methow valley photos

here is a sampling of pictures from the sun mountain course, future race courses and trails used for training/fun runs:

sun mountain
pasayten wilderness
twisp river/lookout mountain
buck mountain
mt gardner/ wolf creek
okanogan outlaw course

Sun Mountain 50k and 25k--Aid Stations

the 50k will arrive four times and the 25k twice at well stocked, full service, pit stops.

crew access: all of the aid stations
drop bags: all aid staions will be drop bag friendly except possibly the 23.1 mile aid station depending on road access.

50k aid stations: mile 6.2(LODGE), 11.8(PATTERSON LAKE), 17.8(PATTERSON LAKE), 23.1(THOMPSON PASS)

25k aid stations: mile 5.3(PATTERSON LAKE) and 11.3(PATTERSON LAKE)

Sun Mountain 50k Elevation Profile

i'll get elevation profiles up on here soon but for now here's some info...

total elevation gain 5400ft

out of the three "major" climbs the first big one, which climbs 700 feet, is the steepest but it's early and it's only about a mile long, the 2nd big one climbs steadily 1330ft in 3.3 miles to the top of Patterson Mtn (elevation 3511ft). the last one which goes to the high point on the course Thompson Pass (elv. 3640ft) is not very steep at all taking 10.5 miles to go up 1900ft from Patterson Lake. most of the rest of the 1500ft of gain comes in short and sweet little bursts.

low point on the course is at 2200ft.

for a top runner there will be very little or no walking on this course!

Sun Mountain 25k Elevation Profile

no real profile yet but here's a little info for now:

2550ft of gain

half of which is in one 3.3 mile steady climb starting around mile 7.5 at the low point on the course 2200ft to the high point 3511, the summit of patterson mountain. the rest of the climbs are short and sweet.

Sun Mountain 25k Course Description

25k course description

Start at chickadee trailhead
Head down thompson ridge rd
Turn Left onto rodeo
Right onto homestead
Right onto black bear
Pass the grizzly hill junctions (don't follow the 50k course up the hill)
Turn right and uphill on the Winthrop trail
Left onto patterson lake rd (aid #1 and #2--mile 5.0)
Left onto patterson mountain north connector trail
Left onto patterson mountain loop and follow clockwise to summit trail
Left onto summit trail
Stay on summit trail after summiting and drop down the far side on a dirt road
Turn Right at the junction with another dirt road and follow back to patterson loop trail.
Turn Left onto the patterson loop trail
Turn Left onto the south connector trail towards the boat ramp
Turn Right onto patterson lake rd
Turn Left onto cabin trail (aid station #2 and #3--mile 11.0)
Turn Left onto paterson lake trail (don't follow 10k course which goes straight)
Turn Right onto rader creek trail
Tutn Right onto Magpie (the 50k continues uphill here)
Turn Left onto chickadee trail
Finish at Chickadee trailhead (mile 15.5)

Sun Mountain 50k Course Description

50k description

Start at chickadee
Turn leftt and head up Thompson ridge rd to little wolf creek rd and turn right
Turn left onto criss-cross
Left onto overland
Right onto criss-cross
Left onto overland
Right onto little wolf creek rd
Left onto yellowjacket
Right onto homestead
Immeadiate left onto fox
Left onto black bear
Pass the first grizzly hill junction
Right at the second grizzly hill junction
Left onto moose
At the lodge run down into the employee parking area (aid #1--6.5)
Exit aid #1 and run through grass field towards tennis courts and kraule
Take kraule back to black bear
Turn right onto black bear (runners will do this first section of black bear twice)
Pass both grizzly hill junctions and continue on black bear
Turn left and downhill towards the Winthrop trail on a short connector trail
Turn right and uphill on the Winthrop trail
Left onto patterson lake rd (aid #2 and #3--mile 11.8)
Left onto patterson mountain north connector trail
Left onto patterson mountain loop and follow clockwise to summit trail
Left onto summit trail
Stay on summit trail after summiting and drop down the far side on a dirt road
At the junction with another dirt road turn right and follow back to patterson loop trail
Turn left onto the patterson loop trail
Turn left onto the south connector trail towards the boat ramp
Turn right onto patterson lake rd
Turn left onto cabin trail (aid #2 and #3--mile 17.8)
Left onto patterson lake trail
Right onto rader creek
Left onto lower inside passage
Right onto Pete's Dragon
Right (briefly) onto upper inside passage
Left onto thompson ridge rd (aid #4 mile 23.1)
Left onto meadowlark
Right onto Bluejay
Right onto meadowlark
Right onto lower inside passage
Left onto magpie
Hard left onto chickadee
Finish at trailhead (mile 31.0)