The Chase is on one way or the other!

​The 2021 Deer Chase will take place August 21st, 2021.

We are hoping the COVID crisis will have abated to allow for the usual mass starts. There will be a slight change in courses this year as we will not be using the DNR ATV trail at all. I know so many of you will miss the loose gravel and riding the roller coaster humps. The youth courses may be a bit longer this year, plan on 3 & 5+ miles with a bit more single track than before.

The adult courses should be slightly longer, but still in the 16+ and 30 mile range. We will be utilizing the Bull Toad and Fawn Chase Loops to bring the racers back to the Valley Trail for the sprint to the finish. A 10 mile race is also being added to encourage new bikers to give it a try. All adult races will converge on the “Traffic Circle” before heading on the Bull Toad and Fawn Chase Loops and coming back to the finish.

If for some reason restrictions are still in place the Deer Chase will revert to a time trial event. We will have courses which will have very little if any double track. The race would be self supporting with no aid and the sweep will be the guy picking up the course markings at the end of the day. The youth events will also be a time trial as well. Racers will be sent out at one minute intervals from the chalet parking and the race will end at the chalet parking.

Youth events will start at 9:30 am with the “Adult” events at 11:00 am EDT. Youth time trial course will be approx 2.5 and 4.25 miles. The Adult courses will be 19, 9 and 6 mile. (Distances subject to change as we will seek to lengthen them.)

We will make the decision about format around August 7th and will email all who have pre-registered if the race is going to be a time trial. We will consider preferred starts. The criteria for that will be included in the email in which we are announcing a time trial. The rule of thumb, if we don’t send out an email saying the Deer Chase is a time trial, then it will be a mass start. But check the website August 8th and see if anything has changed.

​We are sad to report that another bike race is claimed by COVID-19. The Great Deer Chase is canceled for 2020. It was a tough decision, and we waited as long as we could before making the call. However, due to continuing uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we could not justify hosting our favorite event of the year in the middle of such turbulent times. Our community's health and well-being are number one, and we did not want to put fun ahead of responsibility.
 
Thank you to all who have registered for your patience as we tried to make this work. We are prepared to refund your cost of registration or you may choose to donate it to the trails. Please email trailelf@charter.net to let us know if you would like a refund check or to use your registration as a donation.
 
We'd like to thank all of our sponsors for supporting us through these uncertain times and being flexible with us as our plans changed from race, to time trial, to the cancellation of the event.  An exceptional thanks go out to Marc Norton and those on the planning committee for ideating ways to socially distance ourselves from others during each race.
 
We appreciate everyone's interest in the Great Deer Chase and are disappointed we won't be able to see you all later this summer.  Calumet remains open for business (as long as you're wearing a mask), and our trails are in prime condition, so plan a time to make a trip north. We invite you to grab a burger from the Michigan House, a coffee from Keweenaw Coffee, a beautiful floral arrangement from Calumet Floral, pick up some new accessories from Cross Country Sports, or patron our other supporters. There are still plenty of memories to be made, and we encourage you to discover what makes this place so unique. For now, take a ride and enjoy these gorgeous summer days. We look forward to celebrating with you again soon.
 
-Great Deer Chase Planning Committee

As of right now, we are still planning on hosting the Great Deer Chase on August 15th. As the date approaches, we will continue to update you on any restrictions we might be experiencing at the time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saturday, May 18th at 9:00am we will be gathering to clean up the Swedetown trails for the upcoming bike season. Specifically, we want to make sure the trails are in top-notch condition for Ride the Keweenaw. More details to come on specific projects but we will be raking, lopping, and performing general clean-up. Training is provided and no special skills are required.

Please come support your local trails. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
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You can view your results from this year's Great Deer Chase on our results page! We want to extend a huge thank you to Superior Timing for all the great work they do for us every year.

We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, and sponsored this year's Great Deer Chase. We hope you will help us make it even better next year by taking our survey. It only takes 4 minutes to fill it out. We really do consider the feedback we are given as we plan next year's event. 

We've compiled a list of FAQs that will help you navigate where and when to be. 

When is registration and bib pick-up?
Registration and bib pick-up will be open at Cross Country Sports from 6:30 to 8:00pm, Friday, August 17th and 8:30 to 10:00am, Saturday, August 18th. Kids race registration is from 6:30 to 8:00pm on Friday, August 17th and to 7:30 to 8:30am, Saturday August 18th.

Where should I park?
Please park your vehicle near the Calumet Colosseum, in the school parking lot behind (North of) the Colosseum, or in one of the two snow dump areas indicated on the map. Do NOT park in the Chalet parking area as we need that for race staff.

Where does the race start?
The 15- and 30-mile races will start at the Swedetown Chalet where the driveway meets Osceola Rd. Download the handout map at the bottom of this page for a detailed picture. 
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When does the race start?
The 15- and 30-mile races begin at 11:00 a.m. EDT. 

Where does the race finish?
All races, including the kid's, will finish at the Swedetown Chalet. 

Where can I watch the race?
We have several viewpoints marked on the handout you can download below. Two of the viewpoints will be near Osceola Rd. We ask that you do not park on Osceola Rd for safety purposes. The other viewpoint will be near the water towers which you can access via Bridge Street. 

Where can I get a shower?
You can get a shower at the Calumet Colosseum. The Colosseum locker rooms will be open from 11:30 am - 3:00 pm. They are located in the basement. Just follow the signs after entering the front doors. Please clean up after yourselves at the Colosseum which will ensure our having this available for future races.
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When and where are the kid's races?
The kids races will start at 9:00 a.m. at the Swedetown Chalet. Their race will begin at the top of the drive way. Please see the attached handout map (located at the bottom of this page) for the marked location. The 40-yard untimed event will start at 9:50 a.m. in the same location as the 2- and 4-mile races. 

When are the awards?
The awards for the 15-mile, 30-mile, and kids races will take place at 3:00 p.m. at the corner of 5th and Oak Street downtown Calumet (near Cross Country Sports). See attached handout map for the location marker. 

Where is a good place to get a bite to eat?
Downtown Calumet offers many great restaurants including: Michigan House Cafe & Brewpub, Carmelitas Southwestern Grille, Cafe Rosetta, Jim's Pizza, Offshore Fish & Chips, and Calumet Pizza Works. Not to mention, you can get a pasty from one of our local shops (like Connie's Kitchen or Toni's) at Pasty Fest which will be going on downtown. 

What can I do while waiting for awards?
There will be lots going on downtown in celebration of Pasty Fest. You can check out the whole itinerary here on their website. There will be a parade, music, pasty judging contest and more. You can also browse the local downtown shops like Copper World, the Calumet Mercantile, Calumet Floral, Cross Country Sports, or grab an excellent cup of coffee at Keweenaw Coffee Works. BHK will also be hosting a Strider Bike Course at the corner of 5th and Portland. 

Here is the handout map. It has all of the pertinent locations, like start/finish, where to park, showers, etc. marked on it so you can find your way around. 

After the race, head downtown for the 15th Annual Pasty Fest from noon-6pm! There will pasties from all the best local places including Connie's Kitchen, Suomi Restaurant, Lindell's, Mohawk Suprette and Pasty Central. There will also be a Pasty Eating Contest, You Be the Judge Bake-Off ($5-$8), and parade at 2pm.

Enjoy live music all day from; Bob Hiltunen, Tom Katalin, Ryan Peterson, The Five, the Copper Country Clown Band, as well as storyteller Bill Jamerson and demos for cardio drumming and disc golf. 5th Street will be full with a Car Show, craft vendors and lots of fun for the kids! Check out http://www.mainstreetcalumet.com/attend.html for full event details and schedule.