While the Upper Peninsula is becoming pretty well-known for its ski trails, some of them are more rustic than others, particularly those maintained by public groups like Michigan Tech's trails.
They draw thousands of runners, bikers and skiers each year, but even with all that, the trails don't yet offer a lodge or restroom facility. Teams of
Michigan Tech students are working to fix that, and, appropriately, using it as a learning opportunity.
Over the last semester, four senior teams of civil engineering students have been creating plans for a trailhead lodge as their senior design projects, to be located at the entrance to the trails, and house both amenities for trail users, and serve as the headquarters for Tech's Outdoor Adventure Program.
"We are all for it," says Jared Johnson, who leads the Outdoor Adventure Program. "We need a facility to match the caliber of the trails."
The four teams' designs vary from 12,700 square feet to almost 3,000 square feet, and range in cost from $2.6 million to $3.8 million. There aren't any concrete plans to choose a design and start building yet, but since the trails will host the U.S. National Cross-Country Skiing Championships in 2015 and 2016, time might be of the essence.
Writer: Kim Eggleston
Source: Michigan Technological University
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