1) DROP BAG DROP OFF is 5:30 to 6:00 a.m. 
From Sandpoint take Hwy. 200 East past Hope for approx. 2 miles. You will see the Sam Owen Fire Station on your left. (Old Sam Owen Road). Turn and go over the RR tracks. Drop bag drop-off is in the pullout on your left. From Montana come up Hwy 200 through Clark Fork towards Hope and in approx. 8 miles you will see the Fire Station on your right. Turn right, go over tracks and drop bag drop-off is on your left in pull-out.
Volunteers will check you in and take your drop bag. Drop bags should have the food you like for the event if you like your own goodies. We will have limited items at the Aid Station. I suggest a 2 ½ gallon or gallon zip lock bag clearly marked with your LAST NAME.

 VOLUNTEERS WILL THEN DIRECT YOU TO THE START WHERE YOU GET YOUR RACE NUMBER.

REMEMBER, THIS DROP-OFF CLOSES AT 6:00 a.m. SHARP!!! AND THEY WILL BE LEAVING to head to the Aid Station with your drop bag. DON’T BE LATE!

2) START: 6:30 a.m.
Location: Trailhead of 120 footbridge at the end of WEST SPRING CREEK ROAD.
Directions: From Fire Station go to the stop sign and across the road then proceed up West Spring Creek Road. Stay on this road, do not take any side turns. Go 4.5 miles to the parking area. It is a very small area so I encourage riding with a fellow friend/racer or getting dropped off. You can park in the center, clearly marked with cones, or on the right side of the road leading in and out. This is a dead-end road and very obvious you are at the right place
There will be 4 porta-potties with sanitizer.

An air horn will blow 5 minutes before the start to alert you. We will start with another air horn blast after the playing of “Amazing Grace”.

NUMBERS MUST BE VISIBLY WORN ON THE FRONT.

There is no crewing or pacing on the course and no dogs allowed. There are no viewpoints for family and friends except at the finish.

No one is allowed at the Aid Station per USFS Permitting Requirements and lack of parking.

3) ROUTE:
From the start, you are on a single track the entire race following pink flagging tape on Trail 120. THIS IS THE ONLY TRAIL YOU ARE ON!! It is a climb of 5.25 miles (3200 feet of climbing) to your water drop which will be very well marked with a sign at that location.  Also this water drop is not a trash drop. Take your trash with you. My sweeper has enough to carry.
TIP: DO NOT BLOW YOUR GASKET ON THIS CLIMB, YOU WILL DIG AN EARLY GRAVE AND PAY FOR IT LATER!
IT WILL BE HOT AND EXPOSED – DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE YOUR HYDRATION AND CALORIC NEEDS. THE TRAIL IS ROCKY AND ROOTY IN PLACES AND HAS SMALL TRIPPERS, IF YOU ARE DAYDREAMING YOU WILL GO DOWN. Guaranteed…
Pay attention and you’ll stay upright.

The pink flagging tape will be spaced approx ¼ mile apart, in some places much closer. In spots where game trails join the trail, you will see lots of tape to keep you on course.
PAY ATTENTION! Do not go out of your way to get lost. We do not need a new Strava Route for this course. This is an out-and-back course on one trail which does not require flagging it every 100 meters.
If you don’t see the lake on your left going out and right coming back you are probably in Canada and will have to quarantine or hitchhike back. Can’t say I didn’t warn ya’.
Runners on the return have the right away so let’s all be courteous out there.
You may encounter horses, very unlikely but possible. If it is a horse and rider announce your presence and give right away or pass slowly if allowed. Mountain Bikers? Possible but highly unlikely.
NO LITTERING! We all know that. Enough said.
4) AID STATION (13.0) You must check-in and out VERBALIZING your race number to our volunteer.  CUTOFF TIME IS 11:30 (5 hours) Firm.
You must be OUT of the Aid Station going to Roundtop by the 11:30 Cutoff time!
If you miss the cutoff, no worries you will be turned around and directed back to the finish, still completing 26 miles minus Roundtop.
Should you choose to abandon, notify our volunteers and you will have to wait till the sweeper passes through and then return with the volunteers via vehicle. This may take a while so. Should you have a medical emergency on the trail stay put and wait for our sweeper.

We will provide Water, Tailwind, Coke and Ginger Ale, Ice, Chips, PBJ, Jelly Beans. Do not reach into the bowls, our Volunteers will hand you what you request.  Volunteers will direct you to your drop bag if needed. Volunteers will pour fluids into your bladder or bottles while you hold them. Again, they will pour , not you….it is all for sanitary purposes.
There will be a trash bag for you to drop your bottles and trash. There are no Facilities at the Aid Station so if you #2 do it off the trail and bury it.
You are at approx. 13 miles at this point and will continue on from the Aid Station FOLLOWING PINK FLAGGING AND PINK PIN FLAGS and do a short 1 ½ mile clockwise loop that takes you through a scree field and up to the summit of Roundtop. At the top, you will find a PURPLE CROWN ROYAL WHISKEY BAG WITH COINS. Take one coin and carry it to the finish. From the summit follow pink flagging and pin flags CLOCKWISE BACK TO THE AID STATION and again check-in and out.
From there you return back the way you came to the start/finish following the markings and pick up more water if needed. You have 5.25 miles to go. It is all downhill from there. By this time of the day it will be cooking and you will be tired, so do not bypass readily available fluids!!
Cross the bridge and you are done. CONGRATS! 26 ish bonus miles and 5700, 5800 or 5900 feet of ascent! (Whatever your Garmin says :))

First 3 Male/Female earn awards

Collect your hoodie and spade, grab a cold beverage and popsicle and come back next year!!