Are You Tough Enough?

Course directions

GENERAL RULES (and heuristics):
1. Please be safe. It’s an open course (no traffic control) and it’s pretty long. Please, please, please be safe.

2. Each team member runs two legs. Back to back legs may be run. Or, really, you can mix it however you want.

3. Don’t have (make) anyone run both leg 4 and leg 7. Generally, if you can, mix it so each runner gets one uphill and one downhill.

4. Every team a/o ultra runner is responsible for his/her/their/its own aid. The only unbreakable rule of the event though is, help anyone who needs help, regardless of team.

5. Obey the traffic laws. The course is open to traffic. We want to maintain good relations with the cops, CHP, etc.

Here’s the course, visually:
Here is the driving route

Here are the handoffs

LEG ONE
Starts at entrance to Toro Canyon Park — at the street, not up at the actual entrance. Run too fast on East Valley Road. Take East Valley to San Ysidro Road. Turn right. Continue to Mountain Drive. Turn left on Mountain Drive. Go to East Mountain and turn right on East Mountain. Handoff is at Cold Springs Trail just past where the stream crosses the road. (6 1/3 miles)

LEG TWO
Continue on Mountain Drive, a rolling windy road, to Gibraltar. (Do not turn right up the hill on El Cielito.) The “turn” junction is where multiple roads converge, and a popular place to be confused. Take sharp right up Gibraltar for three miles to wide turn in road that has a line of six boulders and “No Shooting” signs on the right. Handoff. (7 miles)

LEG THREE
Continue up Gibraltar intersection (not marked) of Camino Cielo and Gibraltar. Bear left up Camino Cielo to La Cumbre Peak turnoff. (If you’re hashers, you can choose to bare left, also.) Handoff at “Off Road Motor Vehicle Travel Prohibited” sign. (short 5 1/2 miles)

LEG FOUR
Camino Cielo rolling and mostly downhill, past Camino Cielo store to Highway 154, then STOP!!! Now wave across the highway to your team member. (Do not cross the highway.) Ultra Runners cross with caution, please. (9 miles) (Robt Hollister holds the men’s record for this leg, ~44 min.)

LEG FIVE
You are standing on the frontage road in front of a yellow sign with a black arrow pointing left downhill to another sign that says “Kinevan Road”. Follow both arrows. Kinevan takes an abrupt right down on a very narrow road. This is another popular place to get lost — turn at the turn, do NOT continue straight until Trout Farm. After one mile you hit Camino Cielo again. Go sharp right and follow road to start of dirt road at the Gun Club. Handoff. (4 3/4 miles)

LEG SIX
Abruptly rolling dirt road with interesting footing. Run past first tower on right to where road forks. FFork goes back toward tower. Your runner will be waiting there. (You hope.) Wait for ride out to pick-up area. (8 miles)

LEG SEVEN
Continue up dirt road around second tower on to the road and down to the intersection of Refugio Road and Camino Cielo Road. Handoff. (6 miles)

LEG EIGHT
Go right on Refugio down hill (watch your footing) on narrow road. Handoff is at bridge over Santa Ynez River. (Long 6 miles)

LEG NINE
Take Refugio over bridge to Highway 246. Go left and stay on left hand side of road, run against traffic. Go though downtown Solvang area.
Turn left at Alisal Road (Chevron station on corner). Continue on Alisal over bridge past golf course and Alisal Ranch. Handoff. (Short 7 miles)

LEG TEN
Alisal Road to Nojoqui Falls park entrance. Wave arms in air with cheerful dramatics. (Long 3 1/2 miles)

PARK
Eat pizza (or whatever) and drink refreshing beverages and take pics and generally laugh a lot.

4 Comments so far
Leave a comment