Due to shuttering of Telemark Lodge on May 5, the festival, set for September 17-19, could be employing one of the biggest tents on the mountain bike circuit as well. To make up for the space lost inside the lodge, which has hosted the event for over 20 years, staff and workers will erect a tent 80 feet wide and 160 feet long on the grounds of the resort, replacing the smaller tent that usually stands adjacent to the finish line. Registration, vendor and sponsor expo, the awards presentation and pretty much everything will take place under the big tent, which is the same size as the biggest tent used at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth.
“We’re looking at it as a festive change,” said Crandall. “Maybe it’ll feel more like a circus.”
Indeed, some participants expect the change to an all outdoors event will only enhance CFTF.
Even though the lodge will be closed, the Telemark Interval Owners Association, which owns the resort and the grounds, has given CFTF permission to use the property, including the miles of trails on its nearly 1,000 acres. The challenge for Crandall and staff is to move what was once indoors out.
An outdoor Chequamegon is not without precedent, however. Lakewoods Resort, east of Telemark on County Highway M, hosted CFTF for its first five years. The event moved to Telemark in 1988.
“One of those years, Lakewoods burned down,” Crandall said. “So we have a history of doing things out of a big tent.”
Still, pulling off this year’s event won’t be without challenges. Crandall estimated that about 15 percent of his operation took place inside Telemark Resort. That included registration, the sponsor and vendor expo, souvenir concessions and the awards presentation. The resort also provided on-site accommodations, although Crandall thinks the local area will absorb all those needing a bed for the weekend.
Telemark Resort was also a major sponsor of CFTF, providing accommodations and food for the staff. This loss will eat a $13,000 to $15,000 hole in the budget for the event.
According to Crandall, however, he and his staff are “flexible and tenacious problem solvers.” Since the boom years in the ‘70s when Tony Wise ran the facilities, Telemark Resort has struggled financially. Its closure didn’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the financial history of the resort. “We’ve always talked about the eventuality of Telemark not being open,” Crandall said.
Fortunately, the event takes place in mid-September when the weather still tends to be warm. With the big tent and its side walls, the venue should be covered, lit and dry. Crandall has hired J & D Custom Catering and the Angry Minnow Brewing Co. (I suggest the River Pig, a pale ale.), so participants and spectators alike shouldn’t suffer from hunger or thirst.
Courses unchanged
All in all, most things will stay the same at the 2010 CFTF, giving the event the stability that it’s had for 28 years. The Chequamegon 40 and Short and Fat courses remain unaltered, although heavy rains throughout June and July have replenished some of the traditional mudholes. Riders shouldn’t expect a detour around the Seeley Fire Tower. That challenge, with its five stair-step pitches, will remain 10 miles from the finish line.
There will be no shortage of riders waiting to tackle both courses, as 2,500 lottery-selected riders filled the race by mid-March. Once again, more than 1,000 riders were turned away, proving that getting into the race can be as tough as riding it.
For 18 straight years, Trek is sponsoring the event. “It’s an exemplary, long-term relationship” between the festival and the Wisconsin-based bike maker, Crandall said. In addition, Trek funds the Save the Trails program. Over the past two years, the company has contributed more than $18,000 and has pledged another $10,000 this year to match rider contributions. These funds have fueled a trail building frenzy by the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association. Since 1999, CAMBA has built over 65 miles of singletrack in the Hayward, Cable and Namakagon clusters. The group is currently extending the singletrack in the County Road OO area east of Seeley, cutting new trail north up toward Martel’s Pothole and eventually up past the Seeley Fire Tower to the existing Ojibwe Trail.
What else is new
Besides the big tent, festival goers should expect more positive change at this year’s CFTF.
The traditional Friday night pasta feed will be moved to the Cable Community Center in downtown Cable with the Northwoods Preschool and the American Legion putting on the dinner.
Also new is the Little Bellas Mountain Bike Camp for girls ages 8 to 12 presented by Trek Women. Sisters Lea and Sabra Davison will lead the all-girls mountain bike camp through the weekend with a focus on improving skills as well as having fun on a mountain bike. Check out littlebellas.com for more information.
The CAMBA trail tour has moved to the County OO trailhead in Seeley, providing participants with the chance to check out the new Makwa singletrack at noon Friday, September 17. This is the latest addition to the CAMBA singletrack, connecting the County OO trailhead with the Mosquito Brook and Fish Hatchery trailheads to the south. Visit cambatrails.org for more information about the tour.
And go to cheqfattire.com and click on the News link for the most up-to-date information on the 2010 CFTF.
Mark Parman lives in Wausau, Wisconsin, where he teaches English and journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County.
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