2022 Runner Email #1

Hello runners!

I hope you are all doing well and are training hard! I'm not sure how this winter has gone for you all, but I feel as if I blinked and it's suddenly spring. Here in the Upper Arkansas Valley, spring is just starting to touch the river corridor, but we still have at least 3 more weeks of active snow accumulation in the high country. There's only 113 days until race day, so these next few months are critical training. If you haven't already, it's time to shake of the cobwebs and really start charging. It's also time to start planning, which is what this email largely covers. Please take a moment to read through it.

SNOWPACK UPDATE

We're currently at 95% of average with a projected peak date of April 16th. Assuming April stays average, the course will likely be 100% passable by the second week of June. The final snowfields will likely be melted by the fourth of July. The Colorado Trail sections will likely be mostly runnable by May 1st. If you want to track it for yourself, use this link and set the second dropdown (Sub basins) to "Upper Arkansas Headwaters" then "Open Chart". Monarch currently has a 70" base with 235" of snowfall this winter.

HOW TO DROP FROM THE RACE

April marks the time when folks start dropping. While I'd love to see 100% of you at the start line, the reality is that some of you are going to drop out. If you do need to drop, I'd encourage you to not sit on it. There are a lot of eager waitlisters who are eager to get out of limbo and start making travel plans. They are always appreciative of getting in sooner. The only option for deferral is through our New Child Policy. If you want to drop, please send me an email. 

TRAIL WORK DAYS ARE SCHEDULED

The 2022 work days are now locked in for June 11-12. Full details, including the signup form, are available on the website. On Saturday, we'll be working around Hancock Lake on the CDT doing soil stabilization and replacing some old water crossings. On Sunday, we'll be with CFI working on the trail up Mt. Yale. We'll have camping for those interested. Runners have one week to register before the general public. We do keep a waitlist, but please only sign up if you are committing to come. Bailing is lame.

TRAIL WORK FORM IS UPDATED

Turns out I uploaded the 2022 form, but the button was still linking to the 2021 form. You can download the 2022 trail work form here. The deadline for trail work is July 10th, 2022. 

HOW TO PAY THE OPT OUT FEE

If you aren't able to do physical trail work, you'll need to pay the opt out fee of $150. You can pay the opt out fee to EITHER the Continental Divide Trail Coalition or the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative. Don't accidentally send it to the Colorado Trail Foundation. You can pay the opt out here. 

VIRTUAL COURSE PLANNING NIGHT

We'll be doing a virtual course planning night on Zoom on April 28th. We'll cover the course, common problems, training, gear, pacers, and more. It's informal, and a great way to ask any questions you have about the race. You can RSVP for the event here.

VOLUNTEER SIGNUP IS OPEN

If you, or your friends, would like to volunteer, you can sign up now! There are shifts before the race that are great for runners and plenty of shifts during the race. Spread the word, we need a small army! 

TRAVEL/LODGING

If you haven't booked travel, lodging, or both...you should get on that. Most of the lodging is already booked in the valley. Also, for those of you flying out, plan on at least 5 hours to drive from BV to DIA, return your rental, and clear security. For renting a car, I highly, highly recommend at least a crossover SUV. You will struggle to get to Hancock and Blanks with an AWD. For lodging, I suggest BV. It's closer to the race start and we do our pre-race meeting there. Salida has more options and is super fun, but it's about 30 minutes to BV. If you want to camp, you can buy a site here. There is more info about lodging and dispersed camping here.

I think that covers the majority of things for now. As always, please reach out with any questions! If you're so inclined, feel free to send me an email with a little bit about yourself, I'd love to get to know you all in the build up to the race.

See you in the Sawatch,

Caleb Efta

RD, High Lonesome 100