Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club holds annual Candle Luminary Ski event

HANCOCK, Mich. (WLUC) - The Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club held its annual Candle Luminary Ski event Monday evening.

The club set up lights along a two-kilometer loop of the Maasto Hiihto Ski Trails, based out of the Four Seasons Chalet at the north end of the Houghton County Fairgrounds from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Dozens of community members turned out for the event using skis, snowshoes, and even snow bikes to enjoy the experience.

“It’s something we like to do for the community,” said Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club VP Mark Roberts. “We’ve been doing it every year the day after Christmas for probably ten or more years. It’s a free event.”

Free cookies, hot chocolate, and even bonfires were also available for those who turned out.

Due to the winter storm over the Christmas weekend, the trails received some much-needed snow needed for the event.

“We pretty much always do it, regardless of the weather,” continued Roberts. “But some years are better than others, and it looks like it is a good year this year. We got lots of snow, not too windy, not too cold. The groomers got busy all during this blizzard and got the trails in really nice shape.”

Even though the Candle Luminary Ski is a one-time a year event, Roberts encourages the community to make use of trails, whether on skis or taking pets for a walk.

“They’re open to the public, and we encourage everyone to come ski here,” added Roberts. “It’s open for classic skiing, snow-biking and snowshoeing, and we’re dog-friendly. But it’s not open for motorized snowmobiling and that sort of thing.”