North Fork 50 Miler - UPDATED Route (2021+)

Race - Jun 4, 2022

Dogs No Dogs

Features River/Creek · Spring · Views · Wildflowers

The course is mostly in lovely pine forest, but it also includes some burn scars, which are now dry sections that are exposed to heat. The fire created a stark and fascinating landscape and opened up breathtaking views of the high mountains and unique rock formations. The altitude is 6,700 to 8,600 feet in the 50 Mile. Although the course is very challenging for those who do not regularly run mountain trails, speedsters used to altitude will find the course quite runnable.

Running this route unsupported would be a challenge based on the length of dry sections and heat exposure you can find on this course. However, if you bring a water filter, you'll have the opportunity to fill up at various river crossings.

The first 0.9 miles roll mostly downhill on Buffalo Creek Road along Buffalo Creek. Then the course turns left onto Nice Kitty Trail for a big 3.9-mile rolling climb (with some downhill breaks) through the starkly beautiful Buffalo Creek burn scar. At the intersection of the Colorado Trail (CT - Segment 3), stay straight to run towards the parking lot rather than turning on the CT trail. Across the parking lot (towards the South), you'll find the Little Scraggy Trail heading South. After a 2-mile steep and fun descent, Little Scraggy Trail ends and intersects CT - Segment 3: Little Scraggy to FS-560 Wellington Lake Road again. Make a right here to head back up towards Redskin Creek Rd (Road 550). After about 1.2 miles, you'll arrive at the intersection with the Shinglemill Trail #725. Make a left on Shingle Mill, cross the road and then the Shingle Mill parking lot on the right, and after about 1.6 miles on the trail, make a sharp left onto Morrison Creek #724. The end of this trail will dump you out onto S Buffalo Creek Road #543, where you'll make a left and run along the road for about 1.2 miles before making the first left onto Tramway #723. Run this trail for its duration and cross the CT - Segment 3 trail again to begin the Green Mountain Trail. This trail loops you back out to the CT - Segment 3, where this time you'll make a left to run this portion of the CT segment. This is the out-and-back leg of the route, and you'll make your turnaround at mile 32.1, when the trail arrives at Wellington Lake Rd. Run this trail back almost all the way to the same intersection until you see the Redskin Creek Trail intersection on the left. Take this trail that rolls for about .4 miles before climbing up to the Gashouse Gulch #726. Stay left to keep climbing Gashouse and continue on until the Gashouse connector from Miller Gulch trail where you'll take a right. Stay on the Miller Gulch trail for less than a quarter mile before making a left onto Strawberry Jack Trail. Stay straight at the Charlie's Cutoff intersection to continue on Strawberry Jack Trail until reaching the Homestead Trail. Make a right to begin a gentle, rolling descent on Homestead until you reach the other side of Charlie's Cutoff. This time, turn right onto Charlie's Cutoff and climb this trail until arriving back at Strawberry Jack Trail. Make a left this time to exit Strawberry Jack Trail onto Miller Gulch trail, where you'll take a left to continue East about 2 miles before intersecting the Sandy Wash Trail. Descend this trail 2.6 miles until you end at the S Buffalo Creek Rd #543. This is the section of the road that began the route and here you'll make a left to return to the parking lot, after about .9 miles.

The route runs through parts of the areas burned in the 1996 Buffalo Creek fire, which the North Fork Fire Department helped to fight.