Sunrise Adventure 2023

• • • • • Packet Pick Up (2:00 to 6:00 PM)
        • Pre-Tour Orientation (6:30 to 7:30 PM)
        • Rider’s Reception (6:00 to 8:00 PM)

Join us at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center between 2 – 5:30 pm for packet pick-up. Right next to the check-in table will be where you can get merchandise. If you need some bike work, check out Harborside Cycle & Sport located in downtown Alpena and a great supporter of LMB. If your looking for a few miles to ride, try exploring the town riding along the Alpena Bi-Path.

6:30 – 7:30 pm: Pre-Tour Orientation in the of the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center.

At 6:00 PM, on the grounds of the museum, we’ll enjoy a private reception with complimentary wine, beer, cheese, and snacks.  Make sure to wear your wristband as it’s your admission ticket! We’re sure you’ll enjoy this time to meet your fellow riders and enjoy the offerings of Michigan vintners!

• • • • • Packet Pick Up (7:30 – 8:30 AM)
        • Mass Start 8:30 AM for long route only
        • View Route Options 62 Miles, 47 Miles, 32 Miles

Sunrise Adventure begins, of course, with spectacular views of the sunrise over Lake Huron! After you patronize a local business for a hearty breakfast, head downtown where we’ll have a mass start at 8:30 AM for long route riders all other riders can drive out to the start point of their choice. Mass start is required for long course riders due to other events going on around the region. We no longer condone to start earlier or later, SAG support today begins at 8:30 AM and continues until 4:00 PM. We reserve the right to close stations if needed and will close station early if deemed needed. We recommend starting with the group to utilize the fullest support of the event. If you start earlier or later then expect to not have services available. 

Today, cycle out to Hubbard Lake the 12th largest inland lake in Michigan. At the top of Mt. Mariah (Watermelon Hill), soak in the spectacular views of the lake and celebrate reaching the top with some delicious treats!!  Then meander through Amish country on the way to Ossineke, a quaint village with sandy beaches along Lake Huron. Make sure to stop and get your picture with Paul Bunyan and Babe! Afterward, as you pedal along the coast of Lake Huron, stop and get a photo crossing the 45th Parallel placing you halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. You’re just a little off-center! As 322 miles due west in Poniatowski, Wisconsin lies the exact center of the northern half of the western hemisphere, phew that was complicated!  After freshening up, come downtown and enjoy the Riders Alley Reception and Alpena’s nightlife.

• • • • • Alpena Farmers Market
        • Maplewood Tavern
        • Route Options – 56 miles, 39 miles, 21 miles

All the routes for today are out and back so the miles you ride depends on your starting point. This is a great way to choose a comfortable distance and be supported by the outstanding LMB Volunteers along the entire route!

The Alpena Farmers Market is open 8 AM to 1 PM and just a few blocks from the start/finish so you may want to stop by to pick up a few locally fresh items. All three routes today will take you to Presque Isle Harbor on Lake Huron. 

Just a short ride from Presque Isle Harbor you will find the Old and New Presque Isle Lighthouses and have an opportunity to tour the light keeper’s cabin and climb the old light tower. It has a reputation for being haunted…so they say. There is plenty of maritime history here to keep those aficionados interested, and the picnic area is an ideal setting to stop and have a snack.

The 56 and 39-mile routes pass the Maplewood Tavern we will set up a SAG stop here. It’s a SAG stop and the start/finish point for those who want to ride the 39-mile route. Unfortunately, the 21-mile loop does not pass the tavern.

If you’ve purchased Shipwreck Cruise tickets, come enjoy an afternoon on the water with our 2-4 PM cruise. You’ll spend 2 hours in a glass-bottomed boat touring Lake Huron shipwrecks in Thunder Bay, capturing their images.

• • • • • View Road Route Options – 35 miles.
        • View Trail Route Options – 18.5 miles, 39 miles

The last day of Sunrise Adventure is upon us! We have three route options to finish out this awesome weekend You can venture along more paved roads or take the peaceful trail routes!

Trail Routes – The out and back rail trail routes can be customized from a 1 mile warm-up all the way to the 38.5 mile long route. The 18-mile short route along the North Eastern State Trail (NEST) is a flat ride on fine crushed limestone. For those who want a few more miles, keep pedaling to Posen for a total of 38.5 miles. Posen is a sleepy little village and the “Potato Capital of Michigan”, its rich farmlands and rolling woods provide an excellent backdrop for a peaceful finale. Posen is also hosting the Potato Festival this same weekend so you can take the trail right into town and be in the middle of over 10,000 people enjoying the spuds of the north!  SAG support begins at 8:30 AM and continues until 2:00 PM when Sunrise Adventure officially closes.

With Sunrise Adventure in our rearview mirror, it’s time to say goodbye to both old friends and new ones made this weekend. As you pack up your gear and head home you’ll understand why Sunrise Adventure is a wonderful, relaxing experience year after year!

You can ride any human-powered cycle in good mechanical condition on Sunrise Adventure. This includes trikes, recumbents, tandems, unicycles, and of course e-bikes. The standard route is designed to accommodate road bikes. Mountain, hybrid, cyclocross, and gravel bikes will have a blast on the routes. If you are using a standard road bike or touring bike, consider fitting wider tires for comfort.

To create a safe and scenic tour, Sunrise Adventure will at times travel along crushed limestone trails and unpaved country roads. To best traverse the route on a road bike or touring bike, we recommend fitting the widest possible tires. Road bikes with 23c-28c tires will do fine on the route but may have to work a little harder on unpaved sections. Any optional routes or loops labeled “Gravel” can have sandy sections and are best attempted with a 37c or wider tire that has a tread or knobby surface.

LMB thinks of SAG as the “Support Assistance Group.” SAG service includes mobile SAG wagons, stationary SAG stops, SAG shuttles, and Sweep. SAG vehicles are marked with LMB flags and magnetic LMB signs

SAG stops are stationed along the primary route. During the Riders Meeting as we review the next day’s route, we’ll provide the approximate location of these SAG stops. They are spaced on an average about 15 miles apart, but this will vary depending on route conditions. SAG Stops are rest stops located on route and identified with LMB signage. They are stocked with water, electrolytes, light snacks, basic tools, floor pumps, and close to restrooms or porta-potties. Our daily Super SAG Stop will also have a generator to provide e-bike charging.

SAG wagons will provide assistance to riders experiencing physical or mechanical issues along the primary route and gravel route. SAG wagons will transport riders and their bikes to a SAG stop or to seek medical treatment. Please be aware that SAG wagons do not go to Alpena, they stay on the route to provide the fastest possible service in emergency situations.

SAG shuttles will periodically travel along the route picking up riders at SAG stops and transport them to the start/finish in Alpena.

Each SAG Stop and SAG wagon carry basic tools and a floor pump. They also carry spare tubes for sale. Our SAG service is designed to transport all supported cycles! Please note, SAG support is not available off route or after hours.

Private SAG’s are allowed.  A private SAG is a person or group of people who are on the tour to provide support to their rider. We simply ask for vehicle and rider information, and to use alternate routes to intersect with the tour route which helps keep riders safe.

There are not any meals provided for this tour.

We ask that you patronize the local restaurants, breweries, and shops for all your meal needs.

Visit the Alpena Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for great lodging options, including camping. We recommend staying close, so you can enjoy all that Alpena has to offer. Unfortunately  the hotels in Alpena are no longer doing block reservations for us, here are some direct numbers to call to book a reservation.

Alpena Days Inn (989) 356-6118

Holiday Inn Express & Suites (989) 340-1800

Ramada Alpena (989) 356-2151

Alpena Resorts (989) 356-9087

Other options include: AirBNB and VRBO

Please remember, lodging is not included with your registration and you are responsible for making any lodging arrangements for this tour.

All Riders

Since Sunrise Adventure starts and ends at your lodging in Alpena, you only have to get yourself, gear and bike to the start/finish line.

PACKING LIST

Sunrise Adventure does not provide lodging. If you are not camping, you’ll want to edit that portion of the packing list. Required rider gear remains for all events. A list of required and recommended items can be found –  HERE.

Please note: If you purchase a membership to gain access and decide to cancel your event registration, you will retain your membership until the expiration date. We do not refund membership purchases. Membership must be purchased before the registration to gain member benefits as it relates to registration. 

In other words: an individual membership will give you early access and more flexible refund options, but just for a single registrant – if more than one person from your household is taking part in the tour, you’ll want a Household membership! Check your membership type at our member portal and upgrade to Household if needed. 

We are accepting volunteer applications. Visit our volunteer portal to learn more.