UNDER CONSTRUCTION...Maps and more info to come.
20 Mile, 7500+' climbing. For our inaugural May race, the highpoint will be Cannonball Mountain 7250'. The race will follow the traditional Heavens Gate Marathon Course. Begin on the Rapid River Trail and then the West Fork Rapid River Trail to McRea Cabin at 7.25mi. Then up to Wurl Cabin and continue climbing to Coconut Grove. Then straight up to Cannonball Spring for a water fill up and another half mile to the top of Cannonball Mountain. Here, the course goes EAST, descending steeply for over 3000' towards Blue Gulch. We will have a manned aid station here at the Blue Gulch Creek Crossing. The 15K and 20 Mile races join each other here to the finish. This begins the new terrain we haven't used for Heavens Gate before. Climb straight up on the faint Trail #76 for 1000' to the top of the ridge at 5000'. Turn right and descend the ridge on a nice, primitive trail. At the toe of the ridge, approximately 3900', go NORTH on nice, rolling singletrack through Thorn Gulch. Another spring and trough is here with good water to drink. Emerge into open country and mount the final climb onto a beautiful ridge. Climb the ridge and top the final peak at about 4500' and begin the descent to the Hatchery. The trail follows a ridge at first, then drops into the grassy basin above the Trailhead. The final stretch is a flowy doubletrack that takes you back to the Trailhead, then down the access road to the hatchery and finish.
15K (approx 9.3mi) 4000' climbing. Start on Rapid River Trail, but veer right after just 0.4mi on the trail. Climb up the Cannonball Trail #65 up to Blue Gulch and reach the aid station at mile 3. The 15K and 20 Mile races join each other here to the finish. This begins the new terrain we haven't used for Heavens Gate before. Climb straight up on the faint Trail #76 for 1000' to the top of the ridge at 5000'. Turn right and descend the ridge on a nice, primitive trail. At the toe of the ridge, approximately 3900', go NORTH on nice, rolling singletrack through Thorn Gulch. Another spring and trough is here with good water to drink. Emerge into open country and mount the final climb onto a beautiful ridge. Climb the ridge and top the final peak at about 4500' and begin the descent to the Hatchery. The trail follows a ridge at first, then drops into the grassy basin above the Trailhead. The final stretch is a flowy doubletrack that takes you back to the Trailhead, then down the access road to the hatchery and finish.
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