Welcome to Old Pueblo 50 Mile Endurance Run!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
6:00 am
Start and Finish at Kentucky Camp
You will experience some of the most beautiful and rugged country in Southern Arizona and get a taste of the old west. Please be sure you are well-trained for the hills, rocks and remote nature of the event. The maps included with your packet should be studied before race day and carried with you during the day. Please also note that there is an Equestrian Event the same day and we will be sharing parts of the course with horses. I will put a note in your race packets regarding the colors of OUR course markers and THEIR flagging. Please put your personal safety first when encountering horses on the trails. I hope you enjoy your run and the great accomplishment of completing this wonderful course!
Lynda Hendricks, Race Director
ultrarunnerlynda@yahoo.com
The course start and finish is at the Historic Mining Site of
Kentucky Camp. Kentucky Camp is approximately a 1 hour and 20 minute drive from
Tucson. It is approximately a 20 minute drive from Sonoita and approximately
a half hour drive from Patagonia. Directions to Kentucky Camp are provided
below. A detailed course map will be provided in each race packet.
Course Basics:
A challenging 50 mile loop course on forest service roads and trails through the southeastern part of the Santa Rita Mountains (part of the Arizona Trail).
Elevation at Kentucky Camp (Start/Finish): 5142 ft
Low point in course: 4031 ft, High point in course: 5847 ft
Avg. grade is 6% with 7,000 ft climb and 7,000 ft of descent over the 50 miles
Old Pueblo 50 Mile - Course Map and Elevation Profile
Packet Pickup and Race Day Check-in:
Packet Pickup will be Friday, March 5th at the Fleet Feet Tucson store from 1000am to 500pm (Fleet Feet’s address is 7301 E. Tanque Verde Road, Tucson, AZ 85715) Phone: 520.886.7800 and race morning, Saturday, March 6th from 0500am to 0530am at Kentucky Camp. Runners are strongly encouraged to pick up their race packets Friday March 5th from Fleet Feet to prevent race morning delays.
Race morning runner check in will be at Kentucky Camp from 0500am-0545am at the Fleet Feet table ALL participating runners MUST check in race morning to participate, even if you picked up your packet on Friday!!!) Picking up race packets does NOT count as runner check in.
Race Schedule:
Friday, March 5th – Packet Pickup at the Fleet Feet Tucson store from 1000am - 500pm. (Please try topick up race packets Friday March 5th from Fleet Feet to prevent race morning delays)
Saturday, March 6th – Procrastinator packet pick up from 0500am – 0530am only (at the Fleet Feet table).
Saturday, March 6th – Race day check-in from 0500 am -0545am (all runners must check in race morning at the Fleet Feet table).
Saturday, March 6th – Race start at 0600 am. Course open from 0600am until 900pm. Food will be provided at the finish. No formal awards ceremony will be held, but runners are encouraged to stay and cheer fellow participants at the finish.
Aid Stations:
Aid Stations will be placed at the following locations.
|
Nine Aid Stations |
Approx Time Open & Close |
Cutoffs |
Crew Access |
|
Granite Mountain #1 (3 mile) & #7 (33 mile) No Drop bags at #1 (3 Mile) |
6 am to 4:30 pm |
4:30pm |
NO CREW ACCESS |
|
California Gulch #2 (7 mile) & #6 (29 mile) |
6:30 am to 3 pm |
3:00pm |
Yes |
|
Wasp Canyon #3 (13 mile) No Drop bags! |
7 am to 10 am |
10:00am |
NO CREW ACCESS |
|
Helvetia #4 (19 mile) No Drop bags! |
7:30 am to 12 pm |
12:00pm |
NO CREW ACCESS |
|
Box Canyon #5 (25 mile) |
8:30 am to 1 pm |
1:00pm |
Yes |
|
Cave Canyon #8 (40 mile) |
10:30 am to 6 pm |
6:00pm |
Yes |
|
Gardner Canyon #9 (46 mile) Water only & No Drop bags! |
10:30 am to 7:30 pm |
7:30pm |
Yes |
|
Kentucky Camp (Finish) |
5 am to 9 pm |
15 hours |
Yes |
Provided Food at Aid Stations:
The usual ultra fare will be
provided. Hammer Gels (only at 25 mile aid), red potatoes, chips, M&Ms, pretzels, PBJ
sandwiches, Coke, water, etc… will be available. HEED energy drink will
be available as well as V-8. If you use electrolyte tablets, please plan to
bring your own.
Drop Bag Instructions:
Drop bags MUST BE IN PLACE AT KENTUCKY CAMP NO LATER THAN 05:30AM race morning. Signs marked 7 / 25 / 29/ 33 / 40 will clearly identify where to leave drop bags for the corresponding aid stations. Each drop bag must each be clearly marked with the runner’s name, number and aid station. Drop bags must be adequately sealed and should not contain anything breakable, valuable, irreplaceable or explosive.
Drop Bag Retrieval:
Drop bags will be brought back from the aid stations periodically during the race. Runners are responsible for retrieving their drop bags from Kentucky Camp after the race.
Drop bags are possible at the following aid stations
#2 (7 miles) Crew access permitted
#5 (25 miles) Crew access permitted
#6 (29 miles) Crew access permitted
#7 (33 miles) No crew access
#8 (40 miles) Crew access permitted
Drop bags are not at the following aid stations
#1 (3 miles) No crew access
#3 (13 mile) No crew access
#4 (Mile 19) No crew access
#9 (46 mile) Crew access permitted
You may also want to consider a drop bag for the finish since it’s a ¼ mile uphill to parking area.
PLEASE NOTE: If you don’t
plan to wait for your drop bags to be returned to the finish line, please don’t
plan on using drop bags during the event. Drop bags will not be mailed back. If
you’re a back of the pack runner, please leave a flashlight or two in your drop
bag at Mile 40 aid station.
Other Serious Stuff:
In order for this run to continue in the future, it is very important that you pack out all your trash. “Leave No Trace” This includes gel tops and toilet paper. Bury all human waste and pack out the toilet paper. Additionally, you will be crossing two sections of private property, one at approximately 10 miles and one at 23 miles. The distance through the private property is less than a half a mile. Please refrain from relieving yourself on this private property. Be respectful of these areas. The property owners have been gracious enough to allow us access.
Parts of this course are exposed and Southern Arizona sun can be intense:
Sunscreen is a must.
All runners must carry at least one water bottle. Two bottles are recommended.
Adobe Walls:
Kentucky Camp Historic District (#95001312) is on the National Register of Historic Places. Please respect
the surroundings and do not touch or leaning against any adobe walls. Damage to the adobe structures can
cause substantial fines and will jeopardize the future of the OP50.
Gates:
This is cattle country and you will encounter fences and gates. Please close all gates as you pass and don’t
assume the runner behind you will close them. There will be two metal gates to crawl through or over when
crossing the private property at mile 23.
Course Marking:
This course will be well marked with flour and ribbons. The colors will be determined and you’ll have a notification in your race packet. Colors of ribbons will also be announced at the start. In areas where the same trail is used at different points on the course we will use two colors of ribbons together (FS62 and AZ Trail section). There is always a possibility that the ribbons may get pulled maliciously. Plan to carry the course map with you and pay attention at all road and trail intersections.
Pacing:
Pacing will only be allowed for runners leaving the 40 mile aid station after 3 pm.
Any runner who is 70 or older may be paced for the entire 50 miles with prior approval from the race director.
No other pacing will be allowed. Pacers may not carry water, food, flashlights, shoes, clothing or other supplies for anyone other than themselves. "Muling" is expressly forbidden. No mechanical or physical assistance may be given by the pacer to the runner at any time. All runners leaving 40 mile aid station after 3 pm must leave with a flashlight.
Camping & Fires:
You may camp alongside of FR 163 within the national forest or other primitive camping is also allowed in other areas of the national forest. NO FIRES PLEASE.
Weather:
The past several years brought a mix of race day conditions. Be prepared for conditions ranging from rain, snow or warm Arizona sun. Normal March High 66°F, Normal March Low 33°F Average March Precipitation 1.10 in. Last year was dry sunny and warm. Please come prepared for anything.
Gold Prospecting and Rock Collecting:
Please abstain from any gold prospecting or rock collecting during the event. Numerous Patented
& Unpatented Mining Claims exist on the course; please respect the owners’ rights. Please stay away
from any drilling and/or mining equipment that may be on the course.
What is a Mining Claim?
PATENTED MINING CLAIM: A patented mining claim is one for which the Federal Government
has passed its title to the claimant, making it private land. A person may mine and remove minerals
from a mining claim without a mineral patent. However, a mineral patent gives the owner exclusive
title to the locatable minerals. It also gives the owner title to the surface and other resources.
UNPATENTED MINING CLAIM: An un-patented mining claim is a particular parcel of Federal land, valuable for a specific mineral deposit or deposits. It is a parcel for which an individual has asserted a right of possession. The right is restricted to the extraction and development of a mineral deposit. The rights granted by a mining claim are valid against a challenge by the United States and other claimants only after the discovery of a valuable mineral deposit. With a Unpatented Claim: You are leasing, from
the government, the right to extract minerals. No land ownership is conveyed.
Empire Ranch & Old Pueblo Endurance Ride:
NOTE: Don’t
follow any signs to Old Pueblo Endurance Ride (Horse event) being held around
the same time as the OP50 Endurance Run at Empire Ranch and Las Cienegas
National Conservation Area.
Directions to Kentucky Camp (Start and Finish):
To get to Kentucky Camp from the north (Tucson), take Interstate 10 east to Exit 281 (Highway 83, Sonoita). Head south on Exit 281 and follow State Route 83 approximately 20 miles to the Gardner Canyon Road and turn right (west).
To get to Kentucky Camp from the south (Sonoita or Patagonia), take State Route 83 north from Sonoita approximately 4 miles and turn left (west) on the Gardner Canyon Road.
From the Gardner Canyon Road, go 0.7 miles to first intersection and turn right on Forest Service Road 163 following the signs to Kentucky Camp. Stay on FS road 163 all the way to Kentucky Camp. When you get to Kentucky Camp, parking is at the gate. Don’t drive through the gate. Walk through the gate and down the hill to Kentucky camp, about ¼ mile. Drive carefully and watch for wildlife and cattle.
DRIVE CAREFULLY! PLEASE WATCH FOR CATTLE
AND OTHER WILDLIFE! 
Kentucky Camp (Start/Finish)
The OP50 start/ finish is approximately ¼ mile walk from the parking area.
Old Pueblo 50 Mile Crew Instructions
DRIVE CAREFULLY! PLEASE WATCH FOR CATTLE AND OTHER WILDLIFE!
No Crew access to Aid Stations:
#1 (Mile 3)
#3 (Mile 13)
#4 (Mile 19)
#7 (Mile 33)
Crew Access is permitted at Aid Stations:
#2 (Mile 7)
#5 (Mile 25)
#6 (Mile 29)
#8 (Mile 40)
#9 (Mile 46)
Kentucky Camp to California Gulch Aid Station (Mile 7)
Return to Sonoita Highway (Highway 83). Turn left (north) on Highway 83. Continue on Highway 83 approximately 3.5 miles to the Greaterville Road (Forest Service Road 62). Turn left onto the Greaterville Road and continue approximately 3.0 miles to where the road comes to a “Y” and the pavement ends. At this point the road becomes Box Canyon Road. Stay right at this intersection towards Madera Canyon. Go approximately 0.9 miles. Look for where the Arizona Trail crosses the road. There will be a pedestrian gate on the left. The aid station will be here.
California Gulch (Mile 7) to Box Canyon Aid Station (Mile 25)
From the California Gulch aid station continue west (away from Highway 83) on the Box Canyon Road (FS Road 62) approximately 3.7 miles to the Box Canyon Aid Station. The aid station will be located approximately a half mile past a one-lane bridge just before the edge of the Forest Service/Santa Rita Experimental Range boundary.
Box Canyon (Mile 25) to California Gulch Aid Station (Mile 29)
Turn around and head east towards Highway 83 on the Box Canyon Road approximately 3.7 miles to the California Gulch Aid Station.
California Gulch (Mile 29) to Cave Canyon Aid Station (Mile 40)
Continue east back to Greaterville Road and all the way back to Highway 83. Turn right (south) on Highway 83 for approximately 3.5 miles to Gardner Canyon Road. Turn Right (west) on Gardner Canyon Road. Stay on Gardner Canyon Road (FS Road 92). Do not turn right at FS Road 163 to Kentucky Camp. In approximately 4.1 miles, you’ll come to a “Y” intersection. Stay right at this intersection staying on Gardner Canyon Road. Continue west on Gardner Canyon Road for another 1.8 miles to the Cave Canyon Aid Station. The aid station will be located at the intersection of Gardner Canyon Road and FS Road 785.
Cave Canyon Aid Station to Finish (Kentucky Camp)
Turn around and head back east on Gardner Canyon Road approximately 5.2 miles to the intersection of FS Road 163. Turn left (north) on FS Road 163 and stay on 163 approximately 4.1 miles to the parking lot at Kentucky Camp.