50 Mile Course Description

WELCOME
to the new
Helena Ultra Runners League
HURL ELKHORN 50 MILE ENDURANCE RUN
Established 2005

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*** [IMPORTANT UPDATES] ***

Course Description:

A topographical rendition of the complete course, as well as a continuous elevation profiles, can be seen on the 50 Mile Map page. A map with course description labels, aid stations and general mileages marked on it can be viewed on the Course Layout page.

Start/Finish Area Directions:
The race starts and finishes at the Crystal Creek campground. Primitive camping is available at the start/finish area. From Montana City follow the same directions as to Elkhorn Fitness Retreat except continue on McClellan Creek Road at the driveway to the Fitness Retreat. Approximately ½ mile past the driveway to the Fitness Retreat you will see the Campground on the right (do not turn left towards East Helena ). Additional parking is available on the left side of the road.

Transportation to Start Area:
We will be able to provide very limited transportation from Helena to the starting area on race morning, on a first come first served basis.

Course Description:
From Crystal Creek Campground the course starts uphill on Forest Service Road 4017 to Trail 301 (2.5 Miles).

We will have water available at this trailhead. Runners continue uphill on Trail 301 to Montgomery Park (5 miles). Runners continue on Trail 301, which more or less contours along the mountain side until dropping into Casey Meadows (8 miles). At Casey Meadows runners will turn downhill on Trail 343 to the Jackson Creek Trailhead (aid station #1, 10 miles). Runners then go uphill on Trail 344 which intersects with Trail 301 (13 miles). Runners then backtrack on Trail 301 to Montgomery Park (15 miles), downhill to Forest Service Road 4017 (17.5 miles, water will be available), and down Forest Service Road 4017 to the start finish area (aid station #2, 20 miles).

From the start/finish area runners will start uphill on Forest Service Road 294 to the McClellan Creek Trailhead, Trail 343 (21.5 miles). Approximately ¼ mile up Trail 343 runners will turn right on McClellan Creek Trail 302. Approximately 2.5 miles up the trail from this point runners will enter the Tepee Creek Aid Station (aid station #4, 24 miles) The course continues uphill on Trail 302 until it intersects with Trail 113 (aid station #4, 27 miles). Runners turn left from the aid station on Trail 113 and turn right on Trail 114 (Moose Creek). This trail rolls up and down briefly before turning downhill to the intersection with Forest Service Road 4032 (31 miles). Turn right, which begins a gradual uphill on Forest Service Road 4032 and stay on the road to its intersection with Trail 113 (aid station #5, 32.5 miles). Runners will head uphill on Trail 113 to its intersection with Trail 302 (aid station #6, 35.5 miles), and then backtrack downhill on Trail 302 to its intersection with Trail 301 (aid station #7, 39 miles).

From aid station #7, the course is steep uphill on Trail 301 until dropping back down into Casey Meadows (42.5 miles). From Casey Meadows runners will continue on Trail 301, uphill out of Casey Meadows and then generally contouring along the mountain side to Trail 344 (44 miles). Runners turn downhill on Trail 344 to its intersection with Trail 343 (aid station #8, 48 miles). From there runners will continue downhill on Trail 343 to its intersection with Forest Service Road 294, turn right and continue downhill on Forest Service Road 294 to the finish area.

Pacers/Support Vehicles/Crews/Access:
Pacers are only allowed from the Tepee Creek aid station (aid station #7) to the finish. Support vehicles and crews are welcome, however vehicle access to the course is limited. Crews may assist, observe, cheer, mock, etc. runners along Forest Service Roads 4017 ( Crystal Creek Road ) and 294 ( McClellan Creek Road ). Please remind crew vehicles to give runners the right of way, and to drive slowly to minimize dust. Runners, do not get into a vehicle unless you are planning to drop out. Race Management will assume that any runners in vehicles have gotten a ride, and you will be disqualified.

Observation of runners on the jeep road section ( Forest Service Road 4032) is strongly discouraged. It will take at least four hours to drive to this portion of the course from the start finish area. Flat tires and dents are likely. If you insist that your crew meet you on this road, you owe them big time!
Crews can also meet runners at the Jackson Creek Trailhead (aid station #1, #8) and Tepee Creek aid stations (aid station #3,7). From the McClellan Creek trailhead off Road 294, follow the signs towards Casey Meadows. The Jackson Creek Trailhead aid station is an easy hike of approximately 3/4 mile. The Tepee Creek aid station can be reached from either the McClellan Creek trailhead or the Willard Creek trailhead. From McClellan Creek start up the trail, and turn right on the McClellan Creek trail approximately ¼ mile from the trailhead. At approximately 2.5 miles from the trailhead, the Willard Creek trail comes in from the right, continue up the McClellan Creek trail another ½ mile and you will be at the Tepee Creek aid station. This is an uphill hike with a couple of short steeper sections, but is not difficult. From the Willard Creek trailhead, hike approximately 1 mile, cross McClellan Creek (there is a board to walk across) and intersect the McClellan Creek trail just past the creek crossing, turn right on McClellan Creek trail, ½ mile to the aid station. The hike on the Willard Creek trail is mostly downhill to the creek crossing, with no real difficult terrain. Willard Creek is a great area to spot moose!

Aid Stations/Cut Off Times/Drop Bags:
There is a cut off time of 16 hours. Runners finishing after 16 hours will not receive an award. Runners not meeting the cut off time noted below for the Tepee Creek aid station will be ask to drop by aid station personnel.

Aid Station Location	Mileage	Cut off Time
Jackson Creek Trailhead	10	none
Start/Finish Area	20	none
Teepee Creek 1^st time Elk Park 1st time	24 27	none none
Wilson Creek	32.5	none
Elk Park 2nd time	35.5	none
Teepee Creek 2^nd time	39	6:30 PM
Jackson Creek Trailhead	48	none

Aid stations will be manned by volunteers and stocked with food, beverages, first aid supplies, etc. Please keep in mind that our ability to put on this event depends on our ability to convince people that spending one of our short Montana summer weekends waiting on ultrarunners will be a rewarding experience. Abuse of aid station volunteers will not be tolerated, and will result in disqualification. If you have a problem, please bring it to the attention of race management. As ultrarunning race directors, we obviously enjoy abuse.

Each aid station will record the time you left that station. Make sure that aid station personnel record your presence at that aid station, otherwise, race management will assume that you did not complete the entire course.

DROP BAGS

Drop bag service will be available at the Start/Finish area aid station, which runners will pass at the 20 mile point in the race. The other drop bag aid station will be at Tepee Creek (2^nd time only) aid station which runners will pass through at the 39 mile point. (Please note: Drop bags for Tepee Creek will have to be packed in and out a little over a mile from the nearest trailhead by our volunteers. The volunteers packing your drop bag will likely be the same volunteers manning the aid station and we don’t want them so worn out from carrying heavy drop bags that they cannot assist runners. For everyone’s sake, we ask that these drop bags be kept light.)Race Management reserves the right to remove heavy items from drop bags. Drop bags must be left in the designated areas at the Start/Finish line the morning of the race. Drop bags will be returned at the post race awards celebration. Later finishers may have to pick up drop bags on Sunday morning.