Friday, December 31, 2010

Winthrop Marathon and Half Marathon Registration Opens

Registration is now open for the Winthrop Marathon and Half Marathon. I expect these races will sell out well before the sept 25th race date.

New for 2011 there will be a half marathon option that has 635ft of loss, 188 ft of gain and a net loss of 447ft.

By the way, I looked to see how the 2010 Winthrop Marathon's 24.5% Boston Qualifier rate compared to the the fastest races in country and little ol' Winthrop is right up there with the very best! 24.5% is better than Foot Traffic Flat(Portland,or), Eugene and any other marathon in the northwest and if it qualified for the list it 24.5% would have placed it 12th in country! To qualify for the list compiled by marathon guide the race must have at least 250 finishers . Anyhow great job to all the finishers of the inaugural Winthrop Marathon-- I think we got off to a pretty good start!

2011 Yakima Skyline Rim 50k & 25k


Come April you're gonna be sick of the clouds, of the rain, of running through puddles and wet brush. You're gonna be tired of being socked in and covered in mud. You're gonna hate the dark, dreary days and you'll be thinking summer will never arrive. Unless, that is you either live on the East side of the Cascades or you make frequent pilgrimages there. Heading East of the crest you can get a decent dose of Vitamin D and at least temporarily fend of the 9 month long winter blues of the Pacific Northwest. I know this because I've been there. It got so bad for me I moved to the sunnyside.

For those of you who have not yet been enlightened or who are trapped for one reason or another on the wet(sic) side of the hill I have created a cure for your plight(though it's only tempoary). The Yakima Rim Skyline 50k and 25k is your saviour when you need one the most. The sun shines there on that high open ridgeline. It really does. Yes in April. There's no mud either or wet brush that soaks you to the core. You can see forever and it feels good!

Sure the trail is steep and hard and relentless and has more elevation gain than Orcas Island but at least you can see where you're going and where you've been. With each climb you're rewarded with ever expanding views of the Columbia Highlands, the Yakima River Canyon and the Cascade Mountains including Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams and the Stuart Range. Also as you climb in and out the Umtanum and Roza creek valleys you see the ecosystem change before your eyes. And the ridge running here is liberating and invigorating.

I've chosen each of my races very carefully and I love them all but this one stands out from the rest by allowing the runners to run moderately high(3500ft) in the mountains early in the year snow free and by being such a great escape of the seemingly endless of winter. Summer starts early in the Rainshadow-- April 3rd at the Yakima Skyline Rim 50k and 25k!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

2011 Cle Elum 50k & 25k Registration Open

Cle Elum 50k and 25k Registration now open at Databar Events.

2011 Gorge Waterfalls 50k




The Gorge Waterfalls 50k is crazy full of waterfalls! There are so many I lost count! The course goes right past Wahkeena Falls, Fairy Falls, Multnomah Falls, Oneonta Falls, Elowah Falls, Dry Falls and a bunch that I can't remember the names of. Oh, and don't forget that the course goes right under Ponytail Falls(see above photo)!

The point-to-point course is nearly all super fun single track trail that winds is way along the base of the Cascades Mountains where they come down on the Oregon side to meet the mighty Columbia River. The route is mostly in deep old forest with some enormous trees and moss is everywhere (in some places covering every inch of the surrounding ground). We are certain elves and gnomes live here. Occasionally the trail will pop out of the trees and you'll get great views of the river and the mountains towering above it.

I can't think of another race in the United States that is like this one and with out any major climbs(except the first one: 1500ft in two miles) this run should be pretty quick and enjoyable for everyone!

All the details at the website: http://gorgewaterfalls50k.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

2011 Sun Mountain Registration Now Open

The registration for the Sun Mountain 50m/50k/25k/1k is now open: click here

Be sure to note the date change for this year's race: May 22 2011

Registration and more info on all our other races is coming along quickly so stay tuned for all the latest. To be sure you don't miss a thing sign up for the Rainshadow Running Newsletter and or "Friend" Rainshadow Running on Facebook.

2011 Snow Fun 35m/22m


The Snow Fun 35m/22m will be unlike any race you have ever done before. In the Methow Valley and North Cascades we are fortunate to have hundreds of miles of trails to run year round-- yes even in the winter when there is 2-5(or more!)feet of snow on the ground. "How is this possible" you ask. "Snowmobiles." "What?" "Yes, Snowmobiles... well actually to be more accurate the snow cats that groom hundreds of miles of mountain forest service roads to be used for snowmobiles." You might then ask "but who wants to run with a bunch of noisy and stinky snowmobiles?" Well you might be surprised but despite the beautiful scenery, amazing views, and easy access I rarely see more than a couple snowmobiles on one run(even on runs that take all day)! And thanks to the grooming which is done frequently there is a wide and compact surface to run on in your normal trail shoes that is neither slippery or so soft that you sink into the snow-- it's like running on a wide, white, soft trail.

This course starts near the tiny town of Carlton in the world famous Methow Valley at the S. Fork Gold Creek Sno Park at an elevation of 2000ft and climbs 11 miles up to a gap in the Chelan Sawtooth Ridge at 5800ft. At this gap the 22 milers turn around enjoying the long descent all the way back to the sno park and the 35 milers continue another 6.5 miles to their turnaround point which is at 6550ft on top of Coyote Ridge. Those runners taking the longer option get views down to the narrow and deep Lake Chelan and near 360 degree views of the North Cascades, Chelan Sawtooths, and Okanogans. The 22 milers also get nice views but not as cool as the 35 milers--go further if you can!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

2011 Cle Elum



Join fellow runners on the 16th annual Cle Elum Ridge 50K(actual gps measured distance 30.9 mi) trail race that provides beautiful scenery along with challenging terrain with approximately 7000 feet of elevation gain or the 2nd annual 25k (actual gps measured distance 17.0 mi) with approximately 3900 ft of gain which also has a few nice views and rugged trails.

Entry Total: Limited to 200 runners.

When: Saturday, June 25th, 2011, 8:00 am (for 50k runners only there also is an early start available at 7:00 am).

Where: Wenatchee National Forest, south of Cle Elum, WA. The Start/Finish area is at the Taneum Junction Campground and the courses use the following trails: the South Cle Elum Ridge(#1326) and the North Fork Taneum Creek (#1377). The Green Trails Maps #240 and #241 show the entire course. Click here for Driving Directions

Entry Fees: 50k: $55 or $65 after June 1st; 25k $45 or $55 after June 1st. Register(coming soon!) at Databar Events

Refund Policy: Full refund if requested by 9/01/10 after that date refunds might be possible depending on circumstances. Entry Fees can usually be transfered to another runner or be used at a future Rainshadow Running race.

T-Shirt: A short-sleeved patagonia capilene 1 t-shirt is available for an additional $23 in mens and womens sizes. The to get a t-shirt you must be registered by the end of the day on June 1st 2011.

Cutoff Time: 5:00 pm (9 hours or 10 hours for early starters).

Awards: For the 50k we provide awards to first place finishers for men and women in each age group plus random drawing for prizes. For the 25k there will be just random drawing prizes. You must be present to receive your award.

Post Race Food: Once again we'll have a yummy post race meal at no extra cost to you or your family

Race Director: email James Varner at james@rainshadowrunning.com




photo credit: Glenn Tachiyama

Monday, December 27, 2010

2011 Sun Mountain Races


After having the races in April the first year and June the 2nd year the 3rd annual Sun Mountain Trail Races will now be moving to May-- Sunday May 22 to be exact. Hopefully this will be the permanent date for the race from now on.

One great thing about moving the race to May will be that the "sunflowers" (Balsam Root) will be in full bloom! And the weather is usually perfect(not too hot, not too cold) in May at the elevations the races take place at (2000-3800ft).

The Date will not be the only change, The 50m course will no longer be a point to point but will now be a loop course that starts and finishes at Sun Mountain like all the other courses--50m course will run the same exact route as the 50k(which will be almost exactly the same as last year but the first and last few miles of the race will be different) plus will do an additional 19 mile "lollipop" style route in the same area of the second half of MVSTA's Sunflower Trail Marathon. This change will eliminate all the road running the 50m runners had to do last year to go from the Twisp River Trail to the Sun Mountain Trail System--it also means the 50m runners won't have to take a bus to the start anymore!

The pictures are from last year's Sunflower Trail Marathon and Relay(the 1st weekend of May) that runs right through Sun Mountian and follows the same partially the same route as the Sun Mountain Races. Photo Credit: Kristen Smith of MVSTA



Monday, December 20, 2010

update for 2011


i had a question from a runner that is probably similar to what others are wondering so i thought i'd repost the question and my answer here.

Q: Are your spring races and dates on the Rainshadow site 100% certain?

A: i wish they were 100% certain. the process is taking longer than i thought but that being said i would be surprised if any of them didn't happen as planned.

snow fun could be done as a fat ass so even if i didn't get a permit for a race i'd still put it on as a free fun run.

as for the gorge waterfalls 50k in march... this one is probably the coolest of all the spring races but is also the one that i'm most worried about but i think no matter what they'll give me a permit--i'm just worried they'll put some silly restrictions on the race(like the nearby forest service has done to the mt hood races). it's a popular area so i understand their caution but the reason why it's popular is why it's gonna be one of the coolest races in country! no race in the country that i know of will have more big waterfalls on course!

so far everything seems like it'll be fine for the yakima skyline race in april but the land managers have been dragging their feet(i think they were busy this fall with hunting stuff).

sun mountain in may will happen i'm just waiting to hear about my changes to the 50m route but no matter what i'll be able to work something out.

as for beacon rock in june i'm also just waiting for approval of the route but the park seems pretty open to the idea of a 50k there so i'm sure we can work something out.

as for the rest of the year, (cle elum, angels staircase, no cascades pct, winthrop marathon and half marathon, mt spokane, xmas at the end of the road 5k and decpetion pass) the only one i that i forsee having a tough time getting a permit is no cascades pct(again b/c it's such a popular area) but even if i don't get a permit we'll do it as a free fun run with a 75 person limit. in general all the land managers have been initially favorable in responses but they've been a little slow moving and i've been very slow moving due to juggling so many new races at the same time. but i think we're on verge of getting signed permits on a lot of these so as that happens i'll start opening registration and putting up all the details on the website.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Christmas at the End of the Road 5k and 1k Results

Under blue skies 27 brave runners(and walkers) completed the icy and snowy 5k course in Winthrop today. We also had 5 young ins complete the treacherous 1k loop.

Here are the results:

24:27 Chris Casey Winthrop WA M
24:29 Lucas Barthalomew Spokane WA M
24:53 Hayden Gandy Hamilton MT M
24:59 Dave Acheson Winthrop WA M
26:45 Ellis McLoughlin Seattle WA M
27:30 Ben Taylor Seattle WA M
27:56 Deni Maxwell Snohomish WA F
27:57 Shawn Maxwell Snohomish WA M
28:02 Julie Gandy Hamilton MT F
28:40 Emerson Worrell winthrop WA M
29:08 Stephen Taylor Seattle WA M
29:57 Bill McAdon Winthrop WA M
30:26 Jay McLoughlin Seattle WA M
33:00 Peggy Porter Seattle WA F
33:02 Adri VanBianchi Twisp WA F
33:34 Tanner Gandy Hamilton MT M
34:15 Quinn Shelby Winthrop WA M
35:14 Jenne Layfield Everett WA F
36:29 Jacqueline McLoughin Seattle WA F
38:06 Anne Acheson Winthrop WA F
40:00 Clark McNaull Seattle WA M
40:01 Peter McNall Seattle WA M
46:47 Tedra Acheson Winthrop WA F
48:48 Miller Marysville WA F
48:48 Dave Miller Marysville WA M
53:29 lisa sawyer winthrop WA F
53:30 rachel franklin Twisp WA F

Friday, November 19, 2010

Christmas at the End of the Road 5k and 1k (updated)


I'm squeezing one more race into the year: Christmas at the End of the Road 5k and 1k. This first annual race is part of the weekend long Christmas at the End of the Road celebration in which the town turns on the christmas lights for the first time of the year and includes the very popular fireworks, holiday shopping, food, music, santa, wagon rides, caroling, and much more! The first 30 runners to sign up will get a free race t-shirt(since this is a first year race if you're not one of the first 30 to sign up you might not get a shirt). All runners will have a chance to win randomly drawn prizes donated by Winthrop Mountain Sports

Date: Saturday November 27 2010

Location: Downtown Winthrop, WA (one block northwest of the 4 way stop sign--in front of Carlos 1800 Mexican Grill and Cantina)

Cost: Free for runners 18 or younger or $20 or $10 with donation of canned or other non-perishable foods for The Cove Food Bank.

Register: Here is the link to sign up for the race: http://www.databarevents.com/christmasattheend.asp

Course: The entire course is within town limits running almost entirely on residential streets with very little vehicle traffic. The course will have lots of turns and a couple short hills and will not be USATF certified(maybe next year). The course may (but hopefully not) have snow or ice on it and runners should be prepared for any weather conditions.
Contact Info: james@rainshadowrunning.com 509.846.5019

Here is the map of the 5k course(click on the image to enlarge):

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Winter Running in the Methow



Winter Running in the Methow Valley

You may have been led to belive that you could only ski (or ice skate or snowshoe or snowmobile or knit, etc) in the Methow in the winter but there really is a whole other world out there to explore-- in running shoes! My first winter here in the valley for a little while I did what I was told: forget running, buy skis and enjoy the snow. And that's what I did for oh about a month. But I'm a runner and I couldn't just ignore that fact for 3 or 4 months and just wait for the snow to melt. So I started running on the paved roads which were plowed often enough and for when they were icy I used my yak tracks. But really I'm a trail runner so I started getting tired of the roads and that's when I realized that the MVSTA snowshoe trails at Sun Mountain would be packed hard enough to run on. With more than 10 miles of trail to run I thought I was in heaven and I was but soon I started getting bored--when trying to run 40-50 miles a week 10 miles of trails soon became not enough. But that's when I was told that the dirt roads out at/near pipestone had become bare or atleast the snow was packed enough to run on thanks to the 4wd trucks. So now I could do run more than 30 miles of fun and scenic mountain roads and rarely see a car or human. But the event that has fully knocked my socks off was discovering 100s miles of GROOMED snowmobile trails. These trails are intended for snowmobiles so I'll be prepared to yeild the trail in a hurry but unlike the groomed ski trails I see no reason why we can't run on them. So between all those options and of course running on top of the snow when the snow has firmed up overnight we literally have the "run" of the place!


Some Resources for the Winter Running in the Methow:

Methow Valley Running Club

Rainshadow Running

MVSTA

WA State Sno Parks

Loup Loup

Weather Underground


Maps and Grooming Reports

Region 1 Sno Park Map(twisp-winthrop-mazama-loomis-loup-concolly)

Region 2 Sno Park Map(lower methow-chelan-leavenworth)

Boulder Creek

Eightmile

Goat Creek

Yellowjacket

Twisp

Gold Creek

Black Canyon

Sun Mountain(note that some of these trails are off limits to runner/hikers!)

Big Valley(note that some of these trails are off limits to runner/hikers!)

North Summit(note that some of these trails are off limits to runner/hikers!)

Peacock Meadows

Kerr

Winthrop/Pipestone


The pictures for this post are from 35 mile (and 22mi) "Snow Fun" course I ran last january up above the methow and chelan valleys--stay tuned for details on the race coming feb 26.


More Christmas at the End of the Road 5k and 1k

Here is the link to sign up for the race: http://www.databarevents.com/christmasattheend.asp

And here is the map of the 5k course(click on the image to enlarge):

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Christmas at the End of the Road 5k and 1k


I'm squeezing one more race into the year: Christmas at the End of the Road 5k and 1k. This first annual race is part of the weekend long Christmas at the End of the Road celebration in which the town turns on the christmas lights for the first time of the year and includes the very popular fireworks, holiday shopping, food, music, santa, wagon rides, caroling, and much more! The first 30 runners to sign up will get a free race t-shirt(since this is a first year race if you're not one of the first 30 to sign up you might not get a shirt). All runners will have a chance to win randomly drawn prizes donated by Winthrop Mountain Sports


Date: Saturday November 27 2010

Location: Downtown Winthrop, WA (one block northwest of the 4 way stop sign--in front of Carlos 1800 Mexican Grill and Cantina)

Cost: Free for runners 18 or younger or $20 or $10 with donation of canned or other non-perishable foods for The Cove Food Bank.

Course: The entire course is within town limits running almost entirely on residential streets with very little vehicle traffic. The course will have lots of turns and a couple short hills and will not be USATF certified(maybe next year). The course may (but hopefully not) have snow or ice on it and runners should be prepared for any weather conditions.

Contact Info: james@rainshadowrunning.com 509.846.5019

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Rainshadow Running in the Paper



This was in the local paper back in September a few days before the marathon. I kept meaning to put it up here but i've been super busy getting things ready for next year... anyhow thanks to ultrarunner and local artist Erik Brooks for letting me re-post his work here.

Follow the entire comic strip here: http://hartspass.blogspot.com/ (The real Harts Pass by the way is on the PCT and is the halfway point in the new Rainshadow Running Race North Cascades PCT 100k and 50k in September)




Big news-- new logo and the 2011 race calendar






















Feb 5 Orcas Island 50k/25k Eastsound, WA (ALREADY 99% FULL)
Feb 26 Snow Fun 35m/22m Carlton, WA
Mar 12 Gorge Waterfalls 50k Cascade Locks, OR
Apr 3 Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k Ellensburg, WA
May 22 Sun Mountain 50m/50k/25k/1k Winthrop, WA
Jun 12 Beacon Rock 50k/25k N. Bonneville, WA
Jun 25 Cle Elum Ridge 50k/25k Cle Elum, WA
Aug 13 Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k Carlton, WA
Sept 18 North Cascades PCT 100k/50k Mazama, WA
Sept 25 Winthrop Road Marathon Winthrop, WA
Oct 8 Mt Spokane 50k/25k Spokane, WA
Nov 26 Christmas at the End of the Road 5k/1k Winthrop, WA
Dec 10 Deception Pass 50k/25k Oak Harbor, WA

More Details on all of these races coming soon...




Thursday, October 14, 2010

27 mile run in North Cascades Natnl Park Sunday

hey folks

anyone interested in running 27 super cool miles in the north cascades national park on sunday? we're looking for 1-3 more people to join us. the plan is to meet at the ross lake/dam trailhead (milepost 134 hwy 20) at 7:45am to catch the boat to the start of the run at devils junction and then go up to devils dome and run to devils pass then south on jackita ridge and finish at the canyon creek trhd.(greentrails maps: ross lake #16, jack mtn #17, and mt logan #49)

i'm guessing it'll take about an hour to get to devils junction by boat(you could also add 16 miles to the run and run the ross lake trail to that same point and meet us there instead). the boat costs $85 for 1-6 people so the more people we get the cheaper it'll be right now we've got 3 people so one more person would make it $22 per person, 2 more people $17 per person, or 3 more would be $14 per person.

assuming we start running no later than 930am we'd have atleast 9hours before dark to do the 27 miles. we'll start with a 4500ft climb in about 6-7 miles but after that all the major climbing will be done and we'll be running at 6000-7000ft for most of the trip until making a big drop back down to the hwy. i'm guessing the run will take 6-7 hours.

the night before we'll leave a car at the far trailhead to shuttle us all back to the start trailhead. there are possibly only 3 or 4 water sources(creeks and springs) along the route so come prepared to carry extra water. and it's forecated to be cold--a high of 36 degress at 7000ft-- but mostly sunny. the larches should be amazing just as they were last weekend in the chelan sawtooths and okanogan highlands. oh and it's hunting season so wear bright colors!

let me know asap if you're interested! or if you have questions...
james

james@rainshadowrunning.com

Thursday, October 7, 2010

long run in the pasayten wilderness on sunday

35-40 mile in the pasayten on sunday. we'll head up the andrews creek trail to the cathedral peak area(supposedly the best area around for fall larch colors). meet at the rocking horse bakery in winthrop at 6:30am to carpool to the trailhead. william wants me to remind folks to bring your puffy jackets--it'll be cold up there(temps will probably be in the 30s 40s and 50s) and there's a chance of rain in the forecast. most of the run is above 5000 ft and we'll be above 7000ft for at least a couple miles at the far end of the out and back.

if you can't make this trip we'll probably be doing runs in and or around the north cascades national park the next couple weekends. stay tuned...

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Orcas Island: 50k full, 25k almost full but... you can still get in if...

The 50k is now full and there are only 30 spots left in the 25k!

If you really wanted to run the 50k but missed out you still have 2 options for getting in: either come and volunteer at the trail work party the weekend before the race(saturday jan 29) or bring a volunteer with you to volunteer on race day.

Email me if you're interested in either volunteer option, which not only gets you in the race but your entry fee is waived as well! james@rainshadowrunning.com

2010 Winthrop Marathon Photos



Teri Pieper, of Reflected Light Studios, did an amazing job capturing the joys and struggles of running the Winthrop Marathon. There are tons of great pictures from many different locations on the course.

For $7.50 you can purchase from Teri a file that can be printed at a standard print resolution.Contact her to buy a file or two or to hire her for your next event at tjpieper@methownet.com

Here is the link to her photos:


Also Kristen Smith of MVSTA, hung out at the finish and did a great job getting cool photos of folks crossing the line and hanging out. MVSTA who (in addition to being super duper supportiive of all the Rainshadow Running races) puts on a bunch of trail running, mountain biking and ski races in the world famous Methow Valley.

Here is the link to Kristen's Photos:



Monday, September 27, 2010

Winthrop Marathon Pictures

These photos are from Kristen Smith of MVSTA, who (in addition to being super duper supportiive of all the Rainshadow Running races) puts on a bunch of trail running, mountain biking and ski races in the world famous Methow Valley. Thanks Kristen!

More photos from out on the course coming soon!

Winthrop Marathon Results

We had 23 out of 98 finishers qualify for boston! some by just a few seconds--very exciting!

thanks to everyone who came out and made the race a huge huge success including our sponsors: The Chewuch Inn, Winthrop Mountain Sports, Red Apple, Carlos 1800 Mexican Grill and Cantina, Old School House Brewery, The River Run Inn, Sheri's Sweet Shop and Patagonia.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Winthrop Marathon USATF Certified!

Sorry this has taken so long but we finally have our U.S.A.T.F. Certification Number for the Winthrop Marathon: WA10055MN

It might still be a few days until the marathon shows up on the on the USATF website since this only became official yesterday. But if anyone needs additional assurance I can email you the .PDF file of the Certificate of Measurement that I just received from USATF this morning.

For questions or concerns email me at: james@rainshadowrunning.com or call 509.846.501

Monday, August 30, 2010

2010 fun run schedule(updated)

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

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!!!

hope you can make it to some or all of this!
james
509 846 5019

Friday, August 27, 2010

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

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Angels Staircase Fun Run




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....






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