Sugarbush MRG Rando Rally Map and Course Info

[atkinson]

http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/data/515/medium/SB-MRGRandoMap07asm.jpg

Yellow is uphill, orange is down.

Word of warning, the traverse/ runout from Gatehouse to Castlerock to the final short jog up Header is VERY challenging. The waterbars are steep and relentless, the cover is still thin and speed will not be your friend here. Take all corners wide to avoid rocks and try to cut the angles on the waterbars. The corner at the bottom of Castlerock is particularly tough, be aware.

This is not a joke. This section comes at the end of the race and tired legs will be a factor. I helped a gentleman down to the clinic on Sunday who hit one of these waterbars straight on and separated his shoulder in the ensuing fall.

I haven't skied the LT yet, but my sense is that cover will near perfect, not too deep that we are in the treetops, not too shallow that we are hitting rocks.

The roads in Slide Brook have decent cover, certainly much better than last year, but some rocks are still poking through the snow. Careful.

See you all soon!

John

[ski_resort_observer]

John, really looking forward to your pics in here and the Distorter from the race. 8)

[Hardbooter]

Last year's race was amazing. The times for the lead people were really incredible. Some people did the whole course in a very short amount of time. I recommend that everyone come and check it out. I was at the top of exterminator at north. Thats a good spot to see the competitors emerge from the long trail and switch to downhill mode. Its also a good spot because you can take a few runs at north while you wait and then see the race as it passes by.

[Yard Sale]

What is the start time and duration of the Lifelink race. Will there be trail closures during the race? What about where the course crosses other trails and junctions, (such as between the GH and NL lifts or along Jester to coffee run etc.) will there be total closures or some type of traffic cop? I'm thinking that the top of North Lynx might be a nice spot to watch. But, what type of commitment is that? Will I be trapped? I'll be taking some visiting friends around, so if that is the case that probably wouldn't fit. Plus I'd also like to shoot down and catch some finishes. This event seems very cool. I'd like to see some of it, but probably not all of it. Lookinjg for some intel. Thanks.

[Yard Sale]

BTW Good Luck to all participants. Hats off.

[Hardbooter]

I'm not sure what the official plan is for run closures, but the racers easily mixed with the other skiers on the mountain (some even chatting en route.) It was a very slow day at north and there were not that many people in the race (may 20-30 and spread out.) I was at north so I can't tell you what they did at south. Also, as far as timing goes, we were all surprised that the whole thing was wrapped up by lunch having started at mad river first thing in the morning.
Also, of course, the racers mixed in with other sugarbush skiers except they didn't have lift tickets because they are insane (just review the course.) Some got from the base of mad river to the top of sugarbush in about 45 minutes or less. I was working the check point at the top of exterminator and I was lucky to get from the start of the race in the morning at mad river over to north, put my boots on, and get the lift to the top of Mt Ellen in time to count the first racers.

[Yard Sale]

I'm not sure what the official plan is for run closures, but the racers easily mixed with the other skiers on the mountain (some even chatting en route.) It was a very slow day at north and there were not that many people in the race (may 20-30 and spread out.) I was at north so I can't tell you what they did at south. Also, as far as timing goes, we were all surprised that the whole thing was wrapped up by lunch having started at mad river first thing in the morning.
Also, of course, the racers mixed in with other sugarbush skiers except they didn't have lift tickets because they are insane (just review the course.) Some got from the base of mad river to the top of sugarbush in about 45 minutes or less. I was working the check point at the top of exterminator and I was lucky to get from the start of the race in the morning at mad river over to north, put my boots on, and get the lift to the top of Mt Ellen in time to count the first racers.

That's helpful. Thanks.

[Boo Czar]

Thanks for the info on the traverse to Castlerock, John. And it sounds like the section from Lower FIS to the Road 2 bridge will be easier than last year's mud fest!

I skinned up Lower Antelope last week and found it no fun from the bottom to the top of the Little Creamery. The terrain was uneven with the thin snowpack, and slick in the steeps for skins. It would have been easier to boot up the Little Creamery, but the rules say your skis have to be on for the entire course. Perhaps tomorrow's snow will make this part of the race more pleasant. (By the way, LA is not the easiest way to skin up MRG.)

Also, I hope that SB puts much better signage at LP directing racers on the course. Last year MRG Patrol had the signage and bodies everywhere, while at SB there were only orange discos with arrows tacked up in odd places. Racers are out of it by the time they start down Birch Run, so it is easy for those unfamiliar with LP to miss a turn, especially at Header and Coffee Run. I heard that last year some people found themselves at the GH or SB lifts. Luckily for them, they were counted as finishing, but technically that is a DSQ unless you go back.

I am a mere mortal, and my time last year in the Rec division was 03:27:26, and the distance was 11 miles on the GPS. This year I'll do the whole enchillada. The start is between 8:30 - 9 am, which puts the leaders on Rim Run around 10. - Jay

[atkinson]

Hey Jay,

Thanks for chiming in. I agree that LA is not an easy way up and have considered doing the jughandles to get around some of the pitches. Better bring your A-game for skinning.

I brought concerns about the lack of marking to Patrol this year and have been assured that we will have better marking and hopefully more bodies. To be fair, MRG doesn't have nearly the amount of confusing intersections to deal with that SB does. Also, a part of this race is self-navigation, so you need to pay attention.

Good for you doing the whole thing. I am still debating on which course, if I can do it at all. I also will not likely be taking pictures, unless my camera shrinks alot between now and Sunday.

I'll be at MRG tomorrow for the final race meeting at 2pm, if you're around.

John

[Strat]

From the looks of the map it appears that the route veers off of Lower FIS pretty high up on the trail, before it reaches the flat bottom area... was this where it was last year or is that a change for this year?

[atkinson]

My map may be off, good eye. I need to work on it anyway for B&W reproduction.

There will be a bus at 2:15 from Lincoln Peak back to MRG. There is also potential for another bus at 1:15, but nothing definite.

John

[BushMogulMaster]

From the looks of the map it appears that the route veers off of Lower FIS pretty high up on the trail, before it reaches the flat bottom area... was this where it was last year or is that a change for this year?

Actually... if you take a close look at it, that is approximately where it become flat, because right there is where it makes a sharp left onto the runout. It's higher up than you'd think.

Here are some pictures to help explain (forgive me for using MS Paint, but it was the quickest program I could get to):

http://www.sugarbushhistory.com/images/example.jpg

http://www.sugarbushhistory.com/images/example1.jpg

http://www.sugarbushhistory.com/images/example2.jpg

Note where "Lockwood Brook" is printed on the topos. The runout splits out at the top of that text, as can be seen in the first image (aerial from google earth).

So, in a nutshell... I think you've got it right, John.

[Strat]

I think you're right, though with World Wind I'm reading the split to be at just a hair below the 2000' contour line, though that actually makes John's map look even more accurate...

Wait, you obtained that aerial from Google Earth? When did they get that USGS data?

[Strat]

Okay, so since I'm a super nerd I had to whip out World Wind and zoom all the way in...

http://forums.skimrv.com/albums/NASA-World-Wind-Snapshots/Lower_FIS_Split.jpg

That's the topo laid over the aerial... the path to the right-down of the crosshairs is the split, which is a bit above the Lockwood text... but it's all pretty darn close... 8)

[BushMogulMaster]

I think you're right, though with World Wind I'm reading the split to be at just a hair below the 2000' contour line, though that actually makes John's map look even more accurate...

Wait, you obtained that aerial from Google Earth? When did they get that USGS data?

Yeah, but it's been about a year. May have even been a link to a USGS listing.

[Boo Czar]

Let me see if I can do this:

Here is the portion of my GPS route from the 2006 race where the course leaves Lower FIS. The location is a workroad that cuts back south from Lower FIS. This road winds its way to the Road 2 bridge that folks who ski Slide Brook know well.

http://www.treeskier.com/mrv_randonnee/mrv_randonnee_slide_brook_basin.jpg

As you can see, the location on Lower FIS on the USGS topo map is incorrect. USGS maps are photo interpretation jobs, and the amount of work that goes in depends on the budget allotted. So low priority features like ski trails tend not to be updated. Interim updates are shown in a magenta color until a full blown update is done. - Jay

[Tin Woodsman]

Let me see if I can do this:

Here is the portion of my GPS route from the 2006 race where the course leaves Lower FIS. The location is a workroad that cuts back south from Lower FIS. This road winds its way to the Road 2 bridge that folks who ski Slide Brook know well.

http://www.treeskier.com/mrv_randonnee/mrv_randonnee_slide_brook_basin.jpg

As you can see, the location on Lower FIS on the USGS topo map is incorrect. USGS maps are photo interpretation jobs, and the amount of work that goes in depends on the budget allotted. So low priority features like ski trails tend not to be updated. Interim updates are shown in a magenta color until a full blown update is done. - Jay

Actually, it appears as though both are correct. The trail on the map illustrates the old route of Lower FIS, ending down near the North Village. The current flat runout back towards Sunny D aligns with the route your GPS captured. At some point, the course departs from the runout and heads south towards Lockwood Brook.

[Treeskier]

Interesting view of the old FIS. If I am not mistaken there use to be a surface lift that got you back out of the hole. Also another interesting note that the land in the pool was the only land that Les Oten kept when he/ASC sold to SV. I am not sure if he still owns it but his original idea was to put a hotel there with a chair back to Glen House.

[Hardbooter]

I think the GPS map is about right from my understanding of the slide brook roads. The work road heads right from a little ways down the flat part of the run out of lower F.I.S. Also, for those who will be on the course, you can see that the work road crosses both streams in slidebrook on bridges with a little bit of ups and downs in that area before the climb up to sugarbush south.

BTW - nice work with the topos. Yahoo maps has higher res. arial views of sugarbush and slidebrook right now. You can even see some of the work roads in slidebrook. I hope we don't get in the habit of posting topos and GPS tracks through slidebrook. It might get a little crowded in some of my favorite places.