2009 Mountain Epic
at Sunday River

Courses

 

1 Peak – 3.9 miles

 

Google Map: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2936865

 

1Peak Course


ONE PEAK COURSE MAP

 

Description: The way up to North Peak is almost entirely on dirt roads and about 1.5 miles long. The idea here is to make the course more runnable for the first-timer.  The road travels along Lower Lazy River, turns right and crosses Escapade, Northern Exposure, and 3D, then along Last Mile where it turns left on Sensation Work Rd. When runners leave the North Peak aid station they will loop up over Peak Easy and down Dream Maker until they reach Sensation Work Rd and turn left.

Runners will get their first taste of twisty, technical single-track trails when they turn off the road and head down the Moose Tack bike trail.  They run along the AP Work Rd for a bit before they turn back into the woods and run along the Buck Shot. The berms and jumps on this bike trails are viewed as assets making the trip down fast and fun. As runners emerge from the woods and pass the bridge they’ll cross over Double Dipper and Spectator, take a sharp left turn and pass through the mud pit to the finish line.

 

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5 Peaks – 8 miles

 

Google Map: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2936930

 

5Peak Course


FIVE PEAK COURSE MAP

 

Description: The 5-Peak course is designed to have one long ascent followed by a quick descent. The first 1.5 miles of this course coincides with the first 1.5 miles of the 1-Peak course. From the North Peak Lodge runners continue up Lights Out and then left onto Aludra until they reach Spruce Peak. They will then run along an old jeep road that starts behind the Spruce Peak patrol shack, and terminates on the back side of Aurora Peak (mile 3). Runners continue on Kansas until they reach Oz. They would then turn left on Kansas and run to Jordan Bowl.

If possible we would like to divert runners up Cowardly Lion to the peak of Oz and then down Ruby’s Place. One of the most memorable sections of the course will probably be the quick descent down Lollapalooza to the base of Jordan Bowl. In the last 2 miles runners will follow the same course as the 1-Peak course: Sensation Work Rd, AP Work Rd, and the Buckshot bike trail.

 

5Peak Elevation

 

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8 Peaks – 11.7 miles

 

Google Map: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2937185

 

8Peak Course

EIGHT PEAK COURSE MAP

Description: Runners start off on the same dirt road as the 1-Peak and 5-Peak course, and then fork-off to the left near the base of Easy Street. They stay on utility roads all the way up to the base of Heat’s Off, and then start the steep ascent on Heat’s Off and Salvation. This section of the course will be truly epic and hated by most runners, but it’s better to get it done at the beginning of the race when people are fresh. 

The 8-Peak course is designed so that runners make two significant ascents and descents. The first descent starts from North Peak and goes all the way to the base of Jordan Bowl. The second long ascent takes runners up State-Fair, Cyclone, Aludra, and Sirius all the way up to Spruce Peak. The second descent is a 1,300 ft vertical drop along Lollapalooza.

The 8-Peak course is also a figure-8 design with runners double-tracking in opposite directions along a short flat stretch of the Sensation Work Rd. There is a potential for confusion along this stretch since runners from the 5- and 8-Peak courses may be traveling in opposite directions.

The last 2 miles of the 8-Peak course follows the same route as the other two events.

 

8Peak Course