jcospo
02-10-2004, 08:25 AM
check this out - a ride (not a race) this saturday. a few spots on the trail (higher, shaded areas) are still snow covered, but otherwise it is fine.
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Course Description and Logistics for the Red Hot 50K Fat Ass
Note: Runners and bikers are welcome. There is a 12-mile course version too (see the course description below).
Location: Moab, Utah
Date: 2/14/04
Runner and Biker Sign In: 7:30AM
Trail briefing and last minute instructions: 7:45AM
Start: 8AM
Finish: Whenever you feel like it
Fun Run Start Location: Kane Creek Blvd trailhead. From Center Street in downtown Moab, drive 0.7 miles south on Route 191. At the light between Burger King and McDonald’s turn right onto Kane Creek Blvd. At 1.5 miles stay left through a “dangerous intersection” (in other words stay left and go towards the CO River and “The Portal”). Continue on this road as it passes along the Colorado River for another 4.1 miles, cross a cattle guard (this will actually be the second cattle guard since the left turn at the “dangerous intersection”) and the road turns from asphalt to dirt. Parking and start will be just past this cattle guard and on the right in a large dirt lot. Look for the “runners and bikers”.
Aid and Drop Bags: You have option of creating two drop bags. One will be taken to mile 10 and the other will go to mile 20. Please label them as your own. Drop bags will come back to the start. Aid stations will have minimal supplies. Water for sure. Other than that nothing can be promised. We are working on getting some goodies for runners and bikers.
Brief Course Description: Once you leave the start, runners and bikers will not see their vehicles until they finish the course. Look for occasional brown “carbonite” posts along the course to steer you in the correct direction.
Runners and bikers will leave the parking lot, take a left on Kane Creek Blvd (back toward town), cross the cattle guard and then take a right onto the Pritchett Canyon “Road”. The designated “road”, according to RS2477 statutes (a bad Utah inside joke), will continue up Pritchett Canyon for 4.5 miles winding in and out of the wash bottom and peak on White Knuckle Hill. Good views found here into the Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area. Note: There are many side trails and “social trails” in this segment, but just stay on the most worn trail. Hint: Look for where most of the bike tire and vehicle tire tracks go and follow them. You shouldn’t have a problem.
At 5.7 miles a spur trail will head to the right and up to the base of Prichett Arch. Look and you’ll see the arch, but continue straight.
At 6.1 miles take a right at the signed trail intersection into Hunter’s Canyon.
At 8.2 miles stay left at unsigned junction. If you take a right the trail will dead end in a half mile against the slick rock canyon walls.
At 8.5 miles the two-track you’ve been following ends and becomes a single track! Look for rock cairns and follow them, Hunter Canyon will be on your left.
At about 9.5 miles you will begin the descent into Gatherer Canyon. Follow the most worn way down the broken rock face, look for cairns, look for footprints for the easiest way down. Note: This section involves some scrambling; there are ways down without jeopardizing your safety. If you pick a dead end (cliff-out), try again someplace else. People descend this all the time and many do it with bikes! Home course advantage really helps here unfortunately.
Once at the bottom of Gatherers Canyon, continue down the canyon to Kane Springs Blvd (dirt road). There will be aid here along the road (approximately mile 10).
Turn left on Kane Creek Blvd and head to Hurrah Pass on the well defined and graded dirt road. Note: For those who have had enough, you can take a right on Kane Creek Blvd and run the two miles back to your vehicle. This is the 12-mile version. Just let someone know your plan please!
At approximately 14 miles you will cross Kane Creek (a very sandy crossing with lots of tamarisk) and begin the LONG climb up to Hurrah Pass.
At 17.5 miles you’ll arrive at Hurrah Pass! Yes, you can yell Hurrah…how do you think it got its name? Views are awesome here. Continue down the other side…a very nice decent.
At about 20 miles, at the bottom of the long descent from Hurrah Pass, you will make a right turn in a wash. There will be aid at this turn and they will direct you down the correct trail.
In about a half mile you will pass Camelot on your left…look for the camels, no joke! In another half mile you will exit the sandy wash you’ve been running in and take the two-track road to your right. Take road the entire way to “Jackson-Hole”, again stay on the most worn trail avoid the social/unworn trails.
At about 24.5 miles turn right on a road in a wash bottom. You will be going counter-clock wise around the monolith at the center of Jackson’s Hole.
At 26.5 miles take the spur to your right and continue up “Jacob’s Ladder”. A good, steep climb up the slick rock cliff face…the trail is well defined and used by many hikers and bikers.
At the top of Jacob’s Ladder (mile 27), you will come to a T-intersection. This is the Amasa Back Trail. Look around…the views are killer!!! Take a right and you are now headed back towards the finish.
At mile 29.5, the Amasa Back Trail brings you back to Kane Creek Blvd (dirt). Take a left and run the last 1.5 miles back on the good, graded road back to the your vehicle and the finish.
Course Markings and Map: We will do minimal course marking. We will do our best to mark critical turns. Type of marking and placement will be presented at the course briefing on the 14th. Maps will be made available to runners and bikers on fun run day. Note: If you would like a map prior to race day send me a SASE and I’ll get it to you ASAP.
Awards: Yeah, right!
Post Race Activities: Yes!
Partial trail description of Pritchett Canyon (First part of Red Hot course):
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/pritchet.htm
Trail description and map of Jackson Hole Loop (second part of Red Hot course):
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/jackson.htm
More trail info can be found in A Falcon’s Guide: Mountain Biking Moab.
Information on local Moab lodging, restaurants and businesses:
http://moab-utah.com
If you need further info call or write Ian Torrence at:
46 South 400 East
Moab, UT 84532
(435) 719-4091
itgoes@moci.net
************************************************** **************************************
Course Description and Logistics for the Red Hot 50K Fat Ass
Note: Runners and bikers are welcome. There is a 12-mile course version too (see the course description below).
Location: Moab, Utah
Date: 2/14/04
Runner and Biker Sign In: 7:30AM
Trail briefing and last minute instructions: 7:45AM
Start: 8AM
Finish: Whenever you feel like it
Fun Run Start Location: Kane Creek Blvd trailhead. From Center Street in downtown Moab, drive 0.7 miles south on Route 191. At the light between Burger King and McDonald’s turn right onto Kane Creek Blvd. At 1.5 miles stay left through a “dangerous intersection” (in other words stay left and go towards the CO River and “The Portal”). Continue on this road as it passes along the Colorado River for another 4.1 miles, cross a cattle guard (this will actually be the second cattle guard since the left turn at the “dangerous intersection”) and the road turns from asphalt to dirt. Parking and start will be just past this cattle guard and on the right in a large dirt lot. Look for the “runners and bikers”.
Aid and Drop Bags: You have option of creating two drop bags. One will be taken to mile 10 and the other will go to mile 20. Please label them as your own. Drop bags will come back to the start. Aid stations will have minimal supplies. Water for sure. Other than that nothing can be promised. We are working on getting some goodies for runners and bikers.
Brief Course Description: Once you leave the start, runners and bikers will not see their vehicles until they finish the course. Look for occasional brown “carbonite” posts along the course to steer you in the correct direction.
Runners and bikers will leave the parking lot, take a left on Kane Creek Blvd (back toward town), cross the cattle guard and then take a right onto the Pritchett Canyon “Road”. The designated “road”, according to RS2477 statutes (a bad Utah inside joke), will continue up Pritchett Canyon for 4.5 miles winding in and out of the wash bottom and peak on White Knuckle Hill. Good views found here into the Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area. Note: There are many side trails and “social trails” in this segment, but just stay on the most worn trail. Hint: Look for where most of the bike tire and vehicle tire tracks go and follow them. You shouldn’t have a problem.
At 5.7 miles a spur trail will head to the right and up to the base of Prichett Arch. Look and you’ll see the arch, but continue straight.
At 6.1 miles take a right at the signed trail intersection into Hunter’s Canyon.
At 8.2 miles stay left at unsigned junction. If you take a right the trail will dead end in a half mile against the slick rock canyon walls.
At 8.5 miles the two-track you’ve been following ends and becomes a single track! Look for rock cairns and follow them, Hunter Canyon will be on your left.
At about 9.5 miles you will begin the descent into Gatherer Canyon. Follow the most worn way down the broken rock face, look for cairns, look for footprints for the easiest way down. Note: This section involves some scrambling; there are ways down without jeopardizing your safety. If you pick a dead end (cliff-out), try again someplace else. People descend this all the time and many do it with bikes! Home course advantage really helps here unfortunately.
Once at the bottom of Gatherers Canyon, continue down the canyon to Kane Springs Blvd (dirt road). There will be aid here along the road (approximately mile 10).
Turn left on Kane Creek Blvd and head to Hurrah Pass on the well defined and graded dirt road. Note: For those who have had enough, you can take a right on Kane Creek Blvd and run the two miles back to your vehicle. This is the 12-mile version. Just let someone know your plan please!
At approximately 14 miles you will cross Kane Creek (a very sandy crossing with lots of tamarisk) and begin the LONG climb up to Hurrah Pass.
At 17.5 miles you’ll arrive at Hurrah Pass! Yes, you can yell Hurrah…how do you think it got its name? Views are awesome here. Continue down the other side…a very nice decent.
At about 20 miles, at the bottom of the long descent from Hurrah Pass, you will make a right turn in a wash. There will be aid at this turn and they will direct you down the correct trail.
In about a half mile you will pass Camelot on your left…look for the camels, no joke! In another half mile you will exit the sandy wash you’ve been running in and take the two-track road to your right. Take road the entire way to “Jackson-Hole”, again stay on the most worn trail avoid the social/unworn trails.
At about 24.5 miles turn right on a road in a wash bottom. You will be going counter-clock wise around the monolith at the center of Jackson’s Hole.
At 26.5 miles take the spur to your right and continue up “Jacob’s Ladder”. A good, steep climb up the slick rock cliff face…the trail is well defined and used by many hikers and bikers.
At the top of Jacob’s Ladder (mile 27), you will come to a T-intersection. This is the Amasa Back Trail. Look around…the views are killer!!! Take a right and you are now headed back towards the finish.
At mile 29.5, the Amasa Back Trail brings you back to Kane Creek Blvd (dirt). Take a left and run the last 1.5 miles back on the good, graded road back to the your vehicle and the finish.
Course Markings and Map: We will do minimal course marking. We will do our best to mark critical turns. Type of marking and placement will be presented at the course briefing on the 14th. Maps will be made available to runners and bikers on fun run day. Note: If you would like a map prior to race day send me a SASE and I’ll get it to you ASAP.
Awards: Yeah, right!
Post Race Activities: Yes!
Partial trail description of Pritchett Canyon (First part of Red Hot course):
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/pritchet.htm
Trail description and map of Jackson Hole Loop (second part of Red Hot course):
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/jackson.htm
More trail info can be found in A Falcon’s Guide: Mountain Biking Moab.
Information on local Moab lodging, restaurants and businesses:
http://moab-utah.com
If you need further info call or write Ian Torrence at:
46 South 400 East
Moab, UT 84532
(435) 719-4091
itgoes@moci.net