Yellowstone Gateway 30K

Description:

Run the trails and dirt roads beneath Emigrant peak in this race celebrating the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, which has permanently protected over 30,000 acres of Custer-Gallatin National Forest from gold mining. This Paradise Valley race is suitable for beginning trail runners to top racers and covers 18 miles of trail, gravel road, USFS dirt and scree covered jeep roads, with much of the race and aid stations taking place in the upper elevations of Emigrant Gulch and under Emigrant Peak. In general it is a 10 mile uphill that starts out easy and increases steadily but is mostly very runnable and at the St. Julian Aid Station it becomes a fast 8 mile downhill flattening out with a couple rollers near the finish. Starting near the Yellowstone River at the Sage Lodge you run double track trails over rolling hills past Chico Cemetery, then past the historic Yellowstone City gold settlement (c. 1864-1866) where some of the first gold seekers came to Montana to find fortune. Continue to Old Chico, and turn right up Emigrant Gulch to a dirt/scree jeep road that travels between steep canyon walls and past abandoned mines four short but steep sections. Your feet will get wet crossing Emigrant Creek two times. After the turn-around at the aid station near the St. Julian Mine (c. 1906) you will descend out of the gulch, turn right at Old Chico road and run the gravel Chico road to a sprint finish at Chico Hot Springs. Total ascent in feet is 2,778 and total descent is 2,449. Elevation varies from 4,990 feet at the start at the Sage Lodge in Emigrant to 8,000 feet at the top aid station east of Emigrant Peak, and 5,250 feet at the finish at Chico Hot Springs in Pray Montana.