Bay Days getting dirty again with annual event

• Bay Days mud run

The Bay Days mud run is a crowd favorite in Silver Bay each year. It takes place after the noon parade Saturday. News-Chronicle photo.

Talk about it

More...

• Bay Days Schedule

The Bay Days mud run is always a popular attraction during the summer celebration in Silver Bay. But as one of the mud run coordinators says, it’s more than just a mud hole.

Swede Larson has been involved with the wet and muddy event since it started and took the helm last year. He says preparation for the ATV mud run is more than just digging a hole.

Crews start out my measuring the area to be used for the mud bog: 110 feet long by 14 feet wide and two feet deep. Then it takes about four hours to dig with the help of an excavator. The bottom is then lined with sand – a special trick to take away the traction that the clay soil has, making it harder to get through the muddy pit. The hole is filled with about a foot of water and is then left to stew and make a muddy mess. Gates, a fence, and footage markers are set up, and the track is ready to go. Larson expected this year’s track to be ready by Wednesday or Thursday, depending on the weather.

Throngs of people show up to the mud run every year. Larson gave a simple explanation to the event’s popularity. “Everybody likes to see somebody get muddy and wet,” he said. “I guess that’s why everybody lives up here – for four-wheeling.”

It’s a muddy event that’s purely for fun. “We try to keep it pretty simple,” Larson said. “We don’t want to get too elaborate and make sure all the participants know it’s all for fun.”

This year there are some prizes on the line. The bait shop in Beaver Bay has donated two gift certificates for the two driver with the best times. Getting through the mud pit requires more than just speed. Larson said those who keep the front end of their ATV out of the water usually have the best luck getting through.

Registration is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and again after the parade through Silver Bay. The mud run is open to anyone. For those who want to enjoy the event without dealing with muddy clothes, the hill by the recreation area is a prime spectator site. The mud run starts after the parade around 2 p.m.

Tags: silver bay, news, community, two