Houghton is located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and is considered to be one of the “100 Best Small Towns in America”. The city’s culture and cuisine were influenced by the European immigrants, who reached the area to work in the copper mines. Houghton, due to its location, offers to visitors many recreational moments and a grand variety of sports including hockey, snowmobiling, hiking, mountain biking and climbing.
Sure Would Trail starts at the Tech Trails main trailhead. The first 322 m/1056 ft of downhill are modulated as a dual slalom race course, complete with starting ramp at the top. An easy grade of small berms and roller gaps and then transition to larger table tops, as the pitch slightly increases. As Sure Would Trail crosses the ski trail, it changes into a singletrack and pops over the old railroad grade at the pipeline, beginning its second descent. This intermediate segment is all about maintaining your speed and flow.
When entering the Portage Loop ski trail, the grade doubles and the decent starts to become more challenging. You have reached the advanced segment and you are about to face 1.12 km/0.7 mi of fierce gravity, compression and air through giant white pines, mature oaks and lacy hemlocks. Now it is all about controlling your speed and you will have to be good to make it through and hit the gabs.
After some berms, a big step up and a final drop, you will reach the bottom, where you will have to decide whether to turn left and get back to the top or continue on the Hillside Trail and explore some more trails. If you are a nature and mountain biking fan, this is the right place for you!
