Winter

The Keweenaw Nordic Festival takes on the Keweenaw in early February.  Enjoy a full weekend of nordic skiing including the Copper Loppet and the new Low Pressure Lopppet Snow Bike Race at the Michigan Tech trails in Houghton on Saturday and the Copper Island Classic in Chassell on Sunday.  A pasta feed - the Licious Loppet - is held for all participants Saturday evening.  Maps, registration and more information are available on the website.

Celebrate the mid-point of winter with a weeks worth of Finnish related activites.  Events include classes in nisu making and Finnish baking, traditional tablet weaving and 5-string kantele throughout the week, a Family Fun Night, and a Finnish hymn sing, the Club Finndigo dinner and a movie at the Calumet Theatre and the Karhun Tanssi.  A Family Fun Day; a parade through downtown Hancock; Tori Markets, a polar bear dive on the Hancock waterfront; and an authentic Finnish buffet are also part of the festivities held in Hancock in late January.  A complete list of activities, with times and additional information contacts, is available on the website.

The John Dee Snowfest is held on the Keweenaw Peninsula the first weekend in February.  The event includes guided backcountry snowmobile rides, a poker run, a raffle/silent auction, a banquet and live entertainment and is a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  Pre-registration is required and is available on the website.

The Michigan Tech University Winter Carnival, which includes the famous snow statues, takes place on the campus and at various Houghton/Hancock locations in early February.  Events include the famous snow statues, sporting events, the queen contest, a torch light parade, fireworks, the Sno-Ball and more.  For more information contact Blue Key National Honor Fraternity at 906-487-2818 or bluekey@mtu.edu.

The Annual Greenlight Resort Ice Fishing Derby is held in mid-January on Chassell Bay off US-41 in Chassell. For more information call 906-523-4417.

Make plans to attend the Annual Antique Snowmobile Run For Fun in mid-February in Copper Harbor.  Events include: a Late Afternoon ride, a social and a bonfire in the Grant Township Park, the Run-For-Fun ride, a mid-afternoon cookout, the stride for pride radar run (non-sanctioned), live music and awards at the Mariner North and the Sunday mid-morning ride to the top of Brockway Mountain.  For information call 906-369-0627 or email dubyal965@yahoo.com.  All proceeds to benefit "No Kids Without A Christmas" Fund.

The Copper Harbor Trails Club holds the Tri Winter Cup in late February in Copper Harbor.  8.67 mile each BC Ski, BC Snowshoe and BC Anything (must be human powered) races.  Choose 1 or complete the marathon of all 3 for a chance at the Tri Winter Cup.  For more information visit the website or contact Amanda at 906-289-4788 or amanda@copperharbortrails.org.

The CopperDog 150 sled-dog race (the culminating "triple crown" of Lake Superior sled-dog racing) is held the first weekend of March.  The race features three 50-mile legs taking mushers on an exciting backwoods tour of the Keweenaw.  With a race purse of $20,000, an exciting downtown Calumet start, gorgeous bends and turns, running along side Lake Superior, and a climb to the top of Brockway Mountain, the CopperDog 150 promises some of the most beautiful trails in the sport.  For details and more information visit the website or email info@copperdog.com.

The Clean Snowmobile Challenge, hosted by Michigan Tech University, comes to Houghton in early March and is an intercollegiate design competition that challenges engineering students to re-engineer an exisiting snowmobile for improved emissions and noise while maintaining or improving the performance characteristics of the original snowmobile. The public is invited to the Grand Opening Event and the Polaris Acceleration and Objective Handling events, both at the Keweenaw Research Center adjacent to the Houghton County Memorial Airport off US-41 between Hancock and Calumet. They can also view the Static Display. There is an endurance run to Copper Harbor & an Awards Banque at the Memorial Union Building Ballroom. For banquet tickets call 906-487-2750.  For more information contact Jay at 906-487-2750 or jmeldrum@mtu.edu.

The Copper Country Ski Tiger's Junior Bear Chase takes place 'Under the Lights' at the Swedetown ski trails in Calumet on the Friday of the Great Bear Chase Ski Marathon in early March. This youth Nordic ski race is for skiers up to 16 years and features classic and freestyle races.  Registration is from 4 to 4:30 pm at the Swedetown Chalet, races begin at 5 pm.  More information is available on the website.