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Happenings in the Keweenaw Peninsula October 17, 2002 Text © 2002 Keweenaw Now. Photo © 2002 Jon Neufeld. Reprinted with permission.

Volunteers needed for Swedetown trail brushing Oct. 19

CALUMET -- Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Swedetown Chalet in Calumet for brushing to prepare the trails for the cross-country ski season.

Volunteer brushers gather in front of the Swedetown Chalet. (Photo courtesy Jon Neufeld)

Brushers will use hand tools to snip brush from the edges of the trail that cannot be mowed. They should wear boots and gloves and bring a long handled lopper if they have one or use one from the ski club. Volunteers are also needed to open the chalet in the afternoons and sell trail passes and hot cocoa to skiers.

According to Jon Neufeld, Copper Island Ski Club president, trails are being mowed, signs repainted and the chalet is being cleaned and organized. 

Swedetown planning meetings are held the second Wednesday of every month at the Swedetown Chalet. Biannual board member elections will be held on November 13. 

Swedetown in Calumet, Maasto Hiihto in Hancock and Michigan Tech University trails in Houghton are cooperating on a three-area combined pass this season. All three areas will be holding races and other events throughout the season.

Keweenaw Trails, a new comprehensive web site for non-motorized sports in the Keweenaw, is now up and running.

"This is intended to be a comprehensive Web site for non-motorized sports in the Keweenaw," says Dean Woodbeck, who notes the site already has information about the Great Bear Chase and the Heikinpaiva Hiihto ski races.

"I'm also working on getting maps of all the trails," Woodbeck adds.

Visit the new site at http://www.keweenawtrails.com.

For more information about Swedetown visit the Copper Island Ski Club Web site. 

Editor's note: Maasto Hiihto skiers can have a preview of the new chalet in Hancock at a Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club Open House at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26. The building is located at the Hancock Driving Park, just north of the Houghton County Arena, at the top of Birch Street. It includes a snack bar area, kitchenette, a community room, rest rooms and space for waxing skis. Volunteers will be needed at the new chalet. If you are at all interested in volunteering a little time or helping organize volunteers, please contact Dickie Selfe at rselfe@mtu.edu or 482-5663.

Learn more about Maasto by visiting the Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club Web site.

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