Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run 2014

Haiku of a DNF
​By the Unwavering Heidi Derven
Twisted ankle, blood on stones
Worth the ride in Ken's minivan. 
Next time S. R. T.

Heidi ran the 32 mile race from Sam's Point on Saturday. She took a fall near Jenny Lane and pull out of the run. 
When you fall and can't run what do you do? Haiku! 

 2014 The Inaugural Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run/Hike

The Shawangunk Ridge got a lot of traffic and admiration the weekend of September 19 through 21. 

The first running of the Shawangunk Ridge Trail started off with five runners leaving in High Point, New Jersey Friday at 6 pm.

The 74 mile runners traveled throughout the night. There were some mishaps along the way in this self-supported race. One runner got lost in the dark woods and called Ken Posner, the race director, who came and got him, Posner said. 

George Grzyb, 31 of Carteret, NJ, was the only one of the five starters to finish. He had a time of 30:23 which was close to, but didn’t break, the current record of 29:00 for the 74 miles set by Posner himself. These are the only two known finishers of the full trail. 

The southern section of the SRT is much less traveled than the north section. There are the same dramatic views but a wilder feel from overgrown paths and longer time between trail heads.

The southern section starts at High Point State Park in New Jersey, where there are fantastic vistas, in fact, “You can look forty miles to the north and see Sam’s Point and behind it Minnewaska and the Mohonk Preserve,” Posner said. 

After leaving High Point, the trail moves through a wide variety of environments. It passes through rolling hills, goes by the Bashakill (southern NY's largest wetlands), crosses under I-84 and I-17, and goes through the small town of Wurtsboro, before heading onto the Shawangunk Ridgeline in DEC state forests, where you encounter the conglomerate slabs and dwarf pine barrens characteristic of the northern Gunks

Saturday morning at Sam’s Point the 32 mile runners started through, in this runner’s opinion, some of the best sections this trail has to offer. This section of the SRT from Sam’s Point through Minnewaska Lake Park runs at times along the ridge line overlooking the Wallkill Valley, then meanders back into forest, before popping out in the open expanse of another cliff with a breathtaking view.

The SRT leaves the ridge in Minnewaska and follows Jenny Lane down, crossing State Route 44/55, where it becomes the High Peter’s Kill Trail. 

The Peter’s Kill Parking Lot was the start of the 20 mile run on Sunday morning. This trail ascends loose rock for about a mile before descending to Split Rock on the Mohonk Preserve. Old Minnewaska Trail is the runner’s companion for the next few miles up to the Undivided Lot Trail. Runners follow this to the Spring Farm area of the Mohonk Preserve and take the Chapel Trail and then head to Table Rocks before coming out on Mountain Rest Road for a few miles.

 All three versions of the run finished up on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail. 

Adam Meier, 25 of Somerville, MA finished the 32 mile course in 5 hours and 41 minutes. Local Jason Friedman 39 from New Paltz came in at 6:24. Dylan Armajani 29 New York, NY took third place overall at 6:44. And Amy Hanlon, 40 of Danbury, CT was fourth overall and the top female finisher with a time of 8 hours and 15 minutes.  A complete list of results can be found here.

The 20 mile run that took place on Sunday was a race indeed between the top male and female finishers. 

Two locals, Laura Kline and Jason Beaupre, battled-out about 15 miles of the race before Kiln opened up a lead on Mountain Rest Road. 

Kline, 37, finished in 2 hours and 32 minutes and Beaupre came in at 2:47. Three of the top four finishers were women. 

“People are having a good day,” Todd Jennings, finish line coordinator, said about Sunday’s race. “And it’s the women”.

Jennings and Posner weren’t really expecting time under three hours. The top two finishers came in under three hours and the top seven where under 3:15. Complete results can be found here.

Kline explained that she moved to the area recently and one of the deciding factors for her was running the After the Leaves 20K last fall at Minnewaska. 

She ran the SRT as a tune-up for a 50K in two weeks. She needed to train on trails so that was part of her motivation to do the run. 

“I wanted to feel strong and I did,” Kilne said about her performance on the SRT. 

While there are many trail and ultra races one of the unique aspects of the SRT run was that it was self-supported, participants had to carry their own food and water. There were check-in points but no aid stations and cacheing of supplies was not allowed. 

““This run will require more thoughtfulness and mindfulness than your typical trail race because it’s self-supported,” Posner said. “That’s part of the excitement of the landscape. I hope that runners can channel a little bit of the 17th century frontier men and women, or Native Americans, and tap into a little of the spirit of quiet confidence and that people needed to survive”. 

Top finishes in all three runs were awarded tomahawks underscoring the “self-sufficiency and self-confidence” required to manage themselves through the land. 

Other than loving a good ultra-trail run Posner’s motivation for creating the SRT run/hike is to raise awareness of the Shawangunk Ridge as one geologic feature that deserves one identity and warrants further conservation, and conversation about how to make it a recreational asset to the Hudson Valley.

Your guide to the Shawanagunk Ridge Trail provided by Ian Ern

I arrived at the Binnewater parking area (AKA - the finish line) in Rosendale, NY a little before 7 am for the bus ride south to Sam's Point Preserve.  Sam's Point is the starting point for the SRT 32 mile, intermediate distance, course.  The morning was cloudy, cool, and damp with a temperature of 57 degrees.  The bus ride was uneventful, with lots of friendly chatter among the race participants.  We arrived at Sam's Point around 8 am and the temperature was 54 degrees and somewhat foggy.  Please keep in mind that this course is self supported.  You  will need a water filter or other water treatment method to participate.  Additionally, the most basic rule along the entire Shawangunk ridge is, "bring out what you bring in."  Please follow it.  Okay, that is the end to my preaching.  

The race:

The run/hike/race got underway at exactly 9 am.  We departed in waves of 15.  The course has few truly runnable pieces, and the beginning and end of the race are your best bets for setting your pace-o-meter at marathon and just rocking out some miles.  Unfortunately, the beginning of the race is uphill, and if you hold to traditional ultra thinking, you should probably walk this segment.  Since I know the course, and it was chilly and damp, I thought, run it, and warm up.  The first 1.5 miles are on a carriage road, and once you rise about 200 feet, things level out nicely.  Just when you're getting comfortable with a good running rhythm, you make a left turn off on to a rather rocky and rough single track hiking trail for the traverse to Verkeerder Kill Falls.  True mountain goats can probably run this well, but I'm not one of those, and maintaining 14 to 15 minute pace is about all I can manage without seriously increasing my risk of injury.  If your race day goal is neither to race or set a PR, then take some time out to enjoy the scenery and snap some pictures of the falls and surroundings.  (The course is loaded with picturesque scenery, so conserve some RAM for the rest of your travels.)  Next stop, Mud Pond.  

The trail to Mud Pond is still rocky and rough with a couple of easy rock scrambles, and a few short, yet surprisingly, runnable segments.   From Mud Pond, you then head over to Castle Point in Minnewaska State Park.  On your way there you'll find yourself passing through a squeeze and several moderate rock scrambles.  When you finally climb up to Castle Point, you might like to take a short break and take in the view.  To the south you'll see Sam's Point, to the W-SW you'll see beautiful Lake Awosting, and to the E-SE you'll take in the Hudson Valley.

From Castle Point you'll start your trek over to Rainbow Falls.  The initial part of the trek is occasionally on the carriage roads which means you can run off and on without issue.  Soon however you return to some rather challenging single track along some beautiful cliffs.  After traversing these cliffs and rock outcroppings, you'll enter some rather pleasant and soft, pine barrens.  Running through the pines is somewhat challenging due to the roots in the trail, but the ground is so soft that you think you're running upon pillows.  Soon you'll cross Upper Awosting carriage road on your way down to the falls.  Rainbow Falls is absolutely gorgeous, and if the sun is out and the water over the falls is sufficient, rainbows are visible.  For rainbows, keep the sun at your back and the falls in front of you.  Of note, you arrive at Rainbow Falls at the base, and yes, you will be climbing up to the top.  If you're with camera, and not racing, now is the time to take pictures.  Be very attentive to your footing around the falls, it can be very slippery and dangerous.  Once you climb up the cliffs around the falls, you head on over to a trail called Jenny Lane.

Jenny Lane seems like it should be a fairly easy hike/run due to the fact that there are no rock scrambles, and it is fairly flat for a mountain trail.  However, do not be deceived, this trail requires you to watch it like a hawk, because it is loaded with trip hazards.  In fact, my running partner took a nasty fall here.  She sprained her ankle and cracked open her knee.  The injuries were bad enough that she had to drop out.  I walked with her to the first checkpoint were Jenny Lane crosses route 44/55.  At this point she got a ride out, and I had to continue on solo.   From here, I headed on over to the Peter's Kill area of Minnewaska State Park.

The SRT trail up and over to the Peter's Kill (High Peter's Kill) is very challenging and extremely beautiful.  There are lots of cliffs with panoramic views, and every one of them is a fantastic photo opportunity.  The trail is full of rock scrambles and steep grades.  The footing is tricky, and requires your constant vigilance to avoid a nasty fall.  If you want to check out the picturesque scenery, stop and plant your feet.  Upon arriving at the Peter's Kill, you can easily refill your water supplies.  At this time, I used my filter to add about 2 liters of cold purified  mountain water.  Since the temperature, at this point, was now in the mid to upper 70's, my water consumption was increasing.  With fresh water on board, it was now time to hike/run over to the Mohonk Preserve Coxing trailhead and Split Rock swimming hole.  The path to Coxing/Split Rock is again very challenging and demands your undivided attention to prevent falls and injuries.  At this point, I notice that I'm rather hungry.  I'm hydrated, but I've not been eating enough.  Fortunately, that is easily remedied.  

After reaching Split Rock, I cross the wooden bridge over the Coxing Creek to the remains of the Old Minnewaska Carriage trail.  The next mile is fairly runnable, and I take advantage of the opportunity to run a bit.  Soon, too soon, I must stop running, since the trail gets rather eroded and rough again.  I'm able to alternate a run/walk scenario for the next mile, or so, until I make a left turn on to a trail called Undivided Lot.  Initially, I can't run Undivided Lot at all, it is just too steep/rough/tricky to navigate with any confidence.  (Photo opportunity - the views NW toward the Rondout Valley and Catskill mountains are to die for.)  After half a mile, or so, I find some runnable segments and take advantage of them, but be careful, there are deep rock fissures in one area that will swallow you whole if you don't pay attention!  Shortly you find yourself at the base of another rock scramble that will require your undivided attention.  This scramble is challenging and fun.  Once at the top, running is once again possible.  At this point you will be able to run almost the entire distance over to Chapel Trail.

After crossing Old Clove Road (a paved road) you'll make your way right to Chapel Trail.  Chapel Trail will take you up to the Spring Farm Trailhead in the Mohonk Preserve.  Chapel Trail is an easy to moderate run/hike that crosses a stream on the way up to Spring Farm Trailhead.  This stream turned out to be another place to refill my water supplies.  The stream was just a trickle, given how dry its been, but it worked out fine and I had another 2 liters of cold fresh, filtered, mountain water.

Once at Spring Farm, on the west side of the Shawangunk Ridge, and about 23 miles into the course, you must cross over the ridge to the east on your way to the old Bonticou ski area.  The good news is that this is all runnable, the bad news is it is almost 80 percent uphill.  If you're like me, then you're likely getting a bit tired, and I opt to run about half of it and walk the steeper sections.  Once you make it over to Bonticou, you'll pop out on Mountain Rest Road for the beginning of nearly 8 miles of running to the finish line in Rosendale.

Now that you're out on Mountain Rest Road, you can run.  Unfortunately, this road has lots of switchbacks and virtually no shoulder, so no music is the rule.  Listen for traffic, and be prepared to jump off the road. (Note, an alternative path to avoid Mountain Rest Road would have been heading up to Lenape Lane carriage road.  Run 1.5 miles down Lenape to a left on a trail that leads to the Pine Road parking area.  Get on Pine Road to Butterville Road and take Butterville Road over to Canaan Road.  This would have added about 1.5 miles to the course, but hey, this is an ultra, and we like longer stuff.)  Anyway, you head left down Mountain Rest Road to a four way intersection, and take a left on to Canaan Road.  Once you're on Canaan Road, your traffic worries are behind you.  Now you follow Canaan to one last hill, and then past the hill you'll take a right down a steep hill on Dug Road.  Follow Dug road all the way to its end where it intersects Springtown Road.  At this point you'll make a left for about a quarter mile on Springtown, and then a left on to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail for the last five miles to the finish line in Rosendale, NY.

Once you're on the rail trail, there are no more turns, and the course is as flat as a pancake.  If you have anything left, you can run the entire thing at whatever pace you can muster.  There is one last scenic view on the recently restored train trestle in Rosendale.  The views here are beautiful and definitely picturesque.  Once over the trestle, you have about a quarter of a mile to go to the finish line.  

The finish line had fantastic people, great conversation, music, and plenty of food, drink and beer.  I can't think of a better way to spend a day!  An awesome course with lots of challenges, fantastic people and beautiful scenery :-).  Interestingly, the finishers had a lot more bloody knees than I'm used to seeing, and that is saying something.  I'll definitely do this again.

Race course data summary:

I finished in just under 9 hours with no injuries, and an hour of daylight remaining.  (Also, of note, my water situation worked out great with the two refills I did on the course.)  My GPS/altimeter recorded nearly 4900 feet of ascent and almost 6500 feet of descent, along 34.5 miles of trails.  Not bad for a 32 mile course.  My GPS drops approximately a tenth of a mile every two miles in rough tree covered terrain, so I'd need to add another mile (at least) for this known GPS error.  In all, this 32 mile intermediate course was likely nearer to 36 miles.  (Of note, my GPS recorded 47.5 miles in each of the years that I did the Mohonk Preserve RockTheRidge 50 mile ultramarathon, and that race is actually 50 miles.  RockTheRidge is also held in the Shawangunk mountains, in May, on very runnable carriage roads.)

Race Report: Shawangunk Ridge Trail 20 Mile Race                                                           
By: Jason Beaupre     09.21.14                                   

As a resident of the Gunks, the inaugural Sunday running of the Shawangunk Ridge Trail’s 20-mile course was on my home turf.  I had pre-run sections of the course three times the previous week in hopes of getting intimate with every nuance of the technical trail miles.  Being a strong trail runner and less efficient or fast on the road, my game was to open up a lead right away and hold it for the second part of the race, which is a fast three mile, quad-burning descent of Mountain Rest Road followed by five monotonous miles of rail trail to the Trestle Bridge finish in the town of Rosendale.  The stage was set for a grand day of suffering.

After the racers’ meeting and some friendly chitchat about how amazing these trails are in the Hudson Valley, I was chomping at the bit to go out and rage through the first half of the course with my brand new Hoka One One Stinson ATRs from Rock and Snow.  I had run my first trail miles in them only the day before and rolled my ankle pretty good in these new high-heeled trail runners.  I was hoping I had made the right shoe selection for the day.  If I rolled that same ankle again I would surely have to drop out from sheer pain.  I was willing to take the chance with the extra padding to help conserve and manage my older joints and muscles on the grueling road descent that was certainly going to wreck me for the rail trail portion of the run.

In general, I have no reserve when lined up on a starting gate and I come out of the box like a racehorse, but today was going to be a different day.  I needed to run a smarter race with the first quarter mile being a steep loose uphill that would put my normal behavior into the anaerobic zone in under four minutes.  Running a fast, but perfectly paced, 4:03 to the summit, I then dropped the hammer.

Pushing myself deeper into the red zone, I needed to open up a demanding lead on this technical terrain to have any hopes of holding my lead through the long flat finish.  Hitting the Coxing Kill Parking Area checkpoint in a whirlwind of high fives and shouts of encouragement, I was two minutes faster than any of my previous training runs.

“Hells yeah!”

Crossing the running waters of the Split Rock swimming area I was getting in my groove to ascend for the next couple of rocky miles.  It was very peaceful and serene until about mile 3.5 when I felt a bullseye suddenly pinned to my back.  It started with the sound of trundling rocks, then plodding feet, and then the rhythmic breathing.  “Oh shit! ... I got caught,” I thought to myself.  I didn’t dare turn around to see.

 “But wait, something is different.  It wasn’t male breathing.  No, it was softer.”

 That is when Laura Kline said, “Hello.” 

“Crap!” I thought, “Are there others with you?”

“Nope,” she assured me as we climbed our way to the top of Old Minnewaska Trail.  “We’re all alone.”

“Shall I pull for a little while?” Laura inquired, as she also informed me that she was a very strong roadrunner.

My heart sank.  We hit the lichen-covered sloping rock of the Undivided Lot Trail neck and neck.  I started opening up another lead, going for broke and descending like a whirling dervish.  Laura was putting up a grand battle.  My smile was growing with each descending foot. 

Then, suddenly, I caught my left foot and went down on rocks in a tumbling off-trail somersault.  I rolled back onto my feet in a flash.

“The fall looked much worse than it was,” I assured Laura, ignoring the sound of my hip smacking against conglomerate.  We plodded on into the loamy woods with swift symmetrical strides.

Blood was dripping down my leg, the adrenaline from my fall was starting to wear off, and my bruised muscles were beginning to stiffen when Laura attacked!  In short powerful strides up our next climb, her beautifully executed plan unfolded in front of me.

The thought “I’m in trouble” raced through my mind.

At the Chapel I was greeted with a strong high five from Scott Michelson and the reassurance that she had just passed through moments ago.  At the next switchback, approaching the race’s halfway mark I could see in the distance that Laura’s climbing skills were crushing my walking strides.  At the Spring Farm checkpoint Ken Possner confirmed my worst nightmare: She was pulling away on the hills.

 “Damn, Laura is fast”.

 As I labored up the Crag Trail there was still three and a half miles of descent left …

“Maybe I can reel her back in on the downhill and try to hold her off”. 

She hit the asphalt on Mountain Rest Road with a vengeance, opening up her lead by minutes.  My thoughts were of quad conservation: sucking in my butt, lengthening my stride and gliding the descent at a moderate pace in my cushioned Hoka’s.  Passing me on the road in his Jeep, Scott almost cheered me into a ditch by screaming his encouragements as I started to enter an out-of-body experience.  I downed another GU, gagging on its denseness, hoping to boost my reserves for the up coming rail trail.  I clicked off the first of five miles in a sub seven minutes which gave me some hope.

“Maybe I have a chance,” I thought. 

As I pushed harder and deeper into the abyss of the canopied trail, every bystander became a mirage of Laura’s silhouette.  I ran faster, upping my pace to 6:40 hoping to catch these dreams.  Every spectator assured me with widened eyes that she looked very strong in front of me.

 “No, don’t tell me that! Give me some hope!” I shout as I pass them.

As each passerby materialized from the dark cover I felt the bullseye suddenly appear again.  I looked back to see if someone was there.  There were now hallucinations in both directions.

 “I will not lose this race with only two miles to go, I can suffer” I told myself.

The Trestle loomed in the distance with no sign of Laura.  Almost tripping, my eyes were blinded by the light grey undulating planking as the diagonal lines clicked off one by one to the finish. 

That’s where I found Laura waiting, having beat me by a large margin.  Shaking her hand and thanking her for such a great fight all I could think is, “Damn, that girl is fast and what a fantastic day of racing!” 

We were awarded with congratulations, hugs, kisses, food, beers and two insanely awesome Tomahawk Trophies for our efforts.  What a great day of competition, and I can’t wait to see Laura again at the next race.  “Damn that girl is fast!  If only I can keep the rubber on the trail next time.”

Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run

Picture
More than one hundred trail runners will be dancing through the rocks and roots of the Shawangunk Ridge Trail (SRT) this weekend to raise awareness of the SRT as an area in need of conservation.

The unique geographical formation that is the Gunks is defined as a quartz conglomerate made up of a light to dark-gray, fine to very coarse grained sandstone and conglomerate. The ridge runs from its southern most point in High Point State Park, New Jersey and continues approximately 74 miles northward ending with Joppenbergh Mountain, this is somewhat controversial, in Rosendale.

Unlike the Catskill or the Adirondack Parks which were created almost in their entirety with one stroke of a pen the protection of the Gunks Ridge has come piecemeal and with years of effort from various groups. Sections of the ridge are protected by the Mohonk Mountain House, the Mohonk Preserve, as Minnewaska State Park, Sam’s Point Preserve, and the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area. The NY-NJ Trail Conference has played a large part in the efforts to conserve the ridge, including purchasing parcels of land and selling them to land managers.

Ken Posner, SRT Run promoter, ultra-runner, and trail advocate says that the run is about showing preservation of the Gunks as an advantage to area.

“The whole point is to build local support for the Shawangunks as an economic tourism asset, rather than a place to build casinos,” Posner said.

There is also the possibility of a high end housing project that would actually be on the ridge line, according to Posner.

“The task of preserving the Shawangunks is not done. It has been preserved parcel by parcel, parts of it by the Trail Conference. They blaze it and maintain it. The Trail Conference has been a big help with this event,” Posner said about the importance of the Trail Conference in organizing the run.  

NJ Search and Rescue will be on site in NJ, NY Search and Rescue will be on hand in NY. On the Mohonk Preserve the Rangers will be out in case anything should go wrong.

Even though this is a self-supported race, meaning everyone, even those running for 72 miles, will have to supply their own water, food, and any other necessities, there will be volunteer manned check-in point to make certain everyone is ok.

The idea to give runners a choice of distances came from the Trail Conference.

“This run will require more thoughtfulness and mindfulness than your typical trail race because it’s self-supported,” Posner said. “That’s part of the excitement of the landscape. I hope that runners can channel a little bit of the 17th century frontier men and women, or Native Americans and tap into a little of the spirit of quiet confidence and that people needed to survive”.

The SRT offers a variety of terrain to travelers on it. The sections south of Sam’s Point are very rough as those trails are less traveled, there are sections of paved roads and some of carriage trails. The Trail Conference developed a map App that can be download to your phone.

Posner gives a lot of credit to the trail-building volunteers.

“They grabbed tools and headed up to some of the lesser traveled trails,” Posner said. “They cleared brush and grasses. They’re out there every weekend”.

There are many places along the trail that are little overgrown, around the Bashakill it’s a straight trail bed, it’s a rock scramble from Sam’s Point, and there are plenty of places where the trail winds through the Gunk’s unique scrub pine as it clings to the shallow earth atop bare rock. Oh, and the views!

Through all the areas the trail traverses-Mud Pond, Lake Awosting, Castel Point, Rainbow Falls, Jenny Lane, Peter’s Kill, and the trail from New Jersey, the point is to convey the message that this is one geologic feature that deserves one identity and it warrants further conservation, and conversation about how to make it recreational asset to the Hudson Valley, Posner explained.

The objective for runners and hikers to have a great experience on this ridge line. There are 65 runners registered for 20 miler run leaving from Peter’s Kill Parking lot at Minnewaska Sunday. Thirty-four runners will be leaving from Sam’s Point for the 32 mile run to Rosendale, and an intrepid five ultra-runners will leave from High Point, NJ on Friday for the 74 miler.

The fastest, and only known time, for the 74 miles was set by Posner earlier this year at 29 hours

“I’m hoping some will challenge it,” Posner said.

Participants in the Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run will get to experience the magic of one of Earth's last great places.