Monday, June 20, 2011

2011 Snow Course

The 2011 Snow Course has been posted here

Thoughts? What kind of runners does it favor? Has anyone been on these new sections of trail? How does everyone feel about no crew access until Michigan Bluff? So many questions...

Going to be exciting!

Some Course info from Gary Wang...

I measured the distance from top of Poppy to entrance to the Glen Mine
Logging Road.
The Duncan Aid station will be next to the Mosquito Ridge Road.
from top of Poppy to the road is 0.1 mile

>From top of Poppy, thru first section of new trail to the red star ridge
road (1.48 mile)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/93297517

>From red star ridge road, down to the bridge, then up to the gate at Glen
mine (1.22 mile)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/93297527

from red star ridge road to the bridge is 0.7 mile. You will be on the road
bridge when you cross Duncan Creek.
You will have dry feet from Duncan to N43.

I didn't get on Glen Mine Road at all, but if you look at the google map you
can see it in aerial map.
It will go away from the Mosquito ridge, and drop elevation, then you will
climb back up to N43.
This section is about 6 miles. Fireroad.

>From N43, you follow the road toward little Bald Mt. then drop back into the
normal course.
expect snow there.

And this, from Tim...

Only 1.2 on pavement, the rest is good fire road or double-track other than a few meters out of Duncan where it was a junior Poppy trail from last year. If I had any advice for someone that hasn’t done the new stuff is to beware of the climb to 31 miles. Lots of downhill before that but then you climb 800 feet in just over a mile and it’s exposed at the top. You’ll want to max out with water before leaving Duncan. It’s 7.5 miles but the heat should be noticeable by then. You climb again after you cross MRR. Difficulty wise, I’d say it’s a wash compared to last year other than there’s at least three more feet of snow on the ground. It’ll be solid snow from the GC sign to when you get out of snow on Road 51 near Talbot. There’s snow almost down to Dusty Corners. All should be good by Friday.

3 comments:

Nick said...

Andy - Topographically, the route from Duncan to Mosquito Ridge looks to be pretty similar to the route from Duncan to Robinson (generously graded into and out of the canyon).

Would be interested to hear input on the trail - hopefully not the same kind of stuff we macheted through to get up to Duncan last year. Much snow?

It's a runners' course - no changes there.

See you tomorrow!

Unknown said...

Thanks for the update! Thanks for the details. Ran last year for the first time and loved it. Running again this year and was very much looking forward to the original course but hey, take what the mountain gives us right? Plus its such a gift to be able to run this race! Thanks again

Stephen T

Unknown said...

Andy will tell us all about it at the PI house this week. Right Andy? Hey bring along Thornley and Tweit too. We will feed all of you on Thursday night in exchange for knowledge.