2019-05-04 - Mohonk Preserve Rock the Ridge 50-Mile Endurance Challenge
The 2017 instance of the Mohonk Preserve Rock the Ridge 50-mile Endurance Challenge was the most beautiful one-day foot event I've ever done. So thanks to friends and family raising $310 for the Mohonk Preserve, I was back on May 4th, 2019 to race it again. I had finished the course in 15 hours 11 minutes 42 seconds last time and was aiming for 15 hours this time with my knee injuries. 16 hours I felt was a very realistic backup goal and 14 hours would have been a fast time.
My parents and I stayed at the Econolodge in New Paltz, NY the night before and drove to the parking lot early in the morning of race day to ride the shuttle to the start at the Mohonk Testimonial Gateway. After getting my race packet, handing in my drop bag, and attaching the race bib to my pants, and walking through the mud to use the portable toilets, I started the race at around 6:00 AM under a foggy white sky.
The first leg "Up the Ridge" took us through a flat tree-lined dirt path around a grass field through Brook Farm and Kleinekil Farm buildings up Lenape Lane over Guyot Hill and past Conticou Crag. We passed by the Mohonk Golf Course along the way joking about leaving a runner here to play golf. Eventually we descended a hill to the great Spring Farm Slingerland Pavilion aid station at the end of the leg 9.6 miles in at 2 hours 20 minutes 43 seconds so far averaging 4 mph including the break.
My parents and I stayed at the Econolodge in New Paltz, NY the night before and drove to the parking lot early in the morning of race day to ride the shuttle to the start at the Mohonk Testimonial Gateway. After getting my race packet, handing in my drop bag, and attaching the race bib to my pants, and walking through the mud to use the portable toilets, I started the race at around 6:00 AM under a foggy white sky.
The first leg "Up the Ridge" took us through a flat tree-lined dirt path around a grass field through Brook Farm and Kleinekil Farm buildings up Lenape Lane over Guyot Hill and past Conticou Crag. We passed by the Mohonk Golf Course along the way joking about leaving a runner here to play golf. Eventually we descended a hill to the great Spring Farm Slingerland Pavilion aid station at the end of the leg 9.6 miles in at 2 hours 20 minutes 43 seconds so far averaging 4 mph including the break.
After a brief break and refueling, I climbed back up the hill and proceeded southwest through the Mohonk Mountain House Grounds mostly uphill towards Skytop Tower on Leg 2 "Across the Ridge". I saw many faster runners going the opposite direction returning from Sky Top. Many of them shouted words of encouragement as they ran. The bench-filled gazebos at the edge of the steep cliffs were inviting and I definitely would have stopped if I wasn't being timed. Eventually I reached Skytop Tower at mile 15.1.
I met and talked to several other racers during the race including Chris, Tal, Lisa, and Ian but the one I interacted with the most and who was most similar to my pace was Kristen. I met her heading up to Skytop Tower and hiked with her for a while before I run ahead of her on the downhill. Leg 2 continued southwest to Preserve Lands on Forest Drive, Home Farm, and Overcliff Carriage Road across the newly renovated Trapps Bridge and along Trapps Road to the long-awaited Lyons Road Aid Station at mile 24.6 at 6 hours 7 minutes 33 seconds. Kristen had caught up to me and went on ahead to reach the aid station several minutes ahead of me. This is where our drop bags were waiting for us. I did not use it but I did enjoy some soup, potatoes, hydration and snacks before departing minutes after Kristen. I was still averaging almost 4 mph before taking the break.
Leg 3 "Summit the Ridge" left Lyons Road and headed up into Minnewaska State Park Preserve. The majestic Awosting Falls was the biggest waterfall I've seen so far this year. The climb to Lake Minnewaska was probably the steepest climb of the route and I continued upward to Castle Point around mile 30.1 at 2185 feet, the highest point on the course, passing by Kristen close to the top. She said I must have blazed up the climb. The hiking poles helped a lot and some people actually keep their hiking poles in their drop bag to use them just for all the climbing on Leg 3 and returning them to the bag before embarking on Leg 4. Kristen mentioned that she might try the same thing next time.
The downhill descent to Lake Awosting and Lake Minnewaska was a beautiful experience knowing the vast majority of climbing were behind us. I returned to the Lyons Road Aid Station at mile 37.5 running down some of the same hills we climbed up at 9 hours 43 minutes 56 seconds. I checked my feet and swapped my socks which felt AMAZING! Good call on my part. Only 12.6 miles were left and it looked like I was going to finish between 13 and 13.5 hours if I kept up the same pace.
The final leg 4 "Rock the Ridge" had some of the best views of the day due to the foggy sky finally clearing up. We crossed Trapps Bridge and took the Undercliff Carriage Road passing by rock climbers climbing the world-famous Trapps climbing area. Kristen and I frogged past each other a few times during this section but we were both tired and did not talk much.
We headed up Oakwood Drive, Kleine Kill Road, and Duck Pond Road to the last water aid station at Duck Pond mile 46.9. I had been pushing fast going ahead of Kristen but when I realized that almost 3 miles were left and that 13 hours was impossible, I slowed down. I eventually officially finished in 13 hours 17 minutes 29 seconds. Kristen finished less than 5 minutes later. Lisa and a few others I spoke to had finished ahead of me and I saw Ian, Chris finish not too long afterwards. It was the first time racing this course for a lot of people and partially due to the great weather with minimal rain, there were PR's all around. Others were finishing the race for their fourth or fifth time, many of whom only do this race every year and no other races just because of how amazing Rock the Ridge truly is. Congrats to everyone! And thanks to everyone who made this wonderful race possible including so many volunteers including the aid station staff and photographers. I wish it continues to be even more successful year on year. And I'll return to do it again sometime for sure.
I encourage anyone reading to give the race a try. With 24 hours, you can hike the whole thing. The trails are gentle and smooth with nothing rocky, rooty or steep so it is very beginner friendly. You also get to see parts of the world that are normally closed to the public unless you stay at the lodge.
I encourage anyone reading to give the race a try. With 24 hours, you can hike the whole thing. The trails are gentle and smooth with nothing rocky, rooty or steep so it is very beginner friendly. You also get to see parts of the world that are normally closed to the public unless you stay at the lodge.
I paused my watch accidentally and missed an uphill section but I covered just over 50 miles during the course climbing approximately 4500 feet elevation according to my watch. Most of the gear I used are linked below.
Gear
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