music.
