ISHPEMING -- Thursday's Torchlight Trek kicked off a weekend of events for the Noquemanon ski races. This is the 15th year for the trek. It gives younger skiers a chance to participate in a non-competitive race. Organizers hope this is a way to introduce children to cross country skiing.

"Cross country skiing is a pretty easy sport to take up; you need minimal equipment and trails, but it's something that kids can do for a lifetime and then expand into different types of skiing," said race organizer Bob Hendrickson. "It's good for people that haven't skied before just to try it and get that feeling of sliding on the snow."

The trek took kids on a course through the Al Quaal recreation area in Ishpeming. About 50 kids participated in this year's Torchlight Trek. The main sponsor for the event was the Ishpeming Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. After they were done skiing, kids warmed up by bonfires with some hot cocoa.