50k course description:
Leave the Cheney Lake parking lot and head around the South end of the lake. After you enter the woods, after 40 yds, look for a small trail on your right. This trail takes you over a small ridge, turn right along the fenceline.
then turn left onto a trail running along Chester Cr.
Follow this trail to its' end, turn right onto Patterson path and follow till Northern Lights Blvd. Cross N.L. and cross Patterson continuing to follow bike path S.E. and into the woods. After Muldoon Park parking lot, turn right into the woods and follow trail in a clockwise direction. Once the trail tends back around to the West and you begin to see buildings, look for a small trail packed through the woods to the South. Follow it and come out onto 32nd Ave and turn left. 32nd will turn right onto Old Muldoon Rd, which you follow until it ends at 36th Ave. Turn left and follow 36th, across Muldoon at the light, continuing on until it ends and a trail continues straight. Follow the trail along back yards and turn right when you reach the gasline. Take the first small trail on your left and crawl or leap the JBER fence!
This is the point where those without JBER permits (signed in for the day) must continue along the gasline until it connects with the tank trail outside JBER property!
If you are properly able to enter the JBER property, run small trails through the woods and end up on the Tank trail. We'll try to flag these for the run. Once on the tank trail, run South up a gradual incline and look for this tree on your left.
It is just before the road turns to the right and ends at the bridge. If you get to the bridge you've gone too far.
Turn left at the tree and begin to climb up the lower flanks of the Dome. This is the first of 2 bigger climbs on the course. Settle in! Climb this main trail until it intersects with a trail on your right heading down and across N. Fork of Campbell Cr.
This trail immediately descends and crosses N. Fork on a rebuilt (sort of) bridge. Climb out the other side of the valley and follow the trail downhill alongside the JBER fence.
After a bit of a descent, you will encounter the tank trail again, and this sign.
Turn left and follow the tank trail until you come to the next sign post on your right. This is a link to the Moose ridge trail. Take it and follow the Moose Ridge trail as it meanders through the forest.
These sign posts are periodic along the way and by following Moose Ridge and then the 4.5 k trail, you will run a counterclockwise loop and end up at the N. Bivouac trailhead. This will be the site of the first aid station at roughly 10.5 miles.
Leave the trail head and follow the gasline trail to where it intersects the powerline. Turn right up the powerline and climb up to Basher Rd. Cross directly over the road and into the Basher trailhead.
Continue S., climbing along the powerline and then through a few small switchbacks until you are on top of the bluff overlooking S. fork. This trail continues to climb gently but beautifully and in places is marked with yellow blazes on trees.
It will finally dump you out at the intersection of the Wolverine Peak trail.
This is the high point of the 50k course, Turn right and descend the trail down to the creek crossing on a large bridge. Climb back out and around the shoulder of the other side. You will be heading out to the Prospect Heights trailhead and after the main climb out of the creek, you will find a short downhill.
The turn you need to not miss is at the bottom of this short hill and to the right.
If you do miss it, you will end up at the trailhead, which is not far away. Simply backtrack a bit and you'll find it. This is known as the Llama trail and will connect you with the Single Track Advocates Hillside MTB trails. As you come up on the trail system, you will see a sign for the Llama trail and one for The Hive. Turn right and follow this trail. You will want to pay attention and make sure you stay on The Hive trail as these trails split fairly soon after you get on them.
Descend The Hive which eventually becomes Janices Jive and the will intersect Queen Bee as it continues downhill to the MTB trailhead. This will be the site of aid station #2 at 18 miles.
Follow the parking lot north and run past Hilltop Ski Area, continuing along to meet the multi-use trail. The Multi-use trail runs a short distance before encountering the creek again. Spencer loop goes to the right, but on the left you will find the entranced to the Brown Bear trail.
Run into the woods and take your first right, heading towards the gorge.
Have fun running down this trail to where it joins Black Bear trail and turn right. After a short distance, the trail ends at the Moose Meadows trail.
Turn right and run a short little bit till you hit Rover's Run (Mellen's Way).
Continue downhill to the left and run this great trail to where it intersects the Tour of Anchorage trail.
Turn right on the Tour trail and run a short distance to the bridge. Don't cross the bridge, but continue on crossing the dogsled trail. Immediately after, look for a small trail on the right.
This trail runs along the creek before jumping back up to meet the Tour trail. When it does, cross directly over the Tour trail and run like you are heading to the parking lot. Cross the dogsled trail again, then turn to the right on the Moose Track trail.
This trail will run along the science center road and bring you to a parking lot on Elmore Rd. BUT, just before the parking lot, you will want to turn right onto a small trail which becomes the Blue Dot trail. It is call thus due to the blue blazes painted on trees along the way.
Easy to follow, this trail will wind through the woods and terminate back at the Tour of Anchorage trail.
Turn left and follow the Tour tail to where it puts you onto the paved bike path and continues under MLK Dr. and on along Tudor Rd. Keep on keeping on, up and over the overpass and by a pond on your right before going through a tunnel and running into University Lake trails. Aid station #3 will be right by the tunnel at about 25 miles.
Turn right after the tunnel, not on the bike path, but on the path which runs right along side the lake. Follow this path, crossing Chester creek where it dumps into the lake, and running along the fenceline on the NE side on the lake. Turn right immediately after the fence and proceed across the big field.
If the snow is still cruddy and no grooming is happening on the APU ski trails, we will follow the ski trails from the Northern margin of the big field through the woods and to the overpass crossing over Northern Lights Blvd.
If grooming is happening, I have to apologize for this section. Typically we can run trail all the way to Russian Jack, but we must be considerate to skiers at this time of year.
So, if you see nicely groomed ski trail at the end of the field, continue straight on a non groomed path back to the bike trail and follow it towards East High School and the over pass.
Cross over Northern Lights and stay on the bike path through the woods to Russian Jack Springs Park. Enjoy all of the miles you've put on through the day and reflect a bit on the wonderful trails you've traversed and the stimulating company you've been with. As you come into the park (past the apt. houses), turn left on trail through a few short, steep hills.
This will spit you out at the bottom of the sledding hill. run up the hill and by the Chalet. Continue on past the Chalet and run the open, flat trail up towards the greenhouse. Staying to the right of the road, go up over a small crest and then down with the greenhouse on your left. Run down Herringbone Hill and then turn left to go through the tunnel under Debarr Ave. After the tunnel look for the trail that ascends to the left into the woods.
Follow this trail on a tour of North Russian Jack and find yourself back on the bike path returning to the tunnel under Debarr Ave. After going through, turn left and follow the path. Enjoy this last patch of woods as your journey is almost over. Continue nostalgically running until you find a beat up, red painted sign.
Turn left and follow this spur trail as it approaches, then goes under Boniface Pkwy. The trail ends and becomes Craig Dr. Run past Nunaka Valley school on your left and then the ball fields until Craig Rd. ends and another bike path continues. Keep on this path which takes a short jaunt through the woods to the cross walk across Baxter Rd. and onto the shores of Cheney Lake. Turn right and listen to the roar of the crowds as they cheer you in for your final strides!
Congratulations!
50 Mile course:
The 50 mile course follows basically the same loop as the 50k, with additional loops thrown in. Please refer to the course maps and cross reference them with this description. Then run with your head up, look for trail signposts, the occasional flagging ribbon, and think about carrying a map with you. The turns are not hard to follow on a map, but without one, you may get lost.
Addition #1 :
This loop begins at the "Little Loop" trail sign on the Wolverine Trail approximately mile 14. Little Loop trail is a short cut over to the Middle Fork Loop trail - turn left off of Wolverine trail. Once you hit the Middle Fork trail, continue uphill. Follow this trail all the way until you cross the Middle Fork of Campbell Creek on a new bridge after a new section of trail. The new trail will intersect the old at a trail signpost. Before the sign post be aware that the trail splits and the left fork continues up into the Williwaw valley - this is not the way you want to go! At the sign post, continue on, turning left and running uphill, to the intersection with a trail that ascends Little O'Malley peak. At this intersection, turn right and descend to the South Fork Campbell Cr. crossing. Climb back up the other side and you'll find yourself on the Powerline.
Run up a short incline on the Powerline and past the trails that would take you to Glen Alps parking lot. The Powerline begins to go downhill here - you're in for a long ride! Follow the Powerline downhill, curving around the snowmobilers entrance, until you reach a sign post for "Blueberry Hollow trail" on your right. Take it and find yourself bak on a single track trail. Follow Blueberry Hollow until it intersects with the South Rim trail. Turn right, and you will keep descending until you "T" into another trail. A few steps uphill to your left brings you back to the Powerline.
The next section follows the "Alder" trail. This trail is somewhat vague in the summer, so may be a challenge in the winter. Maybe a good chance to walk for a bit. Go straight across the Powerline and tend just a bit left into an alder choked draw. Find the trail markers (surveyors tape) here and continue on into the alders. The trail can be faint at times, but is existent, just follow the tape and occasional markers on the trees. After a bit, the Alder trail will merge with another larger trail. Turn right on this trail and then look for a sign for the "Denali View" trail. Follow Denali View up over a small rise and continue to descend - enjoy the vista! Denali View will lead back into the Powerline and continue straight across as the "Golden Grass" trail. Golden Grass will take you all the way down to Prospect heights trail (you'll be able to see the parking lot), where you will turn right and run a short distance before coming to a short steep hill. This is where the 50k course meets back up. Look for pink ribbon on your left and follow this link trail to the Hillside STA trails.
Sequence of trails:
Little Loop
Middle Fork Loop
Powerline
Blueberry Hollow
South Rim
Alder
Denali View
Golden Grass
Addition #2:
After leaving the aid station at the bottom of the Hillside STA trails, turn left instead of right as the 50k runners will do. Follow the road to the parking lot for Hillside ski trails and find the entrance to the "Abbott Trail" on the West side of the lot. Follow Abbott trail until it hits Birch Rd. trail and turn right. Do not go over the overpass! Run a short distance and look for signs to the "Tour of Anchorage" trail. Run downhill on the Tour trail until you see a prominent fat bike trail on your right. This trail will lead you downhill into an cleared area, curving back around to the East. I call this the "Aspen Project" trail, and it will lead you up to a swampy area. Stay left and climb up through the spruce. You will run past the Aspen project fence (keeping moose away from a plot of trees) and after a bit, the trail will intersect "Moose Meadow" trail. Turn right and follow this well traveled and wider trail. Look for a sign for "Black Bear" trail and follow it to your right. This trail will climb out of the creek bottom, turn hard left, and continue climbing up the side of the hill, ultimately depositing you at the end of the "Multi-use trail" which runs from Hilltop Ski Area towards the creek. Follow the multi use trail downhill towards the creek and look for a sign for "Mellen's Way". This is Rovers Run and you'll turn left onto the trail. Follow Rovers all the way until it runs back into the Tour trail. Turn right and run a short distance to the bridge and Campbell Cr, trailhead.
Sequence of trails:
Abbott
Birch Rd.
Tour of Anchorage
"Aspen Project"
Moose Meadow
Black Bear
Mellen's Way (Rovers Run)
Tour of Anchorage
Addition #3:
Run across the bridge and through the parking lot keeping to your left. Cross Campbell airstrip road and find a single track on the other side - follow it. Cross over the dog mushing trail and run (?) up a short steep hill. At the top of the hill, turn left and follow this fat bike trail until it intersects the Moose Ridge trail that you ran earlier in the morning. Turn left and run up the gradual incline and back across the small bridge. After the bridge, look for a fat bike trail heading off to your left. It will be marked with pink ribbon for the run. Take this trail and enjoy sweet single track for quite a while. This trail will dump you out on the 4.5k loop where you will turn right and again be running backwards on the trail you ran earlier in the day. Running West, follow the 4.5k trail until you see a sign post which will direct you back to Campbell trailhead. Leave the main trail and go down a small hill, finding yourself back on a small fat bike trail. This will lead you around and ultimately dump you out on the dog musing trail which you will follow for about 200 yards before you can turn left, run through the scrub and cross the road, entering the trailhead parking lot again. Recross the bridge, turn right, and you're back on the 50k course.
Addition #4:
This loop will add on approx. 2 miles and branches off the 50k course where the fence begins on the North side of University Lake. Do not continue straight with the 50k runners, but stay left along the trail running along the fenceline. Run along the lake until the trail enters another large field. Stay to the right and join University Rd. at the West end of the field. Follow the road to its end and turn right on Elmore Rd. Follow Elmore across Providence Dr. and on to the bike path, turning left. Follow the bike path around Mosquito Lake turning right and then right again on Alumni Dr. Alumni Dr. will take you around the back side of the UAA Fine Art Bldg. where you will jump off the road and get on the Goose Lake bike path. Run the bike path to Goose Lake, take a short single track through the woods, and find yourself on the Chester Creek Trail. Turn right and run the Chester Creek bike path East past East High School and across the bike path bridge over Northern Lights Blvd. joining back up with the 50k course.
Last Addition:
As you run back across Baxter Rd. after running through Russian Jack and through Nunaka, you'll see Cheney Lake in front of you. You'll hear the roar of the crowd and smell the pig roasting over the warm fire. But don't be drawn in, fair runner. Turn your head away from the frivolity, stick your fingers in your ears and your nose. You must first continue on with a victory lap of the lake. Instead of turning right along the bike path, run straight and follow the lakes edge behing the condos and to the far side of the lake. Now, run through the forest of blasted down trees and revel in these last few moments of serenity. You'll soon hear the party of the finish again and come out of the woods on the South end of the lake. Continue around, up the last incline, and into the arms of your beloved!
