SINNEMAHONE 33M Trail Run - Emporium, Pennsylvania

Elevation range : 1010' - 2250' ............. Elevation Gain: 4000'

October 15, 2016 - Sinnemahoning means “Stony Lick” in the Lenape language

The 50K and 25K courses turn right from Route 155 at the Buttonwood Motel and passes through a gate onto the Wiley Trail. From the start to the gate is 1.32 miles. The Wiley Trail is used as a snow mobile route during the winter and is wide enough for a jeep. This trail goes up the mountain and crosses into Climax Hollow and proceeds up the hollow until it encounters the Bauer Hollow Road a distance of 1.80 miles.

The course bears left onto the Bauer Hollow Road for 1.91 miles until it intersects the Steam Mill road. Bauer Hollow and Steam Mill are both dirt roads with very limited traffic. This intersection is the location for Aid Station 1.

The course follows the Steam Mill road to the right for 0.40 miles where it turns left onto the Mowray Trail. The Mowray crosses the Bucktail Path after 0.45 miles and is now named the Chicago Springs Trail.

The long course continues over the Mowray / Chicago Springs Trail for a total of 3.07 miles and then intersects Ridge Road, a dirt road open for traffic except in winter when it’s also open for snow mobiles. The race turns right on Ridge Road for 1.33 miles until crossed by a pipe line. The Ridge Road and pipeline sections are marked with yellow engineering flags and yellow signs with black arrows. Aid Station 2 is located at this crossing. The race bears right onto the pipeline for 3.67 miles until it is crossed by another pipeline. The racers turn left onto this second pipeline for 0.12 miles to where it again intersects Ridge Road. The course turns right onto Ridge Road and 1.44 miles to the start of the Park Hollow Trail. This is the location of Aid Station 3 and the point where the runners will find their drop bags.

There is a gated road at the start of Park Hollow Trail but the course doesn’t follow this road. Instead it follows the yellow flags for about a quarter mile until it joins the Park Hollow section of the Bucktail Path. Near the trail’s end the course crosses a camp’s yard and follows their driveway until it reaches Whitehead Road. The race course crosses Whitehead Road and turns to the right along the creek to the bottom of Rock Run. The Park Hollow trail is 3.76 miles long before joining the Rock Run Trail.

Rock Run contains some of the prettiest waterfalls in Cameron County when there is sufficient water to show them off. The start of Rock Run has Aid Station 4. The trail becomes narrow and rocky with Mountain Laurel about two thirds of the way to the top. Once the trail reaches the top of the mountain it wanders across a large flat area then turns downhill until it crosses Hunts Run. Just before Hunts Run the course again crosses a camp yard and goes down the driveway. The Rock Run section is 4.46 miles long. After crossing Hunts Run the course follows the creek upstream to the bottom of McNuff Run where Aid Station 5 is located.

McNuff Run is probably the most interesting trail. A little larger stream and a number of beaver dams highlight the trail. The course follows this trail for 2.63 miles until it intersects with the Mowray/Chicago Springs Trail. This section will provide enough water and mud for most of the runners, especially if there has been a lot of rain in the week before the race. The course turns left onto the Mowray Trail for 0.45 miles to Steam Mill Road.

The race turns right onto Steam Mill for 0.70 miles until it reaches the intersection with Bauer Hollow Road and Aid Station 6. The race turns left onto the Bauer Road for 1.91 miles, and then bears right onto the Wiley Trail for 1.80 miles to the gate at the Buttonwood Motel.

The course leaves the Buttonwood Motel parking lot and crosses State Route 155 into the Little League baseball complex and turns left for about 100 yards. The course then turns right and crosses the Little League baseball complex. The race turns left and follows a walking path behind the ball field, across the parking lot and behind an old car dealership. The course turns left after passing the dealership to Route 155 where it turns right along the highway for about 50 yards where it turns right onto a snowmobile trail. The runners follow the snowmobile trail for about 100 yards until it reaches Route 120 where the course turns right onto the highway. The course crosses a bridge and turns left across State Route 120 onto East Second Street for about 50 yards. The course bears right onto the Rails to Trails where the race follows the West Creek Rails to Trails straight to the finish line. The section from the Buttonwood gate to the finish is 1.38 miles.

As you’ve probably noticed the first and last 4 miles follows a similar route. Because it crosses several streets in Emporium and two state highways please use the utmost caution when crossing these paved sections. We are closing these paved roads for the start but traffic will be present on the return. During the race a number of dirt roads are crossed or followed and while there is less traffic, care should still be used since some of these roads are open to traffic. Enjoy the race in scenic Cameron County and come back soon.