Snow Peaks 50M - Provo, Utah Elevation Range: 5000' - 9000'............ Elevation Gain: 7000' June
8, 2024 - 0500 Start - NO CUT OFF TIME - @
Vivian Park in Provo Canyon - 5.9 miles up from the mouth
of Provo Canyon. Drop bags (by 4:30am) at Aid Station 8 (33.4M - Cutoff 1430) It
is a very challenging, difficult and scenic loop course
through the Wasatch Mountains above Provo, Utah. The
trail will be marked. It consists of dirt trails
(43%), dirt roads (38%) and some paved (19%). The paved
sections are: The first 2.1 miles from the start at
Vivian Park down the Provo River Trail to the first
Aid Station. Then at the 22.7 mile mark, for 3.7 miles
when you come out onto the Hobble Creek Road, and the
last 3.7 down to the finish. *NOTE*There can be sections of the course that are covered with snow. At about mile 11 after passing Rock Canyon, for about 2+ miles and then the sections on and off approaching Windy Pass (9000) for about 4 miles and the next 2 after the pass. About a mile after coming off the pass there are a couple of areas where you cross the snow that are fairly steep and can be unnerving for some people. In 99 we put up a rope across these 2 short sections to provide safety and security for those that needed it. And it paid off, even this years winner took a spill and the rope stopped his slide, which by the way, would be a shortcut. I told him afterwards if he hadnt have been flying across it he might not have slipped! Anyway, those of us that are used to these conditions, as one women runner put it after the 98 race, you runners that run up here all the time probably dont even think twice about crossing stuff like that The figures given, of course, are approximate and will vary depending upon our winter. Our first 2 years were El Nino winters with a lot of snow. The 99 run was a more normal snow year. The runners who had run in 98 and then again in 99, had a finishing time that was on an average over an hour faster. The 2000 race, the times again went down as there was literally only about 30 steps of snow up around the Windy Pass area. The snow was the same for the 2001 and 2002 races, with very little snow and new course records for both the men and women. IN 2004 there were only about 15 steps of snow but 2005 was a different beast with the most the course has ever seen with nearly 10 miles of the white stuff. And most of you know what happened IN 2011 with almost 25 miles of snow still on the course (looking somewhat similar to the picture below) and 2 roads washed out to 2 aid station I has to come with a alternate course. Which actually turned out to be a harder course that the original. Hopefully we wont have to do that for another 15 years!!!!! |