A Guide To Crushing
BASECAMP | WHAT TO EXPECT
Remember, we covered all of your camping fees at Forestville and Trails End! Camping at all venues is rustic… on purpose.
- Wild Blue BBQ at Forestville Basecamp (Friday 12-6pm).
- Velodrome Coffee and Viroqua Baking Co. at Forestville Basecamp (Saturday 5:00am).
- Velodrome Coffee and “Rock Solid” Breakfast at Trails End Basecamp (Saturday 4:30am)
- The Crusher Mess Tent serving dogs, brats, and grilled cheese at Forestville Basecamp Saturday and Sunday during the lunch and dinner hours.
- Toilets | Lots of em’
- Showers | Nope
BASECAMPS
Camping the night before and after your event is not required but preferred. Please respect reasonable quiet times, especially Friday night. A lot of our racers will have family along for the weekend. We’re all for a good time, that’s why we’re bringing y’all together, but respect each other, and don’t keep everyone up all night.
FORESTVILLE (100Mile, 35Mile, 2-Person Teams)
Arrive and check-in at HQ (will be located in the stadium area, if you’re familiar with Marji, it’s the same place we stage all the bikes for the LeMans). Get your passport, get the lowdown on camping, set up camp, dig into your passport. Wild Blue BBQ will be on site from 12-6pm slinging BBQ (for purchase). Get some! Beverages falls under the self-supported ethos, bring your own. Campfires are encouraged within designated rings. Showers will not be available this year but are in the works for the next chapter. Oh, and there is a water spigot on the pole barn, but you might wanna bring your own water too. Your camp hosts, Julie and Stacie, will be on site for the weekend.
MAPLE RIDGE (50Mile Ultra Run)
Your hosts, Bob and Nicole, will be onsite and ready to greet all of you. Find them when you arrive and they’ll take good care of you. Family and friends are welcome to join you and camp at the resort. Thomas Meyers will be your Race Lead, he will be there to check-in those of you who did not stop at Forestville. Expect a rustic camping experience… campfire included! Dinner and beverages fall under the self-supported ethos, bring your own.
TRAILS END (225Mile)
Expect spartan accommodations. The campground is ours Friday, find a place to camp, get comfortable. If you skip Forestville check-in, you’ll need to find Todd or Chris when we arrive with the bikes – which won’t be until at least 8:00pm. On-site pit toilets are available. Water is available at the pole building but high in iron. We might suggest pedaling a half-mile into town and getting water from the Welcome Center (also the trailhead). Dinner and beverages are self-supported activities, bring your own.
FRIDAY | CHECK-IN (ALL EVENTS)
Check-In will open at 9:00am, Friday July 19th, at the Forestville basecamp location, and will remain open until 8:00pm. All runners and 225 mile bikers need to be checked in by the time the last shuttle leaves at 4:00 pm. If not checked in by 4:00 pm, you will need to complete check in at either Maple Ridge or Trails End.
At check-in, you will go through gear check and receive your passports.
We encourage and prefer ALL racers check-In at Forestville, however, we are aware some of you will be traveling straight to one of the outbound basecamps (Maple Ridge Resort for Runners, and Trails End Campground for 225 bikers).
Our shuttle team will leave Forestville at 4:00pm, heading north to drop off a few runners at Maple Ridge Resort, then continuing onto Copper Harbor. We do not anticipate reaching Copper Harbor before 8:00pm. Bikes will be unloaded as soon as we get there.
If you did not Check-In at Forestville our outbound basecamp teams will be able to check you in on location at Maple Ridge Resort and Trails End. Please make every attempt to complete Check-In at Forestville, for you and our race team, we want to minimize the amount of late evening/nighttime work.
GEAR CHECK (ALL EVENTS)
Arrive at Check-In with all required gear in a box or bag that can be easily and quickly gone through. This is important, we need everyone to work together (volunteers and participants), to ensure fast check-in and gear checks. If you are missing an item on the list you’ll be sent to get it, and will lose your spot in the line.
If you are on site waiting for our shuttle teams to arrive at one of the outbound basecamps, find them when they arrive and they’ll check your gear.
Link to required gear: https://crushergravel.com/rules/
Thank you for your understanding.
SHUTTLES (225, 50-MILE EVENTS)
Supported 225 and 50-Mile Ultra Runners are offered a shuttle but it is not mandatory. Your family and friends can drive you.
People will be moved on a school bus from Forestville to their outbound basecamp. As of today (July 10 at 3:00pm) the shuttle leaving at 12:00pm is full (52 people). If we get enough to send a second bus early, we will, otherwise everyone else will roll at 4:00pm.
GETTING YOUR GEAR BACK TO FORESTVILLE (225 SUPPORTED, 50-MILE EVENTS)
Your bike will be tagged with your name and phone number when we load it (tag provided at check-in). When you receive your bike in Copper Harbor the tag will be on it, keep that tag.
Two tags will be provided for personal items: one small cooler and bag for other gear. We will not transport more than two items per person.
Your gear will be brought to our HQ team at Forestville basecamp.
EVENT START TIMES
Darn near everyone starts at 5:30am Saturday morning, except the 30-mile event which starts at 8:00am. See the next bullet, it’s important.
Please note, the 50-Mile Ultra starts at the McCormick Tract Trailhead, a 30-minute drive from Maple Ridge Resort. If you need a ride, we’ll get you there, or you can have your family and friends drive you.
WHEN YOU LEAVE BASECAMP | WHEN YOU FINISH
At your designated start time the clock starts – it is referred to as a gun time. Important note:we need to show you as on-course, which requires you to stop by the HQ tent for a minute. Find a volunteer with a clipboard, give them your last and first name, and they’ll check the box indicating you left basecamp. If you do not do this, you will be DQ’d.
When you return to basecamp, check-in at the HQ tent. Volunteers will log your time, verify your check-points and calculate the results.
HQ TENT
This is the place to find people who know things. Not necessarily things that will help you, mostly random trivia. I’m kidding (kinda). You’ll find key race staffers here. First aid supplies can be found here. Lost and found stuff can brought here and claimed.
MESS TENT
You’ll find Tony, the Crusher cook, doing hot things all day Saturday. In the morning, look for coffee and treats from Viroqua Baking Co. Hammer Nutrition products will be available for recovery. Chef Eddie will take over and cook Sunday. Our mess tent will serve dogs, brats, and build-your-own-grilled cheese during lunch and dinner hours on Saturday and Sunday.
PRIZES
CRUSHER posters awarded upon completion – ALL events.
225 and 50-Mile Ultra Finishers receive a Ti camp mug to commemorate the accomplishment.
100-Mile Finishers receive a Steel camp mug and commemorate the accomplishment.
35-Mile Finishers receive a Steel camp mug and commemorate the accomplishment.
2-Person Teams receive a Steel camp mug and commemorate the accomplishment.
DROPPING FROM THE EVENT
IF YOU SUFFER A MECHANICAL, QUIT, BEGIN CRYING UNCONTROLLABLY, OR END UP IN CANADA:
TEXT Your Full Name and #CRUSHED to 906-748-0036
TRACKLEADERS
The 225-Mile and 50-Mile Events will be live at trackleaders.com/crusher19 showing real-time progress as racers make their way back to Forestville. We will monitor racer progress throughout the day Saturday and Sunday. Make sure your family and friends know they can watch your progress!
All other events will be observed by our HQ. Live timing not available.
SUPPORT CREWS (225Mile)
Family and friends are welcome to support you and your fellow racers up until you leave L’Anse prior to the 2:00am cutoff on Sunday. From L’Anse forward, it will be very difficult if not impossible for you to receive aid from anyone. We do not want vehicles anywhere on the route between L’Anse and Triple AAA. We advise from L’Anse forward you be prepared to be alone, with the exception of racers. Cell service in non-existent and the area is extremely remote. Leave L’Anse prepared to be solo, or to depend on yourself and fellow racers.
Our events thrive because of community, help each other out there. You’re in it together.
CRUSHER NEUTRAL SUPPORT POINTS
Chutes & Ladders Park | Houghton
The City of Houghton will operate a checkpoint stocked with water, mini-pasties, and other goodies. They’ve told us they plan to be there from 9:00am – 4:00pm. This support point is not operated by the race, but we want to make you aware it is highly likely you’ll have people waiting to provide some level of support shortly after you cross the bridge into Houghton.
L’Anse | Terrene Tires
Tim and Odia Krueger are awesome, and have offered to man and woman a neutral support point in L’Anse from 12:00pm Saturday until 2:00am Sunday (the cutoff). You will likely see the race director and some of our race staff there throughout the day as well. Checkpoint is at approximately 710 E Broad St, L’Anse, MI 49946 by Bianco Plumbing & Heating.
Middle of nowhere | An abandoned trailer
We plan to drop a trailer filled with water and some neutral support items in the stretch between L’Anse and Triple AAA. It will have a combo lock on it, which we’ll share with you before the race. We don’t know exactly where it will be yet… but it will be on-course. This will not be manned and aide here is not guaranteed as it depends on who takes what and when.
GPS and SNORKELS
Yes. You must have them. We recommend Garmin devices but understand everyone has their preference. The bottom line is, you need a gps solution, and you assume full responsibility for knowing how to use it. In regard to the snorkel, you might need, and you might not, but either way you gotta have it.