UP Health System Great Bear Chase 2027

The UP Health System Great Bear Chase is a cross-country ski race held annually since 1981 at Swedetown Ski Trails in Calumet, Michigan, typically in late winter or early spring. Copper Country snow, which frequently exceeds 230 inches per season, supports the event. Skiers can choose from skiathlon, classic, or freestyle races. Options include 10, 25, and 50 km for classic and freestyle, and 20 or 50 km for skiathlon. The event also features adaptive sit ski races of 3 and 6 km, and Junior Bear Chase races from 1 to 4 km, accommodating serious endurance skiers, younger participants, and adaptive athletes. The course utilizes the Swedetown trail system, incorporating the Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear trails. Much of the skiing takes place within wooded areas, differing from open fields or short artificial loops. The race attracts many participants from outside Michigan; an organizer noted that out-of-state racers constitute approximately 80 percent of the field, with strong years drawing around 900 competitors to Calumet. The event originated much smaller, with early races remembered on a snowmobile trail with active snowmobiles nearby. Today, it stands as a Swedetown tradition, supported by a deep local ski culture, drawing enough visiting racers to impact the local economy, and attracting regulars who return for the snow, the wooded trails, and the small-town race-day atmosphere.