Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Pick Your Poison - 2022 Crusher Mass Start Course Recon

 

I like an excuse to visit my pals in Harvey and to ride some unknown lands in the UP.  Since 2019 Marji – I fell in love with the forests around Marquette and 2020 brought CrusherEX routes, truly getting lost and a host of other shenanigans that I could get into up there. 2021 more EX and also the Point to Point mass start from Copper Harbor.  2022-  I’m hoping to get some EX in. 

Todd put out the call for people to ride prospective routes, check files, take pics - so I went up Memorial Day weekend.  Another Crusher, Brian Yost (you can find his rides on Strava) rode also – in the rain on the longest route of the mass start on Wed and Thurs before the weekend.  Todd hasn’t had multiple distance mass start races since before COVID and this year he’s bringing them back and moving them East of Marquette, starting at the lovely Otter Lake Campground south of Munising.  I was looking forward to seeing what was out there.

Day 1, I rode the 40 gpx file as delivered.  It was supposed to be 70 miles turned out to be 65.  For anyone that knows 906 Adventure events you get lots of extra miles for your entry money so buyer beware. Day 2, I rode the 100 from approximately mile 19 in Shingleton to mile 78ish where it would meet the 40 again heading west.

The 40 course shares the starts and finishes with the 100.  The 175 adds some extra mileage on all sides of the courses as you can see from the maps.  My primary impressions are it’s flat, some super pretty, some desolate - the glaciers did a number up there and this area gives you a different view of the UP than the rocks and mountain we are more familiar with in Crusher courses.  West of 94 a rider is pretty solidly in the Hiawatha National Forest.  The canopy was not fully loaded yet this weekend but it will be filled with miles of shaded gravel and forest trail in July - but mostly flat.  East of 94  - totally different – even flatter, more pine barrens, swamps and sand – the 100 crosses the Seney Wildlife Refuge on it’s western side while 175 crosses further East heading towards Germfask .  The 40 is a solid “beginner Crusher”  - granted maybe too long for true beginners.  There’s no towns on the 40 course but there is one campground with potable water and toilets at 45ish.   The other courses have Shingleton but that's pretty early in the ride.  Plan to carry everything you need unless Todd springs for some support stops like he did in 2021 and guarantees they'll be there and stocked - he probably won't guarantee that.  There are all types of sand with various depths depending on its exposure and ORV traffic can be found on ALL roads and tracks on ALL the courses.  I rode these after 2 days of rain in May.  I have no idea what it’ll be like in July.  I have pointed out a few EX type of enhancements that might need to be edited to bring the mass start route to some level of sanity.  But don’t count on it.  Be prepared.

There’s water avail at multiple larger river/streams, but especially in the eastern stuff on the long courses, bring extra water. You won’t want to filter some of that swampy stuff.  Good luck.

Here are links to my rides with some pics.

40 mile recon - https://www.strava.com/activities/7212588231

100 mile recon - https://www.strava.com/activities/7218171980

Here are all three routes (unofficial).

 





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