Snowmobile Gates on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge Temporarily Closed Until More Snow Falls in the Region

Travel across the Portage Lake Lift Bridge for snowmobilers has been temporarily suspended until more snow falls in the region. Recently the city of Houghton and the Keweenaw Snowmobile Club met with Michigan Department of Transportation officials determining that the little amount of snow on the ground would force the closing of the snowmobile gates to the lowered section.

“…requires that there always be a sufficient snow mat to protect those grates with the amount of maintenance and dollars that are going into the upkeep of the bridge. They want to make sure that we’re protecting that so we can no longer allow crossings without an adequate snow mat. So the strong melts that we’ve had and the inability to do any grooming and bare trails both north and south of the bridge, at least until you get further up into the Kiwanis, really kind of helped make that decision that we needed to temporarily close those gates until snow conditions improve.” – Ryan LaPorte, President, Keweenaw Snowmobile Club

Keweenaw Snowmobile Club President Ryan LaPorte says that the limited snowfall this season has caused the club to limit its runs on trails. The lowered bridge span started with nearly four feet of snow until the warm temperatures melted the majority away, leaving approximately eight inches left on the bridge.

“About seventy-five percent of what was there. So it’ll be enough to get us through if we can get back to operating, we can pull some snow back in. The city of Houghton is willing to haul some where it’s needed. So we’re certainly prepared and know what actions we need to take. The club has met with the City of Houghton a couple of times on how things are progressing and what we’ve got to do to keep it operating. And they’ve been great partners in making sure that we’re going to be able to help support whatever riding we can when the snow permits.” – Ryan LaPorte, President, Keweenaw Snowmobile Club

The club needs to see at least another twelve inches of snow before they can send groomer crews back out.

“Some of the trails up north still have maybe a few inches of super solid, icy, kind of similar to what we have on portions of the lift bridge right now. So unfortunately it’s basically like starting over on the vast majority of the trail system right now. So similar to what we’d be facing in December or early December is kind of where we’re at right now. So it’s been a tough go. We’ve got to make sure that we’re being good stewards of the equipment. It’s hard on both the piston bullies and the tractors that we run on their track systems to run when there’s insufficient snow on the ground. So our DNR handbook does guide us to ensure adequate snowfall to prevent equipment damage. So the snow, the two tractors that we run can run in lower snow conditions. So we have both of those guys prepared and ready to make a run as soon as we think there’s adequate snow that we’re not going to damage tracks.” – Ryan LaPorte, President, Keweenaw Snowmobile Club

LaPorte says that this season has had mixed reviews from visitors. But all have been quite understanding given that the Upper Peninsula isn’t the only snowy region receiving less than normal snowfall. When a large dump of snow arrived in mid January the region was full of people excited to get out for the season.

“When people did get to ride, they were pretty excited about it. You know, and following that warmup, people have been understanding. I’d say it’s pretty mixed about whether people are continuing to hold reservations, probably 50/50 based on people who have called. But they’ve tried to hold it where they can. I know some people who have come up and have traveled to all their favorite stops. They’ve added in some visits to Quincy Mine. They’ve done some snowshoeing and visiting of waterfalls. And just come up maybe a shorter trip than normal. But they have been able to come up and enjoy the area. We certainly encourage everybody to do that.” – Ryan LaPorte, President, Keweenaw Snowmobile Club

While snowmobiling in the Copper Country has been hit and miss for sufficient snow on the trails. The region has moved forward with several winter festivals and events with many event organizers having to adapt for conditions. Houghton Public Works even saved certain piles of snow in the city to ensure events such as Jibba Jabba can take place this weekend. Other events such as CopperDog have switched up their plans to have sled dog festivals in place of the region’s races. Despite the changes to those events or other plans throughout the season, the region has done well to adapt. Still enjoying what winter has brought to the area. Those planning trips or looking for updates on the trail conditions can find more information linked here. For more wintertime fun in the Keweenaw Peninsula find out what happening in the area with our community calendar or check out Visit Keweenaw’s website for more fun activities and events.