50K TRAIL RUN, 25K TRAIL RUN, 10K TRAIL RUN & 5K FUN RUN W/ OBSTACLES!
There will be fun, games, entertainment, and activities throughout the day for the whole family!
This is a fundraising event. All proceeds will be split between Camp Benesi & Mt. Ashwabay.

Starting at Bayfield’s iconic Big Top Chautauqua Tent on the slopes of Mt. Ashwabay, runners will head out  over gentle rolling ski trails through the northern mesic forest of old growth maple and hemlock. The trail winds its way to the Nourse Sugarbush State Natural Area where runners will pass the historic sugar shack, used for generations by the Nourse family. This stunning forest is one of the last remnant stands of old-growth sugar maple and hemlock in the Midwest, and presents a living history of human settlement on the south shore.  Long diagonal slashes can still be seen on some trees today from hundreds of years of maple sap harvest by the Anishinaabe people. 

​After passing the sugar shack, runners will face their first substantial climb to the peak  of  Mt. Ashwabay for a panoramic view of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands before heading back down the back side of our little mountain on  moderately-technical singletrack. The trail traverses glacial topography of deep ravines and twisty hills… keep your eyes peeled for pink lady slipper orchids blooming along the side of the trail! The single-track takes you on a fast, flowy loop before descending back down through sandy pine stands. Runners will then climb back up toward the top of the hill, for a final descent back towards the Big Top tent.