Grand Marais 500 miler - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

grouly925 · 12-12-2006, 03:08 PM

Have any of you guys ever rode the Grand Marais (MI) 500 miler? I have been trying to get some of my buddies to try it out over the past few years, but they never seem to want to. I know some people that have been doing it for over 10 years now and they have a blast. I have been checking on the schedule for this year, but they haven't posted any checkpoints yet.

PolarisINDY500 · 12-12-2006, 03:47 PM

do you have a link, or the dates?

that sounds right up my alley.

grouly925 · 12-13-2006, 06:19 AM

The dates and some info can be found at GRAND MARAIS 500 MILER
The rules and everything are there as well. I was going to contact some people I know from Seney to see if they know of a checkpoint list yet. It says on there that you should not complete the 500 mile ride in less than 14 hours, but I know people that have said they have done it in as little as 10.

PolarisINDY500 · 12-13-2006, 08:06 AM

heres a list of the check points for this year:

GRAND MARAIS

Lake Superior Brewing Co.
494-2337 Food Noon – 2:00 am Start/Finish

Sportsman's Restaurant
494-2800 Food 5:00 am – Noon Start/Finish

Bayshore Market - 494-2581 Gas/Groceries 7:00 am – 10:00 pm & on call AFTER HOURS

AU TRAIN
Brownstone Inn - 892-8332 Food 10:00 am - 9:00 pm -PERIMETER CHECKPOINT

SANDS TWP/ MARQUETTE AREA
Crossroads Bar - 249-8912 Food (gas across road) 6:00 am - 10:00 pm (gas-12:00) - PERIMETER CHECKPOINT

BOOT LAKE
Boot Lake Bar - 452-6278 Gas/Food 11am – Midnight -CHECKPOINT

CHATHAM
Lammi’s Store - 439-5422 Gas/Groceries 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. - PERIMETER CHECKPOINT

CURTIS
Whitefish Inn - 586-6606 Food Thursday - 11:30 am-11:00 pm; Fri/Sat - 11:30 am - 2:00 am CHECKPOINT

DEER PARK
Rainbow Lodge - 658-3357 Gas/Food 7am – 11pm & on call -CHECKPOINT

HULBERT
Shirley's Happy Hour Food / Gas Noon to Midnight or late -PERIMETER CHECKPOINT

MELSTRAND / SHINGLETON AREA
Beartrap - 452-6364 Food 11am – Midnight -CHECKPOINT

MORAN
Bradford Shell - 643-9665 Gas/Food Sun-Thur 7am - 9pm
Fri-Sat 7am - 10pm -PERIMETER CHECKPOINT

MUNISING
Buckhorn Resort Ltd - 387-3559 Gas/Food 8am - 2am - CHECKPOINT

NEWBERRY
Pickelman's Total 1 Stop
293-5831 Gas/Food 6 am to 2 am Daily -CHECKPOINT

PARADISE
Paradise Recreational Sports - 492-3640 TBA TBA -PERIMETER CHECKPOINT

PINE STUMP
Pine Stump Junction - 658-3364 Gas/Food 9am – 11pm -CHECKPOINT

SENEY
Andy’s Seney Bar - 499-3382 Food 10am – 2am -CHECKPOINT

TROUT LAKE
Toby’s Buckhorn Inn - 569-3392 Gas/Food 10am - 2am -PERIMETER CHECKPOINT

WETMORE
Cherrywood Lodge Food/Lodging 7:00 am to 11:00 pm CHECKPOINT

PolarisINDY500 · 12-13-2006, 08:23 AM

the "race" is for the 13-15th of jan. i will already be UP there sledding, however, the 500 miler doesnt exactly fit with our group plans. if it was another weekend, id love to do it.

the cherry wood lodge in munising/wetmore is at the best western...where ill be staying. so hopefully we'll be able to catch a glimpse of the riders on their way in or out.

grouly925 · 12-13-2006, 01:53 PM

I plan to ride it this year. I just need to find a friend or two that wants to do it, and that I think has a reliable enough sled. 500 miles in a day is quite a bit, sometimes we are lucky to get that in a weekend.

My bad on the previos post, I think I was going to the wrong year of the "race." I keep forgetting that next year is 2007.

PolarisINDY500 · 12-13-2006, 03:49 PM

a good full day of riding w/ my dad is 300 miles, which is roughly 12 hrs. because we're riding at a comfortable speed and not blazing down the trails, plus making pit stops and what not, thats why it takes a while. id think if i did it i could make the trip in about 17 hrs or so.

if i was to do it, id go from Grand Marias to pine stump (CP), then to the bear trap/shingleton (CP), then Cherry wood Lodge/Wetmore (CP), then Buck Horn/Munising (CP). then working my way west, id go to Chatham (PCP) then to AuTrain(PCP).

the rest of the miles can be put on by taking a few different trails. the Autrain Trail is a very fast trail which always helps.

grouly925 · 12-14-2006, 06:54 AM

that sounds like a fairly well thought out plan. I was looking into the times that these areas are going to be open as checkpoints and trying to decide when we are going to start and which way we are going to go. Trying to come up with a big loop. I just wish you didn't have to check in at Grand Marais because most likely we are going to be staying in Sault Ste. Marie at a buddies cabin and just driving over to Grand Marais for the ride and then heading back when we're done. If we aren't too exhausted that is. I guess this is one ride that we might not be able to stop every 35 miles and have a cigarette or two.

PolarisINDY500 · 12-14-2006, 07:42 AM

well the buck horn, cherry wood, and bear trap are all VERY close. thats why i was thinking of knocking those out first.

if you plan on driving back to SSM you'll be dead on the way back. hope you have a case of red bull to keep you going!!!!

let us know how you finished

grouly925 · 12-14-2006, 09:14 AM

We have friends with a cabin in Seney too. It seems as though they best place to stay would be right in Grand Marais, but I am almost sure that since I never made reservations they are full by now. I guess I should call up there and check. After riding 500+ miles, it wouldn't be that bad to ride back to seney I guess. Spend some time in Andy's bar at least to celebrate.

grouly925 · 12-14-2006, 03:00 PM

I just really noticed, but isn't it funny that Au Train and Chatham are both perimeter checkpoints and they are only a short distance apart? Last year there were no perimeter checkpoints within 50 miles of each other, if I remember right.

PolarisINDY500 · 12-14-2006, 04:55 PM

you are right, and its wierd why they're so close. but then again, since they are close, hit them up quick and all you need are the regular check points.

Dennismc · 12-14-2006, 05:26 PM

got to remember this for next year, would love to go up and do that!

PolarisINDY500 · 12-14-2006, 08:21 PM

its a good thing you got a new sled...i dont think you would have lasted very long on the old skidoo

Dennismc · 12-14-2006, 08:45 PM

Man aint that the truth! that thing was a killer..

This one is Nice. still bad whoopies still bounce some but could be the shocks are old. I am having them rebuilt b4 the next snow. But other then that,. shes ready...

grouly925 · 12-15-2006, 05:57 AM

I'm all geeked up ready to go but my one buddy says his house and truck payment are more important than snowmobiling. My other buddy, who rides a yamaha sx-r, says that he cringes at the thought of riding that pig 500 miles in one day. Hopefully I can talk at least one of them into going.

grouly925 · 01-10-2007, 06:17 AM

well, for anyone who is interested, they postponed the 500 to a date yet to be determined in February. They told me to check out the website for an exact date.

grouly925 · 02-16-2007, 06:53 AM

For anybody who is interested, the rescheduled dates for the 500 miler in Grand Marais are February 22-25. Should be a good time. They have a whole lot more snow there then they did a month and a half ago.