BALLWIN, Mo. – Over the first two weeks, we’ve made you go up the Mountain Ridge (AKA Love) Trail and had you come down the western most edge of the Grotpeter Trail. So for the third race of the 2019 Alpine Shop Trail Run Series, we’re flipping that script.
The approximately 4.16 mile course will begin from our usual Race Headquarters near Pavilion 1. Unlike last week, you will not have to head straight up a hill to start your run. (That will come at around the one mile mark, this time!) Instead, we’ll cross the Kiefer Creek Bridge and drop down onto the stretch of Grotpeter Trail on the south side of Kiefer Creek Road, keeping the creek to our left hand side. We’ll pass the park office and head to the far west side of the park all the way to the first climb of the day, the adequately named Cardiac Hill. (At a 14.8% grade, it’s the third-most difficult climb in the park behind the Grand Staircase—21.9%—and the Lone Wolf Trail hill that you tackled last week–18.9%.) Justin’s Trail (which we ran down in week one) will join you from the right, but you’re continuing straight and getting a bit of a breather on a quick descent before making the short climb to the top of Ries Rd.
Taking the opposite of the course we did last week, we’ll follow the Mountain Ridge Connector all the way back down, but you’ll want to grab some energy at the GU Energy Station because, while you may be back at the valley floor, you’re not staying there. The course heads back up the 10% grade of the Midway/Office Connector Trail for the next four tenths of a mile.
From then on, your major climbs are all through. We’ll make a right back on to Grotpeter for about a half of a mile before you have one final chance to stretch your legs out on the descent down the fast and fun Fern Glen Connector. You’ll make a right at the bottom of the trail to join back up with Grotpeter on your way back to the valley and towards the finish line. We’ll make a race-night decision if Kiefer Creek is shallow enough for us cross. If not, you’ll head over the bridge like last week to complete your run.
Race time, as always, is at 6:15 pm. Check-in and registration opens at 5 pm at Race HQ. Limited on-site registrations remain beginning at that time.
