Mud, Sweat and Beers: It’s a Spring Thing

It’s finally spring! Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association has been working at full speed to get trails across the region up to our exacting standards. After an oddball winter, we’re dealing with fewer downed trees and limbs than usual, which has allowed us to spend a little more time on the preventative type of trail work that addresses erosion and other issues. 

Mud, Sweat and Beers 2024

On May 4, the northern Michigan mountain bike community heads to Mt. Holiday for Mud, Sweat and Beers. This community-driven race has been a critical source of funding to keep Mt. Holiday going strong. That’s more important than ever; with snowfall less reliable than ever, ski hills like Holiday make substantial investments in spring, summer, and fall activities and infrastructure, including trails! 

This year’s Mud, Sweat and Beers route is nearly identical to the past few editions and heads clockwise from Mt. Holiday. That means (very) slightly more climbing in the first half of the race, with plenty of singletrack “strategery” at play in the finale. 

Everybody has a slightly different opinion, but we tend to think clockwise is the fastest direction. We’ll have to see how things play out on race day! 

Enjoy the Race and the Trails!

One of the great things about Mud, Sweat and Beers is the breadth of skill levels. It’s everybody, from riders who have been training all winter to those putting a tire on the start line for the very first time. Everybody is there, and that is critical to building a strong, connected community of riders.