Iron Mountain, Mich. (WZMQ) – Over the weekend, Millie Hill in Iron Mountain was the site of an epic first enduro mountain bike race, attracting over forty riders to the Bat Caves. The race was organized by the Iron Hills Cycling Team and backed with rescue support from the Iron Mountain Fire Department. Fierce champions Aleut Hatfield and Katlyn LaFrinere were among the riders, visiting just to hit the dirt.
LaFrinere was a lone wolf in the women’s division, as she was the only female to enter. Despite her win, she called for more competition in her sport. She noted that the dry trail conditions made the race a challenge. “Just weather conditions; it’s dry everywhere in the U.P. right now. It’s a little bit loose but super fun. The energy is like all-time, everyone having a good time. More women on bikes next year. More women in the enduro next year, let’s go!” LaFrinere cheered.
Hatfield, a serious racer who came to Iron Mountain to test the trails, also praised the event. “All the Marquette races and the gravity series races, and then I’ve been racing downhill southeast series at nationals down south. It was awesome. It was a super fun event,” Hatfield commented. “Super fun to see more events popping up, and I didn’t even know Iron Mountain had trails until I got a notification that there was an enduro,” he added. Hatfield plans to be back for future races.
The Mille Hill Enduro is timed in several stage sets, and the top 3 racers with the lowest combined times are awarded. The True North Outpost provided shuttles to the different stages and practice sets. LaFrinere finished with an 08:40 time. In the men’s division, three riders tied for the third place slot with a time of 06:34; Jon Gordon, Tony Pericolosi, and Sam DeJardin. Myles Carey finished in 2nd with a time of 06:07, and Hatfield’s winning time in the men’s division was 06:02.
The race was the result of hard work by volunteers who have been sprucing up the mountain bike trails in Dickinson County. The Iron Hills Cycling Team hopes to continue organizing events like this in the future, and will have their next event, the ‘Lone Wolf Gravel Race coming up in October with an award ceremony to be held at Lake Antoine Park.
Thanks to the efforts of dedicated volunteers, the Dickinson Trail Network has added over thirty miles of new trails in the area as of this spring, including Millie Hill. But that’s not all – thanks to a Michigan Natural Resources grant secured with the city’s help, a new professional trail is almost fully funded.
The Dickinson Trail Network is close to launching its new trail system on Pewabic Hill, featuring six miles of world-class bridges, berms, and jumps that you won’t want to miss. The project is expected to break ground by spring of 2024.
