09/22/2026
Thank you for choosing thr Karlin Inn. We love to talk to the riders and hear their stories. Looking forward to next year.
Our Munga Grit Traverse City race wrapped up a week ago in Michigan. 170 miles with a small field and it's the 4th year in. It's really easy to label this as a failure and point to why we aren't growing. But one constant comment is how amazing our water-points are.
They're not just aid stations, they're oases in the middle of a desert of loneliness. That's the thing about ultra races. They're lonely. Just you, your thoughts, and the darkness. And the blinking light of your GPS unit telling you how far you still have to go. While it's easier to throw up a tent and leave some trays of bananas out, we do things the hard way and try and find small businesses, homes, centres that will showcase some of the unique hospitality and culture of the area. It's hard work to figure out that puzzle, of just the right amount of love.
WP2 is at the Copemish Kitchen and Coffee in the tiny town of Copemish in remote Michigan. It's a family owned business and the girls run the place all day long and into the night. No ask is too big and no hour too late. And, here is the kicker. They simply will not give me a bill. They do it because for them it's a blessing to be a blessing. WP3 is at the Karlin Inn, another forgotten town out in the woods. Laurie is ex military who now runs the Inn and presents delectables to those who might just venture beyond the outskirts of the city. WP3 stays open till midnight, sometimes 3 in the morning. No questions asked. If there is a rider still out in the field, she will wait.
And so, I keep coming back. Building relationship. Sowing and trusting. It's in moments like these I find the real American. And it's inspiring.