50K Course Description

The first half of the 50K is the 25K course so this description picks it up from the split.

After descending – also known as slipping, butt-sliding, and tripping - down that glorious and aptly-named Frankenstein’s Forehead, you will reach the beautiful pristine stream known as Left Straight Run. The 25K folks get to turn left and run the ever so slight downhill along the stream, including 7 – 9 crossings of said stream depending on water level, then the 1-mile sprint on gravel forest road to the finish.

The 50K folks will turn RIGHT at the stream and experience a couple crossings on a very gradual uphill climb and cross Wildcat Hollow before turning steeply, though not as steeply as some that you have already experienced, up the spine of a ridge just past Wildcat Hollow. There you will meet some mountain bike trails that will meander up and down and around until around Mile 17.0 when you reach the top of Left Strait Run Trail! Here you will find an unmanned aid station. Help yourself!

You will then continue to climb on a grassy haul road, turn onto a nearly level, nearly straight single track, then right again onto Scotch Pine Trail and Hesselgessel Road for an easy sprint into the 5th Aid Station at Hesselgessel Millstone (Mile 19.0).

Isn’t it so much fun to say Hesselgessel? James Hesselgessel had a millstone quarry at this site in the 1830’s then abruptly shut down production with a partially finished millstone left as a landmark for you to run by. You will also run over top of the large unique deposit of conglomerate, but caution is needed to avoid falling into the crevices in the formation. Going off the back side is a quick hop, skip and jump to a brand new trail that actually follows an old woods road we have named Millstone Hollow Trail. We can imagine this being the very woods road that James Hesselgessel used to transport his finished millstones to the mills they were installed in. Watch out for some leftover stubs from the overgrown mountain laurel we cut out, but this is a great place to stretch out and make time.

You hit Right Asaph Road for a 100 yard downhill dash before dropping off the gravel road onto another newly opened grade – Lower Bear Wallow Trail. This continues an easy-peasy slight downhill before dropping down to a stream crossing, then a gradual climb through a very pretty logging grade cut in the middle of a red pine plantation. Think darkly shaded with a pine needle surface to enjoy. This will give way to a long roll-y and at times very wet Middle Ridge Trail. Make sure your shoes are tied securely. We are not responsible for fishing them out of the bog.

Eventually you arrive at Big Tree Hollow, a somewhat steep, technical but very fun descent until you cross Left Asaph Road onto another newly minted trail. You basically follow downstream with some technical rocky sections and 2 crossings of Left Asaph Run. This unusually wet summer has maintained the crossings at somewhere between ankle and knee depth. Who knows what October will bring? The trail however, brings you to the 6th aid station at Frying Pan Run (Mile 24.5).

After you have refueled, wade Left Asaph Run again and start the long drag up Left Frying Pan Trail to Goodall Road. After crossing the road, get ready for a real treat. If the next mile and a half of Goodall Hollow Trail doesn’t put a smile on your face then maybe you should just give up trail running and go back to roads. This is such a fun, easy, stretch it out downhill single track it will remind you why you started trail running in the first place. Watch out for the one road crossing, but after that this newly opened grade gets even better and makes all the climbs worthwhile. At the bottom there is another very wet crossing of Asaph Run and the last Aid Station (Mile 27.5).

Be sure to pick up some energy here because there is one more ridge to cross to get back to the finish. Scotch Pine Trail will turn nearly everyone into hikers as it grinds up the face of the hill. The reward is an equally long descent on Darling Road Trail. This is very runnable – if you have any legs left - the entire way back to Straight Run Road. Once you hit the gravel road, it is only a HALF MILE sprint to the finish.