ok here's a rough schedule for now:
2nd or 3rd weekend in May: Gardner Mountain/Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness, Winthrop, WA
last weekend in june: Kettle Range, Republic,WA
POSTPONED: THE EPIC 50K, Silverton, CO
Aug 15: Angels Staircase, Carlton, WA
labor day weekend: North Cascades Traverse Multi-Day(new details)
Fall: something in california? maybe the henry coe state park or big sur...
December: Swamp Fox, Awendaw, SC
all of this is subject to change, stay tuned to the blogsite for more details and there will be other oppourtunities other than these so don't hesitate to email to ask about the latest plans(i usually try to do something big every weekend that i'm not racing or directing a race) info@rainshadowrunning.com
Monday, August 30, 2010
North Cascades Multi-day Fun Run Details
this weekend is labor day weekend and friday is my 33rd birthday. friday me and another september 3rd are throwing ourselves a really really fun party(see details below). and saturday, sunday and monday i'm organizing trail runs in the north cascades including an over night stay at a cabin in stehekin at the head of lake chelan(the cabin will have beds with sheets and blankets and a kitchen and there's small grocery store and restaurant there so we won't need to run with any thing other than our normal running stuff). there will be limited space in the cabin so please RSVP ASAP
here are the brief details for the run: sat in the crater mountain/jackita ridge/devils dome area there are options for an out and back run of either 9, 14, 20-30 miles or there's 43mile loop option-- i'll probably do something 14-20ish since i'll be recovering from the party;
car camp saturday nite;
sun 14 or 24 mile rainy pass to stehekin-- i'll probably do the 24 mile option which goes over rainbow pass. the 14 mile option takes the pct the whole way and then a shuttle bus to the cabin;
stay in a cabin at stehekin sunday nite;
mon 34 miles stehekin to colonial creek camp via park creek pass. 34 miles is the only option unless you want to do more in which case you could run the road to the trailhead instead of taking the shuttle. if you really need a shorter option out you could go from stehekin to twisp river rd if you had a car waiting there for you there.
This party is to celebrate Sarah Fox-Skutley and James Varner's birthday (and all other valley virgos!). We'll provide all the beer for the Wild Goose Chase and maragaritas and beer for the BBQ and dance party. We'll also provide a hot grill and a bunch of side dishes. You bring your meat(or not meat) for the grill and anything you need for your meat(or not meat).
Meet at Big Valley Trailhead at 6pm--the wild goose chase will start promptly at 6:15pm. The Wild Goose Chase(kinda like follow the leader for adults or similar to a hash run if you know what those are) will involve everyone chasing the geese (sarah and james) through the trails at Big Valley. The geese will get a head start and leave a trail of goose eggs(with fun surprises inside) for the chasers to follow and gather. Along the way the geese will try to trick the chasers with false trails that go to dead ends and stash beer along the way that the chasers will have to drink before continuing along the trail. There will also be other surprises and obstacles along the way to slow down the chasers. The geese don't want to get caught by the chasers because they'll have to get birthday spankings at the dance party if they do and since they're not as young as they used to be that'll be a lot of spankings!! DON"T BE LATE OR YOU WILL MISS OUT ON ALL THE FUN!!!!
The wild goose chase will involve some slow jogging or fast walking on trails and through meadows. The whole route will only be 2-3 miles and you'll have lots of breaks and will probalby take an hour to an hour and half to complete. IT'S NOT A RACE and IT"S MEANT TO BE DONE AS A GROUP. Come prepared with good shoes or chacos and wear pants if you don't want your dance legs to get a little scratched up. But being prepared to go for a dip in the river after the chase would be a good idea too if it's a warm day!
BBQ starts after the Goose Chase probably around 7:30 or 8pm.
Dance Party starts around 9:30pm or so. This will be the best damn dance party ever with a full sound system and a DJ not afraid to get the house jumping with the best dance music of the past 3-4 decades!!!
Meet at Big Valley Trailhead at 6pm--the wild goose chase will start promptly at 6:15pm. The Wild Goose Chase(kinda like follow the leader for adults or similar to a hash run if you know what those are) will involve everyone chasing the geese (sarah and james) through the trails at Big Valley. The geese will get a head start and leave a trail of goose eggs(with fun surprises inside) for the chasers to follow and gather. Along the way the geese will try to trick the chasers with false trails that go to dead ends and stash beer along the way that the chasers will have to drink before continuing along the trail. There will also be other surprises and obstacles along the way to slow down the chasers. The geese don't want to get caught by the chasers because they'll have to get birthday spankings at the dance party if they do and since they're not as young as they used to be that'll be a lot of spankings!! DON"T BE LATE OR YOU WILL MISS OUT ON ALL THE FUN!!!!
The wild goose chase will involve some slow jogging or fast walking on trails and through meadows. The whole route will only be 2-3 miles and you'll have lots of breaks and will probalby take an hour to an hour and half to complete. IT'S NOT A RACE and IT"S MEANT TO BE DONE AS A GROUP. Come prepared with good shoes or chacos and wear pants if you don't want your dance legs to get a little scratched up. But being prepared to go for a dip in the river after the chase would be a good idea too if it's a warm day!
BBQ starts after the Goose Chase probably around 7:30 or 8pm.
Dance Party starts around 9:30pm or so. This will be the best damn dance party ever with a full sound system and a DJ not afraid to get the house jumping with the best dance music of the past 3-4 decades!!!
hope you can make it to some or all of this!
james
509 846 5019
Friday, August 27, 2010
Orcas Island 50k/25k Registration Now Open
The Orcas Island 50k/25k will fill up and will probably fill up faster than ever this year. Go here to register: http://www.databarevents.com/orcas.asp
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Cle Elum Course info posted
hi folks
i've finally had time to post the new course info for the cle elum 50k and 25k. we've gone back to the classic 50k route, which by the way measured in at 30.9 miles on the garmin gps so it should be a real 50k again this year not super long like last year. the 25k ofcourse is long, 17.0 miles, instead of 15.5 but this way you get more bang for your buck!
surprisingly though i got 7000ft of elevation gain for the 50k which has always been listed at 6000ft of gain so not sure what to think of that...
Friday, July 9, 2010
2010 Sun Mountain Final Results*
Here are the final results. They are imperfect and I apologize. There is simply no way to accurately determine who did and did not run the course correctly. This is entirely my fault--next time I will ensure that something like this does not happen. Again any runner that for any reason is unhappy or unsatisfied with this race because of these errors on my part are welcome and encouraged to ask me for a full refund or complimentary entry in a future Rainshadow Running race.
Click here to see my full apology.
25k-- the actual mileage was 16.9
2:07:58 Jodee Adams-Moore Mt. Vernon WA F
2:09:51 Kevin Reinkensmeyer Fircrest WA 39 M
2:10:06 Brendan Trimboli Seattle WA 22 M
2:10:32 Phil Marlatt portland OR 25 M
2:22:23 Jason Ireland Langley WA 37 M
2:22:40 Sara DeRuyck seattle WA 41 F
2:23:28 Casey Bates Seattle WA 28 M
2:23:52 Jason Oliver Penticton BC 28 M
2:27:09 keri fezzey Coupeville WA 36 F
2:28:10 Katie Mulholland Seattle WA 27 F
2:28:30 Andrew Lingbloom Edmonds WA 22 M
2:34:52 Abigail Marlatt portland OR 28 F
2:42:09 Kelli Gauthier Bellingham WA 38 F
2:45:01 Kaarin Kelly Winthrop WA 32 F
2:45:22 Sophia Walker Seattle WA 29 F
2:45:33 Yitka Winn Seattle WA 22 F
2:45:48 Jennifer Lachowiec Bremerton WA 24 F
2:46:26 BJ Cassell Bellingham WA 28 M
2:46:46 Kristin Ohm-Pedersen North Vancouver 24 F
2:47:36 Candice Burt Whidbey Island WA F
2:48:06 Nick Brewe M
2:49:28 Sally Marcellus Delta BC 56 F
2:50:42 Seth Layman Langley WA 35 M
2:50:52 Lacy Tipton Bellingham WA 28 F
2:51:49 michael o'grady white rock BC 61 M
2:54:05 joe schrum Tacoma WA 41 M
2:54:44 Kristen Nelson Penticton BC 29 F
2:56:20 Sherry Gallant BELLINGHAM WA 49 F
2:56:40 J. Joseph Weaver Winthrop WA 37 M
2:57:14 heidi bard twisp WA 36 F
2:57:27 David Swoish Spokane WA 26 M
2:59:07 Fred Hveding Anchorage AK 36 M
2:59:55 Cindy Peterson Mercer Island WA 54 F
2:59:58 Joe Jensen Winthrop WA M
3:06:22 Rachael Jamison Olympia WA 34 F
3:16:15 David Painter Richland WA 56 M
3:16:28 Megan Schmidt Winthrop WA 36 F
3:16:35 Elisa Burrows Seattle WA 24 F
3:16:41 Kate Compton Seattle WA 25 F
3:18:43 Phylis Ying F
3:22:49 Thomas Leitner WALLA WALLA WA 44 M
3:23:32 Merilee Wilmore Seattle WA 27 F
3:24:21 tim graham mercer island WA 51 M
3:27:58 Nick Kerstetter Wenatchee WA 22 M
3:30:17 Bryon Trott Bellevue WA 51 M
3:30:45 Larry Varin M
3:30:46 Cheyann Larsen Kennewick WA 20 F
3:31:01 Jamie Keizer Snoqualmie WA 34 F
3:31:18 Neil Prisbe Belleville IL 31 M
3:31:22 David Ellinger Crystal Lake IL 54 M
3:33:15 Mary Riehl Yakima WA 42 F
3:33:15 Kim Scacco-Morton Yakima WA 41 F
3:33:15 Kate Soldano F
3:35:00 Kelly Bolinger Seattle WA 37 F
3:45:47 james voiland Port Townsend WA 61 M
3:50:57 Laura Houston Seattle WA 55 F
3:50:57 frances o'grady white rock BC 62 F
3:52:01 Nicholas Murphy clinton WA 42 M
3:55:01 Eric Purpus Seattle WA 30 M
3:55:38 Pamela Taylor Redmond WA 24 F
4:05:41 Genissa Sygitowicz Bellingham WA 32 F
4:22:30 Jim Szumilla Olympia WA M
4:22:31 Justin Kerstetter Wilbur WA 29 M
5:39:58 Chris Allan Seattle WA 52 M
50k
4:24:18 Bill Huggins Seattle WA 40 M
4:26:37 Craig Dickson Olympia WA 43 M
4:27:55 Dave Cleveland Penticton BC 36 M
4:33:31 Joe Creighton Seattle WA 30 M
4:43:34 Susannah Beck Olga WA 41 F
4:53:54 Mike Modica Seattle WA 30 M
5:05:43 Matt Campbell Mount Vernon WA 26 M
5:08:16 Robert Lang Delta BC 54 M
5:09:21 Kyle McCoy Seattle WA 31 M
5:19:03 Stacey Cleveland Penticton BC 31 F
5:23:50 Sara Malcolm Seattle WA 26 F
5:28:51 Katie Galdabini Seattle WA 38 F
5:30:36 Eva Lust-Wright Yakima WA 40 F
5:34:10 Pablo Cabrera Mount Vernon WA 33 M
5:42:20 Patrick Niemeyer Seattle WA 34 M
5:45:01 Cindy Bigglestone Newcastle WA 35 F
5:49:18 Heather Anderson Bellingham WA 28 F
5:53:01 Jon Karlen Port Orchard WA 51 M
5:58:58 Thomas Thompson Bellevue WA 41 M
6:03:10 Michael McNeill Richland WA 28 M
6:05:15 Andy Martin Normandy Park WA 56 M
6:09:56 Richard Knowles Haines OR 61 M
6:12:25 Francie Hankins Spokane WA 45 F
6:14:50 Becky Pederson Bellingham WA 26 F
6:17:05 Barry Hopkins Vernon BC 56 M
6:23:30 Dave Molenaar Olympia WA 49 M
6:26:10 Deanna Ashby Spokane WA 39 F
6:35:50 Jason Vaughan oroville WA 39 M
6:44:05 Simon Windell Seattle WA 25 M
6:58:30 Wild Bill Voiland Richaland WA 62 M
7:03:45 Rivers Plowden Oak Harbor WA 27 M
7:24:20 Jason Houser Ridgefield WA 34 M
50m
7:27:00 Jacek Doniec Burnaby BC 33 M
7:46:30 Jon Robinson Seattle WA 31 M
7:52:35 Daniel Gallant Bellingham WA 50 M
8:06:12 Dan Kuperberg Winthrop WA 46 M
8:08:46 Patrick Garcia Denver CO 26 M
8:37:58 Shawna Wilskey Burlington WA 38 F
8:39:30 Alex Swenson Vashon WA 46 M
8:46:40 Zeb Breuckman Bremerton WA 22 M
8:51:25 Dan Paquette Seattle WA 34 M
9:03:50 Joseph Tompkins Mt. Vernon WA 39 M
9:05:10 Brandon Weber Seattle WA 29 M
9:16:45 Lorie Alexander Vernon BC 51 F
9:16:45 Jeannie Debari Glacier WA 54 F
9:21:15 Robert Bondurant Chimacum WA 37 M
9:27:35 Dan Baier Renton WA 35 M
9:32:45 Jonathan Gunderson Denver CO 25 M
9:53:44 Josh Owen Beaverton OR 31 M
9:56:10 Randy Duncan Victoria BC 48 M
9:56:10 Kelly Hambelton Maple Falls WA 32 F
9:57:45 Herb Reeves Olympia WA 58 M
10:18:50 Linda Barton Everett WA 32 F
10:26:45 Alex Rea Bellevue WA 37 M
11:05:04 Alecia Smith Sequim WA 37 F
11:06:45 Megan Dell Albuquerque NM 37 F
11:06:45 Kris Ryding Tumwater WA 47 F
12:07:30 Scott Flett Seattle WA 62 M
12:51:40 Janice Moyer Wellpinit WA 53 F
Click here to see my full apology.
25k-- the actual mileage was 16.9
2:07:58 Jodee Adams-Moore Mt. Vernon WA F
2:09:51 Kevin Reinkensmeyer Fircrest WA 39 M
2:10:06 Brendan Trimboli Seattle WA 22 M
2:10:32 Phil Marlatt portland OR 25 M
2:22:23 Jason Ireland Langley WA 37 M
2:22:40 Sara DeRuyck seattle WA 41 F
2:23:28 Casey Bates Seattle WA 28 M
2:23:52 Jason Oliver Penticton BC 28 M
2:27:09 keri fezzey Coupeville WA 36 F
2:28:10 Katie Mulholland Seattle WA 27 F
2:28:30 Andrew Lingbloom Edmonds WA 22 M
2:34:52 Abigail Marlatt portland OR 28 F
2:42:09 Kelli Gauthier Bellingham WA 38 F
2:45:01 Kaarin Kelly Winthrop WA 32 F
2:45:22 Sophia Walker Seattle WA 29 F
2:45:33 Yitka Winn Seattle WA 22 F
2:45:48 Jennifer Lachowiec Bremerton WA 24 F
2:46:26 BJ Cassell Bellingham WA 28 M
2:46:46 Kristin Ohm-Pedersen North Vancouver 24 F
2:47:36 Candice Burt Whidbey Island WA F
2:48:06 Nick Brewe M
2:49:28 Sally Marcellus Delta BC 56 F
2:50:42 Seth Layman Langley WA 35 M
2:50:52 Lacy Tipton Bellingham WA 28 F
2:51:49 michael o'grady white rock BC 61 M
2:54:05 joe schrum Tacoma WA 41 M
2:54:44 Kristen Nelson Penticton BC 29 F
2:56:20 Sherry Gallant BELLINGHAM WA 49 F
2:56:40 J. Joseph Weaver Winthrop WA 37 M
2:57:14 heidi bard twisp WA 36 F
2:57:27 David Swoish Spokane WA 26 M
2:59:07 Fred Hveding Anchorage AK 36 M
2:59:55 Cindy Peterson Mercer Island WA 54 F
2:59:58 Joe Jensen Winthrop WA M
3:06:22 Rachael Jamison Olympia WA 34 F
3:16:15 David Painter Richland WA 56 M
3:16:28 Megan Schmidt Winthrop WA 36 F
3:16:35 Elisa Burrows Seattle WA 24 F
3:16:41 Kate Compton Seattle WA 25 F
3:18:43 Phylis Ying F
3:22:49 Thomas Leitner WALLA WALLA WA 44 M
3:23:32 Merilee Wilmore Seattle WA 27 F
3:24:21 tim graham mercer island WA 51 M
3:27:58 Nick Kerstetter Wenatchee WA 22 M
3:30:17 Bryon Trott Bellevue WA 51 M
3:30:45 Larry Varin M
3:30:46 Cheyann Larsen Kennewick WA 20 F
3:31:01 Jamie Keizer Snoqualmie WA 34 F
3:31:18 Neil Prisbe Belleville IL 31 M
3:31:22 David Ellinger Crystal Lake IL 54 M
3:33:15 Mary Riehl Yakima WA 42 F
3:33:15 Kim Scacco-Morton Yakima WA 41 F
3:33:15 Kate Soldano F
3:35:00 Kelly Bolinger Seattle WA 37 F
3:45:47 james voiland Port Townsend WA 61 M
3:50:57 Laura Houston Seattle WA 55 F
3:50:57 frances o'grady white rock BC 62 F
3:52:01 Nicholas Murphy clinton WA 42 M
3:55:01 Eric Purpus Seattle WA 30 M
3:55:38 Pamela Taylor Redmond WA 24 F
4:05:41 Genissa Sygitowicz Bellingham WA 32 F
4:22:30 Jim Szumilla Olympia WA M
4:22:31 Justin Kerstetter Wilbur WA 29 M
5:39:58 Chris Allan Seattle WA 52 M
50k
4:24:18 Bill Huggins Seattle WA 40 M
4:26:37 Craig Dickson Olympia WA 43 M
4:27:55 Dave Cleveland Penticton BC 36 M
4:33:31 Joe Creighton Seattle WA 30 M
4:43:34 Susannah Beck Olga WA 41 F
4:53:54 Mike Modica Seattle WA 30 M
5:05:43 Matt Campbell Mount Vernon WA 26 M
5:08:16 Robert Lang Delta BC 54 M
5:09:21 Kyle McCoy Seattle WA 31 M
5:19:03 Stacey Cleveland Penticton BC 31 F
5:23:50 Sara Malcolm Seattle WA 26 F
5:28:51 Katie Galdabini Seattle WA 38 F
5:30:36 Eva Lust-Wright Yakima WA 40 F
5:34:10 Pablo Cabrera Mount Vernon WA 33 M
5:42:20 Patrick Niemeyer Seattle WA 34 M
5:45:01 Cindy Bigglestone Newcastle WA 35 F
5:49:18 Heather Anderson Bellingham WA 28 F
5:53:01 Jon Karlen Port Orchard WA 51 M
5:58:58 Thomas Thompson Bellevue WA 41 M
6:03:10 Michael McNeill Richland WA 28 M
6:05:15 Andy Martin Normandy Park WA 56 M
6:09:56 Richard Knowles Haines OR 61 M
6:12:25 Francie Hankins Spokane WA 45 F
6:14:50 Becky Pederson Bellingham WA 26 F
6:17:05 Barry Hopkins Vernon BC 56 M
6:23:30 Dave Molenaar Olympia WA 49 M
6:26:10 Deanna Ashby Spokane WA 39 F
6:35:50 Jason Vaughan oroville WA 39 M
6:44:05 Simon Windell Seattle WA 25 M
6:58:30 Wild Bill Voiland Richaland WA 62 M
7:03:45 Rivers Plowden Oak Harbor WA 27 M
7:24:20 Jason Houser Ridgefield WA 34 M
50m
7:27:00 Jacek Doniec Burnaby BC 33 M
7:46:30 Jon Robinson Seattle WA 31 M
7:52:35 Daniel Gallant Bellingham WA 50 M
8:06:12 Dan Kuperberg Winthrop WA 46 M
8:08:46 Patrick Garcia Denver CO 26 M
8:37:58 Shawna Wilskey Burlington WA 38 F
8:39:30 Alex Swenson Vashon WA 46 M
8:46:40 Zeb Breuckman Bremerton WA 22 M
8:51:25 Dan Paquette Seattle WA 34 M
9:03:50 Joseph Tompkins Mt. Vernon WA 39 M
9:05:10 Brandon Weber Seattle WA 29 M
9:16:45 Lorie Alexander Vernon BC 51 F
9:16:45 Jeannie Debari Glacier WA 54 F
9:21:15 Robert Bondurant Chimacum WA 37 M
9:27:35 Dan Baier Renton WA 35 M
9:32:45 Jonathan Gunderson Denver CO 25 M
9:53:44 Josh Owen Beaverton OR 31 M
9:56:10 Randy Duncan Victoria BC 48 M
9:56:10 Kelly Hambelton Maple Falls WA 32 F
9:57:45 Herb Reeves Olympia WA 58 M
10:18:50 Linda Barton Everett WA 32 F
10:26:45 Alex Rea Bellevue WA 37 M
11:05:04 Alecia Smith Sequim WA 37 F
11:06:45 Megan Dell Albuquerque NM 37 F
11:06:45 Kris Ryding Tumwater WA 47 F
12:07:30 Scott Flett Seattle WA 62 M
12:51:40 Janice Moyer Wellpinit WA 53 F
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Angels Staircase Fun Run
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Sunday August 15th I'll be leading a fun run(glorified training run--no entry fee, no awards, no course marking, and no aid stations) on the Angels Staircase Race Courses(races coming in 2011!) outside of Carlton, WA. There are three (approximate) distance options: 50m, 50k, and 25k. The runs are pretty remote (the 50k and 25k don't cross any roads and the 50m is on a road for a couple miles but from there it's more than hour drive to anywhere that could even be considered somewhat civilized) and the 50k and 50m options should only be attempted by experienced ultra/trail runners. The fun run will be limited to no more than 75 runners but I think we'll just have a dozen or two at the most so you'll want to ready be alone and all on your own.
Ok below are some more deatils on logistics and maps and course descriptions and driving directions but first check out some more pictures from the courses....
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The Details:
The courses are located in the Okanogan National Forest in the Chelan Sawtooth Mountain Range which seperates Lake Chelan from the Methow and Twisp River Valleys. Carlton, Wa is the closest town but Twisp, Chelan and Pateros are the closest towns of any decent size(like big enough to have a grocery store). The Prince Creek Map #115 made by Greentrails Maps shows each of the courses in their entirety and I highly recommend that each runner carry one and the course description. Like I said above these trails are very remote so participation in this unsupported run should not be taken lightly.
Also Runners need to be prepared to get their water from creeks and or lakes which there are plenty of on the course. I usually just drink the water straight from the creeks but you might want to bring some kinda filter or purifier.
There also won't be and food or first aid. We are all in this together but we also need to be self-sufficent.
As for starting time... we can either try to all start together and stick together as much as possible or start at separate times and do our own thing. Sunrise is at 6am and sunset is at 8pm. Those doing the 50 mile option will probably want to start at sunrise or maybe even earlier to avoid being out on the course after sunset. As we get closer to the day of the run we can figure out this detail. One thing I do ask is if we don't all run together please either check-in with me before and after you finish so i'm not up all night worrying about you.
The night before.... i say we all camp together near the start to get a jump on the day. there's a nice but basic campsite, Foggy Dew Camp, just two miles from the start/finish trailhead. we could do a pot luck bbq style dinner there and go over the maps and i can answer questions and go over any last minute details.
And as for the courses themselves... they are all beautiful and hard. oh and they're probably a little bit longer than advertised. i might have time to gps them before the run but probably not so we'll just have to go on the mileages from the map. All three courses are entirely on really fun single track(except for a couple miles of dirt road in the 50miler). Some of the time you'll be in the trees often, especially for the 50k and 50m you'll be up high and out in the open (so be ready for lots of sun or if we're unlucky with the weather be ready to be exposed to the elements). The 50 mile route is a figure eight with an out and back from the trailhead to the the figure eight. The 50k is just one half of the figure eight and the out and back. and the 25k is just the out and back. All courses go up to the top of angels staircase which is at 8000ft, the 50k goes above 7000ft 2 other times and the 50m goes over 7000ft 4 other times-- and they all start at 3000ft so they all have lots of elevation gain!
To RSVP or for questions or suggestions email me james@rainshadowrunning.com or call 509 846 5019
Below are the maps, elevation profiles, course descriptions and driving directions.
Click on images to enlarge
The 25k(yellow) is just an out and back. The 50k(yellow and red) goes up the same was as the 25k but then loops around to the north before heading back down. The 50 mile (yellow, blue and red) course goes up the same way as the 50k but does the extra loop to the south before doing the loop the north.
50m Elevation Profile-- more than 13,000ft of gain
50k Elevation Profile-- about 9000ft of gain
25k Elevation Profile-- more than 5000ft of gain
25k Course Description:
Start at Foggy Dew Trailhead
follow TR 417 (Foggy Dew) 5.0 mi to intersection with TR 429 and 424
continue on TR 417 1.1 mi to intersection with TR 417B
continue on TR 417 1.1 mi to intersection with TR 1259.32
turn left onto TR 1259.32 and go 0.4 mi
turnaround at the high point and head back to the trailhead the same way you came.
Total Mileage: 15.2*
50k Course Description
follow TR 417 (Foggy Dew) 5.0 mi to intersection with TR 429 and 424
continue on TR 417 1.1 mi to intersection with TR 417B
continue on TR 417 1.1 mi to intersection with TR 1259.32
turn left onto TR 1259.32 and go 1.8 mi to intersection with 1259.3
turn right onto TR 1259.3 and go 2.2 mi to intersection with 1255.1
turn right onto TR 1255.1(?) towards boiling lake and go 0.6 mi
continue 1.0 mi past Boiling Lake to Horsehead Pass
at pass the trail becomes TR 431 follow it 0.7 to intersection with TR 431B
continue on TR 431 0.3 mi to intersection with TR 431A
continue on TR 431 3.3 mi to intersection with TR 429
turn right onto TR 429 and go 4.0 mi to intersection with TR 429A
continue on TR 429 2.2 mi to intersection with TR 434
continue on TR 429 0.7 mi to intersection with TR 438
continue on TR 429 2.0 mi to intersection with TR 417
turn left onto TR 417 and follow 5.0 mi back to Foggy Dew Trailhead
Total Mileage: 31.0*
50m Course Description
follow TR 417 (Foggy Dew) 5.0 mi to intersection with TR 429 and 424
continue on TR 417 1.1 mi to intersection with TR 417B
continue on TR 417 1.1 mi to intersection with TR 1259.32
turn left onto TR 1259.32 and go 1.8 mi to intersection with 1259.3
turn left onto TR 1259.3 and go 0.9 to intersection with TR 1257
continue on 1259.3 1.1 to deadmans pass
just beyond the pass turn left onto TR 1258 and go 2.4 to intersection with TR 424
continue on TR 1258 3.6 mi to intersection with FS Rd 82
turn right onto FS Rd 82 and go 2.8 to intersection with TR 1259.3 (at South Navarre Campground)
turn right onto TR 1259.3 and go 2.4 to intersection with TR 1261
continue on 1259.3 1.8 to intersection with TR 1260
continue on 1259.3 1.8 to deadmans pass and intersection with TR 1258
continue on 1259.3 1.1 to intersection with TR 1257
continue on 1259.3 0.9 to intersection with TR 1259.32
continue on 1259.3 2.2 to intersection with 1255.1
turn right onto TR 1255.1(?) towards boiling lake and go 0.6 mi
continue 1.0 mi past Boiling Lake to Horsehead Pass
at pass the trail becomes TR 431 follow it 0.7 to intersection with TR 431B
continue on TR 431 0.3 mi to intersection with TR 431A
continue on TR 431 3.3 mi to intersection with TR 429
turn right onto TR 429 and go 4.0 mi to intersection with TR 429A
continue on TR 429 2.2 mi to intersection with TR 434
continue on TR 429 0.7 mi to intersection with TR 438
continue on TR 429 2.0 mi to intersection with TR 417
turn left onto TR 417 and follow 5.0 mi back to Foggy Dew Trailhead
Total Mileage: 49.8*
* All mileages are approximate and knowing the way things usually work the courses are probably all a little longer than shown.
Driving Directions:
From Carlton, WA(in the Methow Valley down valley from Twisp and Winthrop):
Head south on WA-153 S/Methow Valley Hwy for 3.5 mi
Turn right at Gold Creek Loop Rd and follow 1.6 mi
Turn right at Gold Creek Rd (FS 4340) and follow 5.0 mi
Left at FS Rd 200 Foggy Dew Camp is here
Follow FS Rd 200 approximately 2.2 mi to Foggy Dew Trailhead
To RSVP or for questions or suggestions email me james@rainshadowrunning.com or call 509 846 5019
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Monday, June 28, 2010
2010 Orcas Island Report
While you're waiting for the Sun Mountain Report... here's my report on Orcas which was published in Ultrarunning Magazine
I'm going to let the runners tell the story of the 5th annual Orcas Island 50k: Matt Hart, our 2008 winner, in his first race after being injured for seemingly forever starts the tale "As the "gun" went off Yassine [Dibboun] pulled ahead and the adrenaline of not having raced for over a year and a half pushed me to the front. In the first 30 minutes Yassine slowly pulled away and my place in the lead pack faded. I was seeing numbers on my heart rate monitor I haven't seen in years." Dibboun furthers the story adding: "I started off feeling really good. Mile two or three a huge Great Horned Owl flew down right in front of me and perched on a tree right above the trail. It turned his head around 180 degrees and gave me a stare with his big eyes. I actually got a little scared and yelled just out of instinct. I was probably ahead of the others by a couple hundred yards. Eventually, we started hitting some tough climbs and Alex [Henry] and Dan [Olmstead] caught up to me. The three of us ran together until mile 10 or so. "
Last year's winner Ellie Greenwood fills us in on more of the action from the first third of the race: "I was in the front 6 or 7 so runners and the pace felt good but I was worried that I was just so excited that I would go out too fast. It felt great right away to be running on soft, spongy, snow free trails so I spent at least the first hour with a stupid grin on my face just from enjoying the spring like run. As I looped back to Camp Moran for the first aid station at just over [11] miles I was feeling strong. I was totally stoked, if a little suprised, to see Matt Hart and Chris Downie heading back out of the aid station and thus probably only 4 or so minutes ahead of me. Wow - either I had gone out way too fast or those mind numbing treadmill runs were paying off! I also didn't see Shawna so I knew I had got at least a bit of a lead on her. I never spend long at aid stations as I hate to stop on the run so I quickly downed some Coke, grabbed a handful of chips and was back out on the course." Shawna Wilskey, third last year, adds: "Ellie went out way fast, not really my thing, I am more of a 'see how I feel runner' most of the time, so consequently, I never saw her in the race. The beginning was rough for some reason for me this time. I struggled hard for 8 miles or so. My legs got tight and sore right away, so I ran convinced I would never run another 50k again, convinced I was going to pull my entry in the 100 milers I have entered this year, etc. etc. I had really done a number on myself mentally by the end of the first 8 miles. Ultra runners all know the drill… Soon it got sunny, warm, I was at the first marvelous aid station and all of that went away only to bring sheer enjoyment for the next 4 hours!"
Back up at the front of the race, Alex Henry share's his thoughts: "My race plan was to stay with the leaders until the top of the powerline climb, and then use that sustained downhill/flat section to create a gap before the Constitution climb. When I found myself pulling away on the climb itself, that was the first time that I started to think I had a realistic shot at winning the thing. I walked on every steep section of trail. I was really relieved early in the race when I saw Yassine and Dan hiking the steep sections too. Greenwood chimes in with: "[The] course is pretty variable - there are definitely some killer climbs but I have to admit they seemed more managebale this year than last, probably because last year I was in 3rd place until near the end so I was pushing literally every step of the race. The Power Line Trail climb has got to be the worst - just steep pitches and although the runner ahead of you might not look far ahead you can just never seem to catch anyone." And Dibboun contributes these details of what turned out to have been a key part of the men's race: "Going up [the Power Line Trail] I noticed that Alex and Dan were starting to pull away...especially Alex. I finally made the summit and was able to catch up with Dan O. Dan and I ran together for a couple more miles until we came to a junction that went right or left but no marking....ugh...we picked a way and ... then after a while we saw people running at us! Oh boy...wrong way...again! We ended up going like three or four miles out of our way when it was all said and done. We were given the choice to feel sorry for ourselves and to be a little angry, or we could accept it and enjoy the absolute beauty of the park and the weather. We chose the latter of the two." This sequence of events is where the men's race was won, Henry pulled ahead on the longest, steepest climb of the race and then a couple miles later at the fork in the trail at Mountian Lake he knew(from thorough studying of the course map and description prior to the race) which way to go despite the missing course markers.
Unfortunately it wasn't just 2nd and 3rd place men who got off course at the vandalized junction, Greenwood adds "So all was going great and I was happily running along with one other guy when we came upon an innocent enough looking junction... There was no marking and I paused for only a millisecond to shout ' I guess we go right?', 'Guess so' he shouted back and on we carried." She didn't find out she had gone the wrong(shorter) way around the lake until miles and couple thousand feet of elevation gain later and had this to say about how she approached the rest of the run "I resolved that even though I was now out of the race I didn't want people to think I was a quitter and I wanted to post a fast time so people would think that I would have won if only I had stayed on course. And of course I had a tiny glimmer of hope that I had gone the right way and the others had gone the wrong way (it would be worth mentioning at this point that I am the eternal optimist!)" A couple other of the top male runners also went the wrong way here or lost time trying to decide which way to go. Thankfully when Orcas veterans Eric Barnes and Steve Stoyles came to the junction they knew which way to go and were thoughtful enough to block off the incorrect direction and put an arrow in the dirt so we didn't lose anymore runners.
Alex Henry, who held on to win in just his second ultra, and later apologized for not thinking to stop and mark the correct direction says" I was definitely worried about being caught [from behind] until I ran into Yassine and Dan right after the bridge at the [opposite] end of the lake. Once I realized they had gone the wrong way, I was pretty sure I just had to keep it under control in order to win. However, this was a bittersweet feeling, because I would much rather have had them right at my heels than get an easy win.
Shawna Wilskey, who also got the win desipte having a seesaw battle with Ellen Parker(2nd) and Tia Gabalita(3rd), had this to say about her comeptition "at one point both ladies went by me like I was tied to a tree!" and about Greenwod and the race in general "what happened to her was unfortunate, as she was very fast that day, and deserved to win. For me, this race is where the 2010 ultrarunning season begins even though I don’t take down time in the winter. This is just such a stand out event, that it is the beginning of the spirit of the season."
And speaking of spirit, Matt Hart, who couldn't quite catch Chris Downie(2nd) held off probably the deepest field yet for third place, sums up the post race party (which included live music, lots of food made from scratch, 3 kegs, nuuntinis, bonfires, etc.) and the whole weekend in general real well with "I am an old man and haven't stayed up that late laughing in a long long time."
I'm going to let the runners tell the story of the 5th annual Orcas Island 50k: Matt Hart, our 2008 winner, in his first race after being injured for seemingly forever starts the tale "As the "gun" went off Yassine [Dibboun] pulled ahead and the adrenaline of not having raced for over a year and a half pushed me to the front. In the first 30 minutes Yassine slowly pulled away and my place in the lead pack faded. I was seeing numbers on my heart rate monitor I haven't seen in years." Dibboun furthers the story adding: "I started off feeling really good. Mile two or three a huge Great Horned Owl flew down right in front of me and perched on a tree right above the trail. It turned his head around 180 degrees and gave me a stare with his big eyes. I actually got a little scared and yelled just out of instinct. I was probably ahead of the others by a couple hundred yards. Eventually, we started hitting some tough climbs and Alex [Henry] and Dan [Olmstead] caught up to me. The three of us ran together until mile 10 or so. "
Last year's winner Ellie Greenwood fills us in on more of the action from the first third of the race: "I was in the front 6 or 7 so runners and the pace felt good but I was worried that I was just so excited that I would go out too fast. It felt great right away to be running on soft, spongy, snow free trails so I spent at least the first hour with a stupid grin on my face just from enjoying the spring like run. As I looped back to Camp Moran for the first aid station at just over [11] miles I was feeling strong. I was totally stoked, if a little suprised, to see Matt Hart and Chris Downie heading back out of the aid station and thus probably only 4 or so minutes ahead of me. Wow - either I had gone out way too fast or those mind numbing treadmill runs were paying off! I also didn't see Shawna so I knew I had got at least a bit of a lead on her. I never spend long at aid stations as I hate to stop on the run so I quickly downed some Coke, grabbed a handful of chips and was back out on the course." Shawna Wilskey, third last year, adds: "Ellie went out way fast, not really my thing, I am more of a 'see how I feel runner' most of the time, so consequently, I never saw her in the race. The beginning was rough for some reason for me this time. I struggled hard for 8 miles or so. My legs got tight and sore right away, so I ran convinced I would never run another 50k again, convinced I was going to pull my entry in the 100 milers I have entered this year, etc. etc. I had really done a number on myself mentally by the end of the first 8 miles. Ultra runners all know the drill… Soon it got sunny, warm, I was at the first marvelous aid station and all of that went away only to bring sheer enjoyment for the next 4 hours!"
Back up at the front of the race, Alex Henry share's his thoughts: "My race plan was to stay with the leaders until the top of the powerline climb, and then use that sustained downhill/flat section to create a gap before the Constitution climb. When I found myself pulling away on the climb itself, that was the first time that I started to think I had a realistic shot at winning the thing. I walked on every steep section of trail. I was really relieved early in the race when I saw Yassine and Dan hiking the steep sections too. Greenwood chimes in with: "[The] course is pretty variable - there are definitely some killer climbs but I have to admit they seemed more managebale this year than last, probably because last year I was in 3rd place until near the end so I was pushing literally every step of the race. The Power Line Trail climb has got to be the worst - just steep pitches and although the runner ahead of you might not look far ahead you can just never seem to catch anyone." And Dibboun contributes these details of what turned out to have been a key part of the men's race: "Going up [the Power Line Trail] I noticed that Alex and Dan were starting to pull away...especially Alex. I finally made the summit and was able to catch up with Dan O. Dan and I ran together for a couple more miles until we came to a junction that went right or left but no marking....ugh...we picked a way and ... then after a while we saw people running at us! Oh boy...wrong way...again! We ended up going like three or four miles out of our way when it was all said and done. We were given the choice to feel sorry for ourselves and to be a little angry, or we could accept it and enjoy the absolute beauty of the park and the weather. We chose the latter of the two." This sequence of events is where the men's race was won, Henry pulled ahead on the longest, steepest climb of the race and then a couple miles later at the fork in the trail at Mountian Lake he knew(from thorough studying of the course map and description prior to the race) which way to go despite the missing course markers.
Unfortunately it wasn't just 2nd and 3rd place men who got off course at the vandalized junction, Greenwood adds "So all was going great and I was happily running along with one other guy when we came upon an innocent enough looking junction... There was no marking and I paused for only a millisecond to shout ' I guess we go right?', 'Guess so' he shouted back and on we carried." She didn't find out she had gone the wrong(shorter) way around the lake until miles and couple thousand feet of elevation gain later and had this to say about how she approached the rest of the run "I resolved that even though I was now out of the race I didn't want people to think I was a quitter and I wanted to post a fast time so people would think that I would have won if only I had stayed on course. And of course I had a tiny glimmer of hope that I had gone the right way and the others had gone the wrong way (it would be worth mentioning at this point that I am the eternal optimist!)" A couple other of the top male runners also went the wrong way here or lost time trying to decide which way to go. Thankfully when Orcas veterans Eric Barnes and Steve Stoyles came to the junction they knew which way to go and were thoughtful enough to block off the incorrect direction and put an arrow in the dirt so we didn't lose anymore runners.
Alex Henry, who held on to win in just his second ultra, and later apologized for not thinking to stop and mark the correct direction says" I was definitely worried about being caught [from behind] until I ran into Yassine and Dan right after the bridge at the [opposite] end of the lake. Once I realized they had gone the wrong way, I was pretty sure I just had to keep it under control in order to win. However, this was a bittersweet feeling, because I would much rather have had them right at my heels than get an easy win.
Shawna Wilskey, who also got the win desipte having a seesaw battle with Ellen Parker(2nd) and Tia Gabalita(3rd), had this to say about her comeptition "at one point both ladies went by me like I was tied to a tree!" and about Greenwod and the race in general "what happened to her was unfortunate, as she was very fast that day, and deserved to win. For me, this race is where the 2010 ultrarunning season begins even though I don’t take down time in the winter. This is just such a stand out event, that it is the beginning of the spirit of the season."
And speaking of spirit, Matt Hart, who couldn't quite catch Chris Downie(2nd) held off probably the deepest field yet for third place, sums up the post race party (which included live music, lots of food made from scratch, 3 kegs, nuuntinis, bonfires, etc.) and the whole weekend in general real well with "I am an old man and haven't stayed up that late laughing in a long long time."
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