Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids

Barnelopet Coming Feb. 16

Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club is pleased to announce the first ever Barnelopet kid's fun ski, co-sponsored by the Sons of Norway and Portage Health. The event takes place the morning of February 16th. Download a registration form.

Maasto Hiihto is back on the multipass!  See below for details.

See a photo show of the trail (1/31/07)

The Maasto Hiihto Trail is a striding-only trail system that offers kilometer after kilometer of unsurpassed skiing on varied and scenic trails. The trail system connects with the Churning Rapids trails. The two systems contain about 25 kilometers of groomed trails (see the trail map for details). (Maasto Hiihto means "cross country skiing" in Finnish.)

The scenery on these trails is exceptionally varied and often breathtaking. Highlights include vistas of Portage Lake, Ruby Marsh, mature forests, and pleasant meadows.
Two trailheads provide access to Maasto Hiihto: one at the Houghon County fairgrounds, and the other at Tomasi Road near the Hancock city garage, north of The Portage Health System. The Houghton County fairgrounds site is the one indicated on the area map. There is a chalet at this site that is open during the day and includes bathrooms.

Churning Rapids provides a true backcountry experience, with striding-only trails accessed from Maasto Hiihto or from a trailhead at Christiansen Road at M-203. Trails wind through the John Christiansen wildlife preserve. A 15-foot high observation tower provides views of Lake Superior, and a scenic meadow trail leads to a beaver pond.

Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids trails are groomed three times a week or more as needed. Grooming comments or questions can be directed to our groomer, Arlyn Aronson, at arlyn@superiortandems.com or call weekdays at (906) 370-2911.

The Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club (KNSC) was founded in 1997. The club promotes the sport of cross-country skiing in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan for both youth and adults. They adopted the Maasto Hiihto trails, and help provide expertly groomed ski trails and facilities. The Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids ski trails are operated and maintained through a joint agreement between the Club and the city of Hancock. The club meets the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 in the chalet at the Maasto Hiihto trailhead at the Houghton County fairgrounds.

Everyone is welcome to ski on the Maasto Hiihto trails. The club's main source of income is season and daily membership passes. Please take the time to either pay for a daily membership (at the red donation pipes at both trail heads) or a buy a season membership pass by going to the
multipass website.  A ipass for just Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids costs $45 for families
and $30 for individuals.  Combining passes to multiple trails allows you to reduce the amount you pay for each.

Trail maps are available at both trailheads. If you have any questions, please contact Ruth Archer at raarcher@yahoo.com. For information about other area trails, please visit Keweenaw Trails.com

Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club
Board of Directors

President, Ruth Archer raarcher@yahoo.com
Secretary, Glen Archer gearcher@mtu.edu
Treasurer, John Diebel john.diebel@sbcglobal.net
Arlyn Aronson arlyn@superiortandems.com (906-370-2911)
Jay Green
Kathy Halvorsen
Wayne Stordahl

Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapid trails and grooming are largely funded by your multipass purchases, donations, and by the City of Hancock. You can buy a multipass and support the club by going to the multipass website.  The Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club also receives partial funding from the Keweenaw Community Foundation's Keweenaw Cross Country Skiing Endowment.  We are grateful for all of this support. If you would like to donate to this endowment, please follow this link.