Rainshadow Running

The Washington State Parks Need Your Help Now!

2012-01-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

As many of you know these are tough times for state budgets. Here in Washington our Parks have suffered budget cut after budget cut--just a few years ago the parks were getting about 50 million dollars a year(98 per bienium) from the general fund. This year they are only getting 8.9 million and only 8.3 million. This lack of funding has led the Park Commissioners to decision to start laying off employees at a startling rate. In my opinion these job cuts are going to severely effect our state parks and the trails and facilities we all cherish. I've already seen first hand negative effects from the years of budget cuts. Some workers have already been laid off and more are getting pink slips this week and even more after those are on their way. Many of the current park rangers will be faced with losing their jobs altogether or take a 5 month season position. This is no way to treat these fine people who I have found to be hardworking, dependable, capable, and friendly in my years of working with them. And it is no way to manage our public lands and infrastructure.

Do your part to help save our parks:

#1 Buy a Discover Pass
If you already have one by one for a friend. http://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/

#2 Email or call your state represtentatives
Ask them to support Senate Bill 5977 and Senate Bill 6387. While you're at it ask them to introduce and/or support a bill to increase the funding for the parks. If you don't live in Washington you can use my address(3305 Allen Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225) to contact my reps and tell them even though you don't live here you come here to use our parks and you don't want to see them deteriorate.

Contact Form for State Reps: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx

Writing to all Members of the Senate Energy, Natural Resources, and Marine Waters and the House Environment Committees will help too.

#3 Email the Parks Commissioners
Ask them to discontinue the layoffs and re-instate those who were recently laid off due to the budget cut. Tell them you are contacting your state reps and asking them to increase funding for the parks in order to save jobs and to protect the parks.

Steve.Milner@PARKS.WA.GOV
joe.taller@parks.wa.gov
rodger.schmitt@parks.wa.gov
Patricia.Lantz@parks.wa.gov
lucinda.whaley@parks.wa.gov
mark.brown@parks.wa.gov
ron.hoch@parks.wa.gov

#4 share this with your friends!

B.T.R.S.

2012-01-12T23:56:00.000-08:00

Have you heard? We have come up with a cute little series of cute little trail races in and around our new home Bellingham, WA. Candice and I were only willing to relocate to Bellingham because we knew that there are lots of fun, scenic and tough trails right in the city limits and close by on county and state lands. One such network of trails is just a couple hundred feet from our door. Another network of trails is less than a mile away. And within a couple miles from our house, in every direction, there are even more trails to choose from.

Of course we gravitated towards those trails that are steep and surrounded by dense old forest and often have vistas of the city, Mt Baker/North Cascades and or the Puget Sound/San Juan Islands. Living here we quickly realized there is a very strong community of runners and a great history of well organized races to choose from. But one thing that seemed lacking was tough, scenic, short, trail races. Other than the 10 year old Padden Mud Fest and the brand new Lake Padden Trail Classic there didn't seem to be any cute little trail races that had all the characteristics that we love about our longer races that we direct all over the Northwest-- steep climbs/descents, technical yet fun single track trail, good views, and inspiring scenery.

So being the kind of folks we are here at Rainshadow Running we decided to just create exactly the kind of races that we wished existed using these great trails that surround our home. It makes it hard(read darn near impossible) for us to actually run the races ourselves but it does fill a need we think exists in our community. So with out further ado please let me introduce to you the brand spanking new Bellingham Trail Race Series (aka B.T.R.S.) and it's five races:

Feb 12 Fragrance Lake 10km/20km (Registration Now Open)
Mar 11 Stewart Mountain 4mi/8mi
Apr 15 Alger Alp 2mi/5mi
May 12 Sehome Hill 5km/10km
Jun 9 Raptor Ridge ~20km

DISCLAIMER: Each of these races are at different stages in the permitting/birthing process so there may be changes to little things like date of the race, location of the race, distance of the race, etc.

DISCLAIMER TO THE DISCLAIMER: Even though I just said there might be changes we do feel like we've got things pretty well figured out and the permit process is moving forward on all of these and we don't anticipate at problems arising. And hopefully any changes that are made to the current plans are to make things even better! Also so far we only have opened registration for the first race which seems to be all set to go and there should no significant changes to that one. We'll open the registration for the other races only once we feel 100% confident that there will be no significant changes made to that race. All this said we're pretty confident in all the details otherwise we wouldn't have posted anything yet so please puts these dates on your calendar now and please start getting excited about them!

The 2011 Rainshadow Running Highlights Slideshow

2011-12-31T13:21:00.000-08:00

<br><br>by

Registration Opening Soon for Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k

2011-12-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

Registration for Yakima Skyline Rim 50k and 25k will open Thursday at 11am(PST) at https://databarevents.com/yakimasky.asp

Yes that man is not wearing a shirt. Yes that is the Sun shining on his body. Yes this race is in Washington State. Yes you really should do this race!

photo credit: Glenn Tachiyama

Rainshadow Running Asks for Your Help!

2011-12-16T21:32:00.000-08:00

The State of Washington is about to layoff 160 full time year round State Parks employees. This will probably have a negative effect on the races we hold on state park lands(Orcas, Beacon Rock, Mt Spokane and Deception Pass) and will possibly result in us not being able to hold those races in the future.

Tell the Park Commisioners to delay the job cuts to give our legislature time to come up with an alternate plan: http://takeaction.wfse.org/

Thanks for your help!

Deception Pass 50k and 25k Results Posted

2011-12-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

The results for the first annual Deception Pass 50k/25k are now posted: http://deceptionpass50.blogspot.com/p/results.html

photo by andrew fast. (more to come later...)

After 4 sold out races in a row Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k up next

2011-12-05T09:51:00.000-08:00

Registration for the Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k should open sometime in the next 1-3 weeks. Stay tuned this race sold out in 2011 and will probably sell out again in 2012.

Christmas at the End of the Road 5k Results

2011-11-28T14:20:00.000-08:00

The Results for the 5k are now posted: Click here.

Reminder: Gorge Waterfalls 50k Registraion Opens Wednesday

2011-11-28T10:37:00.001-08:00

The registration will open at 8am(PST) Wednesday November 30th at www.databarevents.com

I expect this race will sell out fast(maybe that day or maybe in a week or two).

More details about the race which will be on Sunday March 25th can be found at: http://gorgewaterfalls50k.blogspot.com/

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

2011-11-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

2nd Annual Christmas at the End of the Road 5k and 1k

This fun and low key 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! Come prepared for any weather and road conditions including snow and ice.

Date: Saturday November 26 2011

Time: 1pm

Location: Winthrop, Wa. Runner check-in at the Winthrop Ice Rink. Start/Finish at the brand new Spring Creek Pedestrian Bridge.

Cost:

5k: $10 with donation of canned or other non-perishable foods for The Cove Food Bank.

1k Fun Run: Free and is intended for kids(and kids at heart) of all ages (no timing and no need to register)

Shirt: For an additional $10 you can get a commemorative short sleeve t-shirt. gender specific or kids sizes available. There will be a very limited number of shirts so it will be first come first serve(except for the runners who pre-register before November 15th who will be guaranteed a shirt if they want one.)

Register: At www.databarevents.com
Online registration ends November 25th at 3pm. Race day registration starts at noon.

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 but steep hills and will not be USATF certified. The course may (but hopefully not) have snow or ice on it and runners should be prepared for any weather conditions. This is not a fast course.

The 5k Course will start and finish by going across the brand new Spring Creek Pedestrian Bridge by the Winthrop Ice Rink. After crossing the bridge the runners will turn right onto Riverside Ave., go under the Hwy 20/Methow River Bridge on the short(~50yards) pedestrian trail to connect to Main St, turn left onto Washington St., which becomes Filer Ave., right onto Castle Ave, right onto Bridge St., right onto Englar St, right onto Corral St., Left back onto Castle Ave and from here the runners will return to the Winthrop Ice Rink the same way the came(via Filer Ave, Washington St., Main St. and Riverside Ave.).

Contact Info: james@rainshadowrunning.com 509.846.5019

What do the Mayans, the Romans and Rainshadow Running have in common?

2011-11-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

Answer: we all have our own calendars.

Tentative 2012 Rainshadow Running Race Schedule

2011-10-31T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'm only in beginning of the process of obtaining the permits for these races so it is possible(but unlikely) that a race or two will have the date changed but I know a lot of you are trying to figure out your plans for next year already so I thought I'd share what I'm working on. Other than the Orcas Races (which are already sold out) I have not updated the websites yet and I'm still not sure when registration will open(Gorge Waterfalls 50k will be the next to open and it will hopefully happen sometime before mid November).

Here are the dates* for the 2012 races:

Jan-28 Orcas Island 25K
Feb-4 Orcas Island 50K
Mar-25* Gorge Waterfalls 50K
Apr-21* Yakima Skiyline Rim 50K/25K
May-20* Sun Mountain 50M/50K/25K
Jun-10* Winthrop 26.2/13.1
Jun-17* Beacon Rock 50K/25K
Aug-11* Angels Staircase 50M/50K/25K
Sep-8* North Cascades PCT 100K
Sep-15* Cle Elum 50K/25K
Oct-6* Mt. Spokane 50K/25K
Dec-8* Deception Pass 50K/25K

* Dates are tentative so don't book that flight just yet! I hope to firm up all the dates by the end of November and some of them will probably be firmed up much sooner. Stay tuned....

To make sure you get all the latest info you have a variety of options:

Twitter Facebook Follow Blog Email List

Deception Pass 50k and 25k Now Sold Out

2011-10-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry if you missed out on this first year race, apparently it was even more popular than we thought it would be. There will be no waiting list-- the race has actually been overfilled with the expectation that about 10% will not show up on race day which will get us down to our limit of 200 runners.

Stay tuned for the announcement of our 2012 race calendar and the opening of some of those races(most of which are expected to sell out very quickly). To make sure you get the announcement you have a variety of options:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Rainshadowrun

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rainshadowrunning

follow blog: http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/rainshadow_running/popup

email list: http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001K_4EBhhTrxQKnXBRkxszKBdCCMxUSyVwcdV2H3la7k00GYkmtu3REcPcTMgKqpWtSNYSYGXZrBOAmdQlhzQWKVRhqr5tqF-1

Thanks Everyone for your support!

Deception Pass Almost Full!

2011-10-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

As of 2:41pm 10/19/11 there are only 19 spots left! To sign up go to www.databarevents.com asap!

cover shoot!

2011-10-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

this is on the gorge waterfalls 50k course last winter. it's funny they chose this photo that doesn't show any of the water falls or the super crazy icicles. scroll down to see some of the photos that didn't "make the cut" for the magazine. all photos courtesy glenn tachiyama please respect his right and don't use them without permission!

Deception Pass 50k and 25k

2011-10-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of you have been waiting for quite a while to sign up for this race but you'll have to wait a couple more days...

The website is totally set up now at: http://deceptionpass50.blogspot.com/ and the registration should be set up on www.databarevents.com sometime in the next few days.

Thanks for waiting patiently! This is one really special place and I can't wait for race day so you all can check it out.

Photo courtesy Glenn Tachiyama

New Video highlights Mt. Spokane 25k and 50k race course

2011-09-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

A brand new video from James and Candice's recent test run of the Mt. Spokane 25k/50k race course. The course is fast, tough, mountainous, and beautiful. On a clear day, you will enjoy views of Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia. The course traverses Mt. Spokane, which tops out at 5,883 feet elevation!

Is it crazy to think some runners might want to double up: Saturday the Mt. Spokane 25k/50k and Sunday the Spokane Marathon?!

Sell Out Races Galore!

2011-09-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

With the sell-out of the Cle Elum 50k and 25k yesterday and the fact that The Winthrop Marathon/Half Marathon should sell out by race day(just 10 spots left) that makes for 7 out of 8 Rainshadow Running Races so far this year that have either sold out or were very close. The one that wasn't that close, Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k, surely will next year and probably would've this year if had been able to get the website up and the registration turned on sooner. That makes for a pretty darn good start to the year!

Thanks everyone for your support and loyalty! And a special SHOUT OUT to Caroline Ly Schuman who has finished ALL of the Rainshadow Races so far this year!

Next up after Cle Elum and Winthrop is the BRAND NEW Mt Spokane 50k and 25k on the Southwestern edge of the Selkirk Mountains just outside of Spokane. Like all my trail races this race is HARD AND BEAUTIFUL!

Stay tuned for the opening of registration for the last two races of 2011(Christmas at the End of the Road 5k and the Deception Pass 50k/25) and for big news for 2012.

Winthrop Marathon and Half Marathon Almost Full!

2011-09-08T23:49:00.000-07:00

Only 26 spots left!

Entrants List (as of 11pm on sept 8th) can now be found on the race website

Sign up now at Databar Events

Cle Elum 50k/25k Almost Full

2011-09-07T23:08:00.000-07:00

Only 7 spots left in this year's race! Sign up at Databarevents

Orcas Island Races Almost Full!

2011-09-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

in just 48 hours since registration open both races are getting very close to being full! which is amazing because this year with having the two races on separate weekends it allows us to almost double the number of runners we can let in the race!

orcas island 50k is 70% full and the orcas island 25k is almost 90% full. but few folks have signed up for the lodging which usually sells out very fast, maybe the new registration process for the lodging is to blame? if you want lodging at camp moran be sure to register for that--it's a separate form(which is different than in the past).
register for either race or the lodging at: www.databarevents.com/orcas.asp

I'll post the entrants lists and lodging lists later today.

Orcas Registration Now Working!!!

2011-09-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks for your patience. Registration now open.

http://www.databarevents.com/orcas.asp

Technical problem with Orcas Regeistration-- not turned on yet...

2011-09-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

hi everyone

sorry for the inconvienece! we'll get registration turned on just as soon as we can, stay tuned! friend rainshadow running on facebook to get the most up to date info!

thanks!
james

Orcas Island 50k and Orcas Island 25k Registration Opens at 8am on 9/1/11

2011-09-01T02:44:00.000-07:00

Big news in the world of Orcas Island...

The race has been split into two separate weekends: January 28th for the 25k and Feburary 4th for the 50k.

There are two new websites for the races: Orcas Island 50k and Orcas Island 25k

The Registration Opens This Morning at 8AM For Both Races!!!

There will be two trailwork parties: Oct 16th and Jan 22 email me if you're interested

And as always you can get a free entry if you either come to the trailwork party, volunteer before or after the race or bring a volunteer for during the race-- email me if you or someone you know is interested

Mt Spokane Website and Registration Now Open!

2011-08-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

Go to the Mt Spokane Website for more info or to sign up: http://mtspokane50k.blogspot.com/

New video of the Winthrop Road Marathon and Half

2011-08-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

Did you have fun at the last Rainshadow Running event? Check out the Winthrop Road Marathon and Half! Great post race party with local beer, catered meal, and ice cream. Receive an one-of-a-kind finishers medal. http://winthropmarathon.blogspot.com/

Angels Staircase Results

2011-08-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

WE DID IT! The runners ran and i didn't die. GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!! And huge thanks to all the super awesome volunteers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://angelsstaircase.blogspot.com/p/results.html

photo credit: Glenn Tachiyama

Video Slideshow of the Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k Course

2011-07-27T20:43:00.001-07:00

Untitled from James Varner on Vimeo.

North Cascades PCT 100k/50k Postponed Until 2012

2011-06-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

Due to severe flood damage to the roads and trails at Cle Elum that race has been postponed to September 17th. To make room for that race which already had over 150 runners signed up I decided to postpone the North Cascades PCT 100k/50k which had not yet had any runners registered(only because I had been too busy with other races to open the registration--I'm sure the race would have filled to capacity with-in days or maybe even hours of the opening of registration). Since there are many of you who had your hearts set on doing the North Cascades Race I've decided to post the race info here so those who want to can go run the route on their own. Runners deciding to do this would need to be 100% self sufficient--Rainshadow Running is not organizing any kind of event there this year and there will be no aid, no support, no course markings, no nothin'.

Again let me repeat this info is just for "fun run" purposes there will be no official race this year due to the postponement of the Cle Elum 50k/25k. This is a very remote route and you are totally on your own.

THE DETALS:
It's a simple enough route. Start @ T|Rainy Pass Trailhead on Hwy 20. Run north on the PCT to harts pass Rd which is 31 miles away and turnaround and run back to Rainy Pass. Harts pass Rd is the only road you cross(other than an old mine Rd when your're almost to Harts Pass) so that's the only place for aid or to bail out. But it's a long drive from Rainy Pass--about 3 to 4 hours round trip via Mazama. Water is available from creeks in a couple places but in general is scarce especially in September. Greentrails map "Washington Pass" shows the entire route and I would highly recommend carrying it. This is not a run for beginners.

THE MAP:

Cle Elum 50k/25k Date Change

2011-06-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for your patience and understanding through this tough situation for all of us. I just got approval from the Forest Service to move the date of the Cle Elum 50k/25k to Saturday Sept 17th. I know that this new date does not work well for all of you and I apologize-- this was the best option I could come up with to have the race happen at all this year. Ironically this is the date the race would've been held on anyhow if I hadn't moved the race date to June to make room for the brand new North Cascades PCT 100k/50k that will have to postponed until 2012 to make room for Cle Elum.

Beacon Rock Results

2011-06-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

The preliminary results are now up for the Beacon Rock 50k/25k
http://beaconrock50k.blogspot.com/p/results.html

photo credit Matt Hagen

see all of Matt's Beacon Rock Photos here

Latest Cle Elum Update

2011-06-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

Bad news: the race will not be happening on June 25th. If you did not get the previous email explaining the situation click here to see it. But good news is that we might do the race on September 17th instead-- I'm still waiting for approval from the Forest Service for the date change but they said they would let me know no later than monday the 13th. As soon as I have more info from them I'll send out another email.

If you cannot attend the race on the new date or if the race is cancelled you can choose between a partial refund or a transfer to another rainshadow race.

Sorry for all the hassle and I hope to see you all one way or another soon!

Angels Staircase Registration Now Open

2011-06-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

The moment you have all been waiting for all year... registration for the coolest new race in the northwest, Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k, is now open. Click here to sign up for the coolest race in the northwest! Yes I'm serious this race is cooler than Orcas Island, cooler than Gorge Waterfalls, cooler than Yakima Skyline Rim, cooler than Sun Mountain, cooler than Beacon Rock, cooler than White River or Where's Waldo or Cascade Crest or Plain or any other race in the northwest that I've ever ran and it's up there with the very best in country. Are you still reading this... why haven't you gone to Databar Events to sign up yet? If you're only going to do one more race for the rest of your life then this is the one(If you're qualified that is--see website for more info about qualifying and requirements)! Well maybe that last sentence is a bit of an exaggeration but this race is definitely worthy of a very high slot on your "gotta do" list!

2011 Cle Elum 50k/25k: Flood Damage and Possible Postponement or Cancellation

2011-06-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately in mid May the Cle Elum race area suffered some severe flood damage to the roads and trails and the entire area is still closed to the public. Since the damage occurred I've been having discussions with the Forest Service about the extent of the damage, the likelihood of the damage being fixed by race week and alternative plans if the damage has not been fixed in time for the race. As of right now there still is not much certain, all of the roads leading into this area have been closed so the Forest Service doesn't even know the full extent of damage to our race route and the roads we would need to use for supporting the race. Plus there's still some snow on the higher elevations that might not be gone by race day thanks to the combination of very high snow fall this winter/spring and the unusually cool and wet spring. So all that said it seems quite possible that the race will not take place on June 25th as planned, instead the race will likely either be postponed to September 17th or be cancelled.

The Forest Service and I will make our decision next week using the latest information available and I will let you all know as soon as that decision has been made.

Angels Staircase Website Now Active!

2011-05-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k is the first ever running race in the Chelan Sawtooths Sub Range of the North Cascade Mountains. High above Lake Chelan and the Methow River Valley this stunningly beautiful trail run, with 360 degree views of the three surrounding mountain ranges(Chelan Sawtooths, Okanogans, and the Cascades) and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers in full bloom, goes up to 8000ft making it the highest running race in the State of Washington. This heavenly(thanks to the beauty) and hellish(due to the challenge of the elevation gain and the sometimes rocky trails) race will surely become one of the most popular trail/ultra marathons in the country in short order!

looking for volunteers for beacon rock 50k/25k race and trail work party

2011-05-27T04:36:00.000-07:00

I've got two opportunities for you to earn a free entry into any of my races, including the hugely popular Gorge Waterfalls 50k: Sunday June 5th I'll be leading a trail work party at Beacon Rock State Park and the following weekend on Sunday June 12th I'll be directing the first annual Beacon Rock 50k/25k. We still have a few more positions left to fill at the race(aid stations, timing, post race meal) and there's almost no limit to the number of volunteers we can handle for the the trail work so there's plenty of options to choose from. And if you're planning on running Beacon Rock but have a friend or family member that's willing to volunteer at the race they can either earn you a free entry or they can use the free entry themselves.

Please email me if you're interested or if you have any questions at james@rainshadowrunning.com or call me at 509.846.5019.

If you can't make it to either of these two chances to earn a free entry don't worry I've got plenty of other fun opportunities for you coming up through out the year, including Cle Elum 50k/25 later in June, and at Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k, North Cacades PCT 100k/25k and Winthrop Road Marathon and Half Marathon all later this Summer. See below for the complete calendar and link to the Rainshadow Running Website.

A bit more info about the Beacon Rock 50k/25k: Early June is a great time to be in the Columbia River Gorge and at Beacon Rock State Park which is an hour Northeast of Portland. The snow has melted, everything is bright green and the wildflowers are putting on quite a show. The sun should be out and warming the temperatures into the 70s or 80s by the afternoon. From the high point in the race there are sweeping views of the Cascades, including Mt Hood and Mt Adams and the entire Columbia River Gorge. And at the Finish we'll soak in the sunshine as we eat, drink and merrily listen to live music all while lounging on grass lawn of the Park's Group Campsite. In addition to all the fun on race day, runners and their friends and family are welcome to come out and camp for free for the whole weekend and take part in all the other organized and not-so organized fun things we'll be doing like, rock climbing, mountain biking, swimming, running, relaxing-- we have the Beacon Rock Group Camp reserved from Friday afternoon to Monday morning so come hang out and have fun!

Thanks and I hope to see you real soon one way or another!

Rainshadow Running 2011 Race Schedule

www.rainshadowrunning.com

Feb 5 Orcas Island 50k/25k Eastsound, WA (SOLD OUT)

Mar 12 Gorge Waterfalls 50k Cascade Locks, OR (SOLD OUT)
Apr 3 Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k Ellensburg, WA (SOLD OUT)
May 22 Sun Mountain 50m/50k/25k/1k Winthrop, WA (90% Full as of 5/11/11)

Jun 12 Beacon Rock 50k/25k N. Bonneville, WA(30% Full as of 5/11/11)
Jun 25 Cle Elum Ridge 50k/25k Cle Elum, WA(60% full as of 5/11/11)
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

2011 Sun Mountain Results

2011-05-24T01:19:00.000-07:00

sun mountain 50m/50k/25k/1k results are now posted:
http://sunmountaintrailraces.blogspot.com/p/results.html

Photos from Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k

2011-04-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

photo credit: Matt Hagen

Once again we had a ton of really good "official race photographers" plus a lot of folks who took pictures while they ran the race. here are links to the albums i know about so far(there's probably more out there):

glenn tachiyama: http://www.pbase.com/gtach/yakima2011

matt hagen: http://galleries.matthagen.com/Sports/Yakima-Skyline-Ridge-Trail/16477896_nKmgd#1240001910_52bFY

angela loihl: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=306738&id=539792969

alvin crain: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94511&id=1579980173

Kendall kreft: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=1958692492225&id=1390146924&aid=114622

steve walters: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=97677&id=1003042676

joe tompkins: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109774&id=1554285915

tony seabolt(NBRC): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=58033&id=100000097798129

Yakima Skyline Rim Sold Out

2011-03-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend both distances of the Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k sold out. I'll be posting on the race website the updated entrants list shortly. Those of you who missed out but still want to do some racing in April in the Northwest you have a few good options to choose from(not as beautiful and hard as Yakima Skyline Rim but still good events): Yakima Canyon Road Marathon(Apr 2), Soaring Eagle 5m/10m/26.2/50k(apr 10), Squak Mountain 12k/13.1/50k(Apr 23) and Captiol Peak 55k/40m(Apr 30). I would have included Peterson Ridge Rumble 20m/40m(Apr 10) on the list but that race also sold out!

The next three races in the Rainshadow(Sun Mountain, Beacon Rock and Cle Elum) all have their registrations open and are filling up fast. As Lorie Alexander of British Columbia said when she heard Yakima Skyline Rim had filled before race day(just like our other two races this year Orcas Island and Gorge Waterfalls), "Sounds like we should sign up for all your races now!" That's good advice if you don't want to be left out.

Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k Sold Out...But...

2011-03-21T12:44:00.001-07:00

Yakima Skyline Rim 50k and 25k sold out this weekend! That makes three races in a row now to have sold out this year! But I have had a few folks have to back out so I've opened up 5 more spots in each race. When those fill I'll start a waiting list but don't wait any longer sign up NOW! http://www.databarevents.com/yakimasky.asp

Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k 93% Full!

2011-03-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

The Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k is now 93% full with only 11 spots left in the race! Register now at www.databarevents.com

Get one of those last few spots for FREE by either volunteering before the race (at runner check-in race morning) or by bringing a volunteer to work an aid station or to assist with the timing at the finish or assisting with the post race meal. Email William Worrell, the Volunteer Coordinator, at wmworrell@centurytel.net for more information or to express your interest.

Gorge Waterfalls 50K: Video of Runners at Elowah Falls

2011-03-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

Video credit: Candice Burt

2011 Gorge Waterfalls 50k Results and Pictures

2011-03-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

Well I think everyone liked the first annual Gorge Waterfalls 50k... no actually I'm sure of it! And for good reason it's a beautiful but tough course(the rocky sections of trail was the main culprit but some folks also found the first hill to be hard as well).

I'll do a full recap of the race soon but first I wanted post the results and a few pictures(lots more coming and i'll post a link to them all here and on the Gorge Waterfalls website and on the Rainshadow Running Facebook Page).

Here's the link to the results. We had 125 Finishers and 138 starters.

The weather: showers and temperatures in the 40's

Male Winner: Jace Ives 27 Ashalnd, OR 4:25:09
Female Winner: Pam Smith 36 Salem, OR 4: 49:36

Here are just a few samples of the thousands of great photos that were taken at the race on saturday.(if you have photos you would like to share with everyone please email them to me at james@rainshadowrunning.com and i'll add them to the photo album that i'm going to try to compile all the photos in):

Photo Credit: Daniel Fox/Lumina

photo credit: Candice Burt

many many many more photos to come. stay tuned!

Lake Padden Trail Half Marathon and more...

2011-03-08T02:53:00.000-08:00

From Bellingham runners Al Coyle, Kevin Douglas and Dean Taylor comes the brand new Lake Padden Trail Half Marathon, kids XC race and "Anna's Lake Walk"

Sign up at Ultrasignup.com

Date: Saturday October 22, 2011

The Course 13.1

Join your fellow trail runners for this exciting, first of its kind trail half marathon in Whatcom County, Northwest Washington. The race starts along the scenic setting of beautiful Lake Padden and makes its way up and through the forested single track trails (see course map). Guaranteed stunning lake views! At last, the fun and challenging trail half marathon we have all been waiting for! Pre registration only.

Carpool

We encourage everyone to carpool if at all possible, parking will be limited.

Aid

There will be two aid stations along the course that will provide water and gu2o

Race Photos

Your photo will be taken along the course by Fallen Leaf imaging for purchase. All proceed will go back to the Anna Brulotte Memorial Foundation

Post race

Join the post race party lakeside for recovery food and friends.

Massage Therapist Theron Eirish and staff will be on hand to do post race recovery massage.

Awards & random prizes:

Awards will be given to top male and female, top male and female masters, top 3 in each ten year age category.

Random prizes will be awarded various runners which including weekend getaways, running shoes, apparel, massages, dining certificates and more!

Sponsors & Support

Thanks to: Oltman Insurance, Northwest Dental, Fairhaven Runners, Whatcom Events, City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation, Cascade Radio Group, Greater Bellingham Running Club, Skagit Running Club, Whatcom Support Officers, Great Harvest Bread, Bellingham Herald, Rainshadow Running, Falling Leaf Imaging, Fairhaven Bike and Ski, Graphic Nineteen,

The Foundation

The Anna Brulotte Foundation was created to bring awareness to the tragedies of distracted driving. 2year old Anna Brulotte was killed by a distracted teen driver on 9/30/10. Visit: www.annabrulottememorialfoundation.org

Kids Cross Country Race

This youth cross country race will be 2 miles in distance and is open to grades 4 through 8 only. The course will wind through the infields of the Padden ball fields and a loop through the lower single track trails and back. This will prove to be a challenging and rewarding course for the youth runners.

Anna’s Lake Walk

Join us for a casual walk around Padden with family and friends. This 2.6 mile lake walk was designed to honor the name of Anna and bring awareness to the community about the dangers of distracted driving. The walk will be opened by our Mayor Dan Pike and will be declared Anna’s day.

"One of Anna's favorite things to do was go on walks. We live right by the railroad trail, so we walked it often. Anna loved being in the stroller or walking herself. She really enjoyed seeing all the things in the woods and would often point them out. During the summer we would walk up there and pick blackberries and thimbleberries. Part of the reason I was crossing the street when she was killed was because I wanted to walk with her to the park since she loved walking so much. I want to do the lake Padden walk in her memory to honor her and raise awareness about the horrific consequences of distracted, aggressive driving. I think that the beautiful scenery around Lake Padden lends itself to reflecting on the fragility of human life and the great power we have to take that life when we get behind the wheel of the car. Whether you’re walking or pushing a stroller, we want you to come walk with us." -- Melissa Brulotte, Anna’s mother

Boston Qualifying and the Winthrop Marathon

2011-03-07T23:06:00.001-08:00

Last year 24% of the Winthrop Marathon finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon(aka BQ'ed). A BQ percentage that high would have placed the Winthrop Marathon among the top 15 most effective races to use to get into the classic race in Boston had it had enough runners to qualifiy for the list! (Races have to have at least 250 finishers to be considered for the list compiled by Marathon Guide). This makes the 2011 Winthrop Marathon an obvious choice to use to try to get a BQ but thanks to a change to the Boston Marathon application process runners at Winthrop will have to use their times to qualify for the 2013 Boston instead of 2012! DARN!

Registration for 2012 Boston marathon is from September 12 to September 23 this year (2011), which won't allow 2011 Winthrop Marathon(Sept 25th) runners to qualify for the 2012 Boston, BUT it will allow them to get a BIG HEAD START on qualifying for the 2013 Boston Marathon. See article in Running times---->
http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=21985

In addition to the new registration system the 2013 Boston Marathon qualifying times are more stringent than in previous years, and must be run on or after September 24, 2011. Like the 2012 registration process, the acceptance of official race entrants will be based on qualifying time, with the fastest qualifiers (in relation to their age and gender) being accepted first until the race is full. All qualifying times are subject to review and verification.

2013 Qualifying Times (effective September 24, 2011)

Age Group	Men	Women
18-34	3hrs 05min 00sec	3hrs 35min 00sec
35-39	3hrs 10min 00sec	3hrs 40min 00sec
40-44	3hrs 15min 00sec	3hrs 45min 00sec
45-49	3hrs 25min 00sec	3hrs 55min 00sec
50-54	3hrs 30min 00sec	4hrs 00min 00sec
55-59	3hrs 40min 00sec	4hrs 10min 00sec
60-64	3hrs 55min 00sec	4hrs 25min 00sec
65-69	4hrs 10min 00sec	4hrs 40min 00sec
70-74	4hrs 25min 00sec	4hrs 55min 00sec
75-79	4hrs 40min 00sec	5hrs 10min 00sec
80 and over	4hrs 55min 00sec	5hrs 25min 00sec
*Unlike previous years, an additional 59 seconds will NOT be accepted for each age group time standard.

2011 Calendar

2011-03-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Rainshadow Running Schedule

(More details about each race below list)

Feb 5 Orcas Island 50k/25k Eastsound, WA (SOLD OUT)
mMarGorge Waterfalls 50k Cascade Locks, OR (SOLD OUT)
Apr 3 Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k Ellensburg, WA (SOLD OUT)
May 2-6 Appalachian Trail Running Tour NC/TN
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
Jun 30-July 4 Hardrock 100 Trail Running Tour Silverton CO
Aug 1-5 Tahoe Rim Trail Running Tour Tahoe City, CA
Aug 13 Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k Carlton, WA
Sept 5-9 Mt Rainier/Wonderland Trail Running Tour Paradise, WA
Sept 18 North Cascades PCT 100k/50k Mazama, WA
Sept 25 Winthrop Road Marathon and Half 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

Orcas Island 50k/25k -- Febraury 5 -- Eastsound, WA

As usual the year gets started off with the weekend long running party on Orcas Island with the 6th annual Orcas Island 50k/25k. Unfortunately for those of you not already signed up it's too late for this year-- the race reached it's limit in record time(about 6 weeks)!! But it's not too soon to start planning for the next one-- registration for the 2012 race will open at 8am on sept 1st 2011. Mark your calendars and be ready -- I expect the race to fill up that week maybe even that day!

Snow Fun 35m/22m -- February 26 -- Carlton, WA

Next up on the calendar is the brand new Snow Fun 35m/22m race on Feb. 26. The Snow Fun Races will start down in the Methow River Valley and climb steadily up snow covered forest service roads to the top of the Chelan Sawtooth Ridge which seperates the Methow River from Lake Chelan. These roads are groomed and compacted and unless we have a huge amount of snow overnight the night before the race they should perfect for running on--firm but not hard; soft but not too soft--like running on a large white trail. And the views of the surrounding mountains, and maybe the altitutde(5800-6550ft) up on the ridge, will take your breath away!

Gorge Waterfalls 50k -- March 12 -- Cascade Locks, OR

Another brand new race for 2011 is the Gorge Waterfallls 50k. This race is crazy full of waterfalls! There are so many I literally lost count! The course goes right past Wahkeena Falls, Fairy Falls, Multnomah Falls, Oneonta 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! This 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.

Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k -- April 4 -- Ellensburg, WA

The Yakima River in between the towns of Ellensburg and Yakima forms a deep and winding canyon. High above the river on the canyon rim lies a specatacular trail-- the Yakima Skyline Rim Trail. Being East of the Cascade Mountains the Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k is definitely in the rainshadow and the dry climate means a low chance for rain and very little vegitation along the route. The lack of rain and vegitation equals a great chance for views of the river, the surrounding pleateau like mountains and of the Cascades on the horizon. The course is not totally barren, there is sagebrush, wild grasses and other shrub-steppe plants that are foreign to those of you coming from the wet(sic) side of the mountains-- and the first wildflowers of the year should be blooming. In addition to high probability of sun and views there is a 100% chance of above average elevation gain for both races making this a tough yet beautiful run.

Appalachian Trail Tour -- May 2 to May 6 -- Johnson City, TN

The first running tour of the year i'll be guiding with Adventure Running Comapny will be the 5 day, 82 mile Applachian Trail Tour in early May. Some of the finest open ridge running in the world can be found on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina and Tennessee. Our run will traverse the mile-high open "Balds" for many miles, rarely descending to the scenic valleys below. The trail, following the ridgeline for nearly our entire tour, often passes through scenic meadow and heath balds at places like Hump Mountain, Roan Mountain, Round Bald, Unaka Mountain, Big Bald and the aptly named Beauty Spot. Many Appalachian Trail veterans consider this segment of the Appalachian Trail, with its superb views from treeless meadows above 5,000 feet, to be one of the most beautiful and spectacular segments along the entire 2,178 mile length of the trail. You'll find the trail running sublime as you pass through these open meadows. In short, this is a trail runners paradise!

Sun Mountain 50m/50k/25k/1k -- May 22 -- Winthrop, WA

The 3rd annual Sun Mountain 50m/50k/25k/1k has moved to a new time of the year mid may to fully take advantage of the early season mountain running and to hit the peak of the bloom of the sunflowers(Balsam Root) which turn the hillsides yellow all over the Methow Valley each spring. The 50 mile course has also changed to reduce the number of road miles and to increase the number of views of the surrounding mountains. As Another race in the Cascade Mountains Rainshadow this should be a sunny, warm run on fun trails in a mix of forest and open sagebrush. With a good mix of runnable trails and steep hills these challenging but fun races have grown in popularity very quickly.

Beacon Rock 50k/25k -- June 12 -- N. Bonneville, WA

Another fun race in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is the Beacon Rock 50k/25k. Accross the river from the Gorge Waterfalls course this race takes place in the Beacon Rock State Park. The route goes up and over Hardy Ridge and Hamilton Mountain(pictured above) both of which tower above the river. The trails are often in dense forest but like shown here every once in a while pop out of the trees and give the runners incredible views of the river and the cascades including the enormous Mt Adams and Mt Hood. And early June will be a great time to run here it'll be warm and probably sunny and everything will be so green!

Cle Elum Ridge 50k/25k -- June 25 -- Cle Elum, WA

The 16th annual Cle Elum 50k/25k has been moved to late June to improve the runner's experience(there should be much less dust) and to make room in the calendar for the North Cascades PCT 100k/50k which could only be scheduled in late September(Cle Elum's traditional date has always been the 3rd weekend of Sept.). This tough race has been a Northwest favorite for a long time and should continue to be so for quite some time. The trails are very popular with motorbike riders so they are rutted out, rooty, rocky and can be dusty if it's been dry prior to the race and all of these obstacles combined with a good bit of elevation gain and loss make this nearly all single track trail race popular with the runners too because if we wanted it to be easy we'd be running on the roads instead!

Hardrock 100 Race Course Tour -- June 30 to July 4 -- Silverton, CO

The Hardrock Tour explores the spectacular Hardrock 100 race course over the span of 5 amazing days! If you've always wanted to see and experience the Hardrock 100 course but didn't want to run it in less than 48 hours(the race cutoff) or if you're training for a future Hardrock race, this is your chance to see the trail at your own pace, during the daylight, with knowledgeable guides and excellent support the entire way. This is a difficult tour due to the the high altitude(average elevation 11,000ft and goes over 13,000ft a handful of times and over 14,000ft once) and the very rugged trails-- only very adventurous folks should consider this trip. Join us for the Hardrock 100 tour and experience for yourself why runners consider the Hardrock one of the most challenging and beautiful races in the world!

Tahoe Rim Trail Tour -- August 1 to August 5 -- Tahoe City, CA

The 165 mile Tahoe Rim Trail circles one of the most beautiful lakes in the world - Lake Tahoe. It winds through Aspen meadows, skirts high mountain peaks and runs for miles along ridgetops with stunning views. On this 5 day 74 mile Tahoe Rim Tour we explore the eminently beautiful northeast segment of the trail with tremendous panoramic views, Mt. Rose, Marlette Lake, and spectacular boulders and rock outcroppings. Some of the most stunning views from the Tahoe Rim Trail can be found on this section. We'll stay in comfortable lodges along the way with shuttle transport to and from the trailhead each day. The trail is well developed and very runnable in most sections. You won't soon forget the beautiful blue lake you'll run high above on this tour.

Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k -- August 13 -- Carlton, WA

This is one of those runs that will just knock your socks off! These difficult but oh so rewarding courses take you to some of the most spectacular places in Washington. High above Lake Chelan and the Methow River the Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k races run up and over high open ridges at 8000ft(making it the highest altitude running race in Washington), through high alpine meadows and past pristine lakes. You have to earn the views with steep climbs and descents and a trail that is quite rugged times but boy is it worth it! The wildflowers should still be blooming and the weather should be perfect!

Wonderland Trail Tour -- September 5 to September 9 -- Mt. Rainier National Park

This 5 day tour will be entirely in the Mt Rainier National Park with 4 of the days covering the amazing 93 mile Wonderland Trail which circles Mt Rainier and is considered one of the world's most dramatic and scenic trails . As you travel around the mountain, you'll have the opportunity see its many unique and varied faces. You'll pass through several different life zones in the park including inland rainforests and subalpine meadows filled with wild flowers. The glaciers you'll see high above you create numerous rugged river crossings, two of which include suspension bridges to cross. And, while rain is always a possibility in the Pacific Northwest, we're planning our tour during the "dry" season. Running the Wonderland Trail Tour will be an epic adventure you won't soon forget!

North Cascades PCT 100k/50k -- September 18 -- Mazama, WA

This may be the best non-100 mile race course in the country! The North Cascades PCT 100k/50k (an out back for the 100k and a point to point for the 50k) arguably runs one the best sections of one the best long trails in the world. This section of the Pacific Crest Trail, which is well maintained, between Rainy Pass and Harts Pass(the two northernmost passes one can drive to on the PCT) runs high open ridges for the majority of the time(2/3 of the course is above 6000ft!) only dipping down to below 5000 for the middle 6 miles of the 31 mile section(the courses start at just under 5000ft at Rainy Pass but climb to 6000ft in the first 3 miles). On This Course you are surrounded by Wilderness, National Park and you never cross a single road-- this is as beautiful, stunning, and awe inspiring as running gets in the the Northwest!

Winthrop Road Marathon and Half Marathon -- September 25 -- Winthrop, WA

In it's first year(2010) the Winthrop Marathon proved to be quite popular and to be a good race to qualify for the Boston Marathon-- we had about 100 runners and about 25% of them BQ'd! For this year we've added a half marathon option that also should be pretty quick considering it too is a net downhill course-- the half marathon has 400ft net loss and the marathon has 1550ft net loss. Both courses are point to point courses on roads that get very little vehicle traffic and that closely follow the Chewuch River from the Okanogan National Forest to Downtown Winthrop(a small "western" town of about 500 people in the world famous Methow Valley). There are aid stations every 2-3 miles and a fun post race party at the finishline with local beer, food and live music.

Mt Spokane 50k/25k -- October 8 -- Spokane, WA

Why not squeeze in one more mountain race before the snow comes to the high country? Mt Spokane at 5,883ft is one of the highest peaks in Eastern Washington and is just covered in fun single track and double track trails. Standing all alone the mountain offers great views of the surround valleys and the distant mountains. The Mt Spokane 50k/25k will have everything someone looks for in a good trail race, big climbs, fun trails, nice views and a good challenge to reward ratio. And again as another race in the Cascade Rainshadow the odds of nice weather are pretty good.

Christmas at the End of the Road 5k/1k -- November 26 -- Winthrop, WA

This is a fun little road race, snow and ice covered road race that is. Traction Devices Recommended. But yes I did say it is fun! The race itself is low key and festive(costumes encouraged) but it's part of a huge weekend long winter celebration in downtown Winthrop with all kinds of fun things to do for the whole family including the inital lighting of the town christmas lights, top-notch fireworks and a visit from Santa. Check out the website for more info.

Deception Pass 50k/25k -- Dec 10 -- Oak Harbor, WA

It seems so fitting to wrap up the 2011 year with a race at Deception Pass, which like Orcas Island is in the Olympic Mountains Rainshadow and the trails and course are like a flatter version of the Orcas race. But don't be fooled by the fact that it's in a rainshadow-- it will probably rain on race day-- the Olympic Rainshadow isn't as strong as the Cascade Rainshadow but you'll definitely notice the different vegatation that comes with the lower amount of rain that the area gets. But even in the rain these trails are fun to run as they wind their way in and out of coves and penninsulas and up and over the short but steep coastal hills. And in both of theDeception Pass 50k/25k races you get to run over the Deception Pass Bridge twice! Also just like at Orcas we'll rent out the state park's environmental learning center for the weekend and have a big runner sleep-over party!

Great Trail Ettiquette Video

2011-03-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

This great video made by my buddies at Friends of Capitol Forest (staring Olympia ultra runner Kris Ryding and the Race Director for the Capitol Peak Ultras, John Pearch) details how to handle runner/horse, runner/mountain bike, and mountain bike/horse interactions on the trails and at trailheads. This is film describes and walks through the key elements of effective communication and personal actions that result in safe and enjoyable mulit-use trail experiences.

Viewing this video will be mandatory for all participants in my races where the trails and or trailheads used for the race are shared with horse and mountain bike riders--so you might as well watch it now and make sure you're totally prepared to handle these possible scenarios the next time whether it's at a race or just a training run. enjoy!

5 Day Running Tour of a Super Cool part of the Appalachian Trail

2011-03-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

Running the Ridges of the Appalachian Trail

North Carolina and Tennessee
Dates: May 2 to May 6, 2011
Accommodations: Camping
Start/End: Johnson City, TN
Meeting Place and Time: Johnson City, TN / 8:00 a.m.

Exploring the Balds of North Carolina and Tennessee

Some of the finest open ridge running in the world can be found on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina and Tennessee. Our run will traverse the mile-high open "Balds" for many miles, rarely descending to the scenic valleys below. The trail, following the ridgeline for nearly our entire tour, often passes through scenic meadow and heath balds at places like Hump Mountain, Roan Mountain, Round Bald, Unaka Mountain, Big Bald and the aptly named Beauty Spot. Many Appalachian Trail veterans consider this segment of the Appalachian Trail, with its superb views from treeless meadows above 5,000 feet, to be one of the most beautiful and spectacular segments along the entire 2,178 mile length of the trail. You'll find the trail running sublime as you pass through these open meadows. In short, this is a trail runners paradise!

Sign up for this tour

Duration/Mileage: 5 days/82 miles
Difficulty: Intermediate - rough trail in spots, moderate distance with two long running days, moderate elevation change, several long climbs, altitude negligible, access to support vehicle some days
Maximum Group Size: 10
Tour Price: $925

www.adventurerunningco.com

e-mail: adventurerunning@gmail.com

Telephone: 218-728-6443

Cell Phone: 218-340-6170

Gorge Waterfalls 50k Now Full!

2011-02-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

Entrants List as of 3pm(PST) 2/25/11

The race is now full! I will be taking names for the waiting list for until the weekend before the race and i'll notify the runners on the waitlist on monday march 7th whether or not they're in.

A shout out to Nuun!

2011-02-22T20:15:00.000-08:00

Nuun has been sponsoring Rainshadow Running for years, longer than any other sponsor actually. Locally based Nuun and their electrolyte drink tablets have been keeping runners optimally hydrated while climbing up the Powerline Trail at Orcas Island 50k/25k or while navigating the rocky ridge top trails at Cle Elum 50k/25k or while weaving among the wildflowers at Sun Mountain 50m/50k/25k/1k. And Nuun will be keeping you from cramping (and all the other miserable side effects of not staying properly hydrated) while traipsing through the apline meadows, bombing down the crazy steep descents, frolicking among moss covered everything, and soaking in the sunshine race after glorious race all year long in the rainshadow!

Learn more about Nuun at their newly spruced up website: http://www.nuun.com/

Gorge Waterfalls 50k: only a dozen spots left!

2011-02-22T19:48:00.000-08:00

Less than 3 weeks until the first running of the Gorge Waterfalls 50k and there are only about 1 dozen spots left in the race. Go here to sign up: http://www.databarevents.com/gorge.asp

Taxing People Who Pay to Recreate?

2011-02-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

There's a new bill in the Washington State Legislature that I believe aims to change sales tax law to include taxing the sales and charges associated with recreation activities. This could be interpreted to include the money you are charged when entering a running race. This seems weird to me-- aren't there more appropriate things to tax? Aren't there better ways to run our government? I know I'm biased but this just doesn't sit well with me. For those of you interested in more about this or at least curious as to why the six state legislators who are sponsoring the bill think this is a good idea I've attached some more information below(including links to the representative's contact info so you can ask them yourselves):

The bill: HB1452

The Sponosrs: Kathy Haigh(D), Ed Orcutt(R), Dave Upthegrove(D), Marcie Maxwell(D), Marko Liias(D), Bruce Dammeier(R), Hans Zeiger(R)

I read the bill twice and two things stood out to me: 1, they never define recreational activities which to me is a pretty broad and encompassing term. Wikipedia defines it as: "Recreation is an essential part of human life and finds many different forms which are shaped naturally by individual interests but also by the surrounding social construction. Recreational activities can be communal or solitary, active or passive, outdoors or indoors, healthy or harmful, and useful for society or detrimental. A list of typical activities could be almost endless including most human activities, a few examples being reading, playing or listening to music, watching movies or TV, gardening, hunting, hobbies, sports, studies, and travel. Not all recreational activities can be considered wise, healthy, or socially acceptable or useful—examples are gambling, drinking, or delinquent activities. Recreational drugs are being used to enhance the recreational experience, a wide-ranging and controversial subject as some drugs are accepted or tolerated by society within limits, others not and declared illegal."

And 2, they never say how much those sales will be taxed. Perhaps that's determined in another part of the legal system.

And the question that pervades throughout all of this is "why?" To bring in more taxes I assume. But why this way? It seems to me there are better things to tax than people paying to recreate.

2011 Orcas Island Results

2011-02-11T09:26:00.001-08:00

The Orcas Island 50k and 25k results have been finalized, stay tuned for my race report.

Gorge Waterfalls 50k: only 60 spots left!

2011-02-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

The brand new Gorge Waterfalls 50k is off to a great start! The registration for this first year race is filling up fast. In just over one month from when registration opened we've had 90 runners sign up. And now with just one month until race day(march 12) there are only 60 spots left!

To register go here to the databar events website

For more info go the Gorge Waterfalls 50k website

If you miss out on this race don't worry the rest of the year is full of other great Rainshadow Running races!

a cool place to stay in bellingham

2011-01-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

Next time you're visiting bellingham for a race or training run or what have you consider staying at Casa Valentina Bed and Breakfast. Located in Fairhaven it's very close to the Chuckanut 50k Start/Finish and the Interurban Trail and the trails at Galbraith Mountain. For more info check out their website: http://casavalentinabedandbreakfast.org/ or give them a call at 360 527 9113

Oh and they have hot tub to soak your tired body in after you run!

Women's Trail Running and Yoga Camp: May 12-15, 2011

2011-01-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

This is not a Rainshadow Running event but it does take place in the rainshadow and is organized by two long time supporters of Rainshadow Running Alison Hanks LMP and Winthrop Mountain Sports.

Here is a link to all the details: http://mvwomensrunning.blogspot.com/2011/01/womens-trail-running-and-yoga-camp-may.html

For all the dudes out there thinking what i'm thinking, that we should have something like this for ourselves--beer, pizza, foosball, white water rafting, epic trail running, and more beer-- then let me know and maybe we can work something out!

2011 Trail Running Tours

2011-01-13T17:18:00.000-08:00

From Adventure Running Company(who i'll be guiding a few trips this year for):

Hello Friends!

We're happy to announce our 2011 schedule of running adventures! We've added a couple new tours that should be spectacular. They're both in prime trail running locations and are sure to satisfy your taste for sublime trail running and adventure!

We'll start the year by partnering up with As Green As It Gets in mid-March to again offer our unique and powerful running tour of Guatemala. You'll have the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in the culture of Guatemala while also exploring some spectacular trails including a run to the top of a 13,000 foot volcano. This will truly be an adventure you'll never forget.

The first week in May, we'll be offering our new Appalachian Trail tour along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee. We'll run arguably the most spectacular stretch of the Appalachian Trail as we run for miles along mile high open meadow ridgetops commonly called "Balds." The trail running here can only be described as sublime!

The last week in May, we'll again be offering our spectacular Maah Daah Hey Trail tour in North Dakota. We'll cover the 100 mile trail through the enchanted Badlands of western North Dakota over the course of 5 incredible days.

In mid-June, we'll embark on the Superior Trail in Northern Minnesota on our Superior Trail tour. Here you'll traverse ridges and clifftops high above mighty Lake Superior by day and stay in warm and cozy cottages and condominiums right on the lakeshore each night. You'll even have the opportunity to soak your tired legs in the natural ice bath of Lake Superior every afternoon after your run.

In early July, we'll preview the entire Hardrock 100 course over the span of 5 days on the Hardrock 100 tour in Southwestern Colorado. This is the most advanced of all running tours with extremely high altitude, breathtakingly steep climbs and descents and steep snowfields. Your guides will know the trail well, but you'll still need to have map reading and navigational skills to help you along your way. Your reward however will be overwhelming. The San Juan Mountains over which you'll traverse on this tour are some of the most spectacularly beautiful mountains on Earth!

The first week in August we'll spend the week running high above the turquoise waters of Lake Tahoe on the Tahoe Rim Trail tour in California and Nevada.

In mid-August we'll once again explore the high alpine meadows and passes along the Colorado Trail on the Colorado Trail tour with a rewarding and amazing climb to the top of the highest peak in Colorado - Mt. Elbert to finish off the tour in style.

In late-August the 2nd Annual VoyageurQuest Stage Race will follow the amazing northern segment of the Superior Trail and offer exciting competition along with amazing views over Lake Superior from the high ridges. If you missed this race last year, you won't want to this year!

Finally in early September we'll be offering the most epic trail running adventure to date - a circumnavigation around mighty Mt. Rainier on the astonishing Wonderland Trail! We'll spend 4 days running the Wonderland Trail with an additional day of travel and exploration of the Rampart Ridge Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park.

Our schedule this year is packed with adventurous and beautiful trail running tours. We're looking forward to sharing these amazing trails with you. It looks to be a super year and our tours are already filling. For more information about these tours please visit our 2011 Tour page on the Adventure Running Co. website. Hope to see you on the trails soon!

Sincerely,

Andy and Kim Holak

--
Adventure Running Co.
1935 W Kent Road | Duluth | MN | 55812 | 218.728.6443 | 218.340.6170
http://www.adventurerunningco.com | http://adventurerunningco.wordpress.com

Snow Fun 35m/22m Registration Open

2011-01-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

Click here to go to the registration website for the 2011 Snow Fun 35m/22m on February 26.

This race will be unlike any 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!

Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k Registration Open

2011-01-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

Click here to go to the registration website for the Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k on April 3, 2011.

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!

Gorge Waterfalls 50k Registration Now Open!

2011-01-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

Click here to go to the registration website for the 2011 Gorge Waterfalls 50k on March 12 just outside of Portland, Or in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

This race 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, 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!

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!

Winthrop Marathon and Half Marathon Registration Opens

2010-12-31T18:48:00.001-08:00

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

2010-12-31T02:54:00.000-08:00

2011 Cle Elum 50k & 25k Registration Open

2010-12-30T18:44:00.000-08:00

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

2011 Gorge Waterfalls 50k

2010-12-30T18:12:00.000-08:00

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/

2011 Sun Mountain Registration Now Open

2010-12-29T14:25:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-29T14:02:00.000-08:00

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!

2011 Cle Elum

2010-12-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

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

2011 Sun Mountain Races

2010-12-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

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

update for 2011

2010-12-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

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.

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

2010-11-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

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

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

2010-11-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

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

Contact Info: james@rainshadowrunning.com 509.846.5019

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

Winter Running in the Methow

2010-11-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

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

Maps and Grooming Reports

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

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

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

2010-11-11T12:12:00.001-08:00

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):

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

2010-11-04T17:26:00.001-07:00

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.

Contact Info: james@rainshadowrunning.com 509.846.5019

Rainshadow Running in the Paper

2010-11-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

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

2010-11-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

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...

27 mile run in North Cascades Natnl Park Sunday

2010-10-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

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

long run in the pasayten wilderness on sunday

2010-10-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

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...

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

2010-09-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

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:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/reflectedlight/sets/72157624922517001/

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:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mvstainfo/WinthropRoadMarathon#

Winthrop Marathon Pictures

2010-09-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

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.

Here's the link to the results: http://winthropmarathon.blogspot.com/2010/09/2010-results.html

Winthrop Marathon USATF Certified!

2010-09-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

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

2010 fun run schedule(updated)

2010-08-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

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

Orcas Island 50k/25k Registration Now Open

2010-08-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

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

Cle Elum Course info posted

2010-07-27T13:22:00.001-07:00

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...

2010 Sun Mountain Final Results*

2010-07-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

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

Angels Staircase Fun Run

2010-07-07T16:09:00.004-07:00

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