Angels Staircase 60k/35k

12/18/2020

Better late than never... If you love the wildlands of the Methow, home of our Angels Staircase and Sun Mountain races, please act now(before midnight Pacific time)!

Fill out the form on Conservation Northwest's webpage: https://actnow.io/bbi30ov or on the U.S. Forest Service website: https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/CommentInput?Project=56554

You can cut and paste this if you want:

Dear Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Supervisor Bail,
I’m writing to provide comments on the Twisp Restoration Project environmental analysis #56554.

I support comprehensive forest and aquatic restoration to improve forest health and ecological resilience in the Twisp River watershed, as was done in the Mission Restoration Project, such as maintaining and restoring large and old tree populations, careful understory thinning-from-below of the younger trees, removing unnecessary roads, improving conditions for fish and wildlife habitat, and restoring periodic fire for ecological resilience.

The Twisp River is a unique and special place. It is the first place wolves were documented breeding in Washington state when they returned, and where imperiled spotted owls were last detected in the valley. It is home to wolverines, Canada lynx, moose, mule deer, mountain goats, Chinook salmon, steelhead and bull trout and an array of other fish and wildlife. It includes portions of the Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness Area, the Sawtooth Inventoried Roadless Area, Late-successional and Riparian Reserves, the Wolf Creek Research Natural Area, and critical habitat for spotted owls and other endangered species.

I strongly oppose plans to cut large (>20” diameter) fire resilient trees and trees over 10” in roadless areas, bulldozing trees in old-growth areas, salvage logging in Reserves and roadless areas, Riparian logging especially along the valley bottom, excessive shaded fuelbreaks, and logging in the ecologically functional Upper Twisp sub-watershed, including quality spotted owl habitat.
Please remove these elements from the Twisp Forest Restoration Project; they are not supported by either science or the local community. Protect all old trees (>150 years old) regardless of size and species. Protect recreation and existing recreational trails by avoiding or leaving a buffer around existing recreational trails.
Given the Project’s massive scale, scope and complexity, I request you provide appropriate limits and monitoring where “condition-based management” is proposed, and prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to assess whether an ecological need exists for careful restoration actions in roadless areas, Reserves, and elsewhere.

Please show how the proposed actions adhere to the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest’s restoration strategy, and exactly where logging and other activities will be located and why. Environmental review must address site-specific impacts. Fire threats from extensive logging slash will be addressed in the analysis as well as impacts to outdoor recreation interests and neighboring communities and residents from logging-related traffic and other disruptions over the next 30 years.

Generally I request that you work with the North Central Washington Forest Collaborative and the Methow Valley community to reduce the Project’s scope, scale, and negative environmental impacts.

The Twisp Project has some good elements. I support the aquatic restoration actions including significant road decommissioning, placement of large wood in streams, beaver dam analogs, and culvert and stream crossing improvements. The plans for large prescribed fires and maintenance burns are commendable. With the changes proposed above, the Project could improve wildlife habitat and landscape conditions, and gain public support.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Twisp Forest Restoration Project.
YOUR NAME

Photo by Glenn Tachiyama at Sun Mountain 50 miler with the mountains of the Angels Staircase in the background.

08/25/2017

Angels Staircase is coming back... kind of.

This September 22-24 in conjunction with Outdoor Arts and Recreation's The Rendezvous (2017) we are suggesting folks come out for the awesome music festival on the lake at Sun Mountain in Winthrop and while you're in town we suggest folks go run the Angles Staircase loop or out and back. This won't be a race(this year) and we won't even tell you when to run but if you did want to run as a group I bet one of you fans out there could figure out something.

The main loop from the Crater Creek Trailhead is 22 miles.

Or do an out and back to either Cooney Lake via the Martin Creek and Cooney Lake Trails or up to Eagle Lakes via that trail. Lots of good options for a variety of distances!

And in late September the fall colors will be amazing with all the larch trees turning golden and all the other colors!

The Mountain Bike Project website has a really good map and details for the loop and the trail segments: https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/5183409

Lots more details about the 13 bands and everything else for the festival can be found at:
https://www.therendezvousfest.com/

A music festival with organized outdoor recreation activities in the beautiful North Cascades Mountains. 13 bands, trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing, horse riding, paddling, hiking, kids activities, good food, local beer and camping.

08/04/2015

PREFACE: The blog post linked below was also sent out as an email to all registered runners and volunteers on August 4th, 2015.

If you have any additional questions or concerns after reading this email, please send them to us via [email protected]. We'll respond to each and every inquiry as promptly as possible.

After last year's devastating Carlton Complex fires, we were hopeful we weren't ever going to have to send a message like this to our runners and volunteers ever again - hopeful we weren't ever going to have to cancel a race for any reason, let alone for another nearby wildfire.

As a lot of you have probably heard and seen by now, there is an exceptionally large wildfire burning near Chelan, WA. What some of you might not know, is that the fire is in fact burning very near to our Angels Staircase race course, and the smoke and ash it's creating are causing severe air quality issues in the area. It's called the Wolverine Creek Fire, and the only thing separating the fire - which has grown exponentially in recent days, and is now at a massive 25,000 acres and still growing - from our race course is Lake Chelan. The lake is a large lake, but it's less than a mile wide in the area where the fires are currently burning most intensely/most hotly, so while there is a chance an ember or spark could be carried across the lake via high winds, igniting the trails and forest in which in the Angels Staircase 60k/35k course runs, the biggest issue affecting our race course right now - and our ability to put this race on as planned - is air quality and an unsafe amount of smoke and ash in the air.

The full email can be seen on our blog, here: http://www.rainshadowrunning.com/blog/2015-angels-staircase-cancelled-due-to-nearby-wildfires

08/04/2015

IT'S ANGELS STAIRCASE RACE-WEEK! Which means we're getting excited for this weekend, and hope you are, too!

Here are a few tidbits of awesomeness we think y'all should know about before this weekend:

1. A little preview on the Rainshadow blog for this weekend's & events: http://www.rainshadowrunning.com/blog/angels-staircase-60k-35k-race-preview

Which may help you with:
2. The 60k & 35k (yep, both distances this time!) Prediction Contest via Seven Hills Running Shop, wherein you can send them your top picks for each race (men/women) to be automatically entered in a drawing for some sweet Pearl Izumi Run shoes: http://sevenhillsrunningshop.com/rainshadow-running-prediction-contest/

3. This weekend's events are also part of the US Skyrunning Series this year, so here's a little bit more info on how that works (with bonus info about how you can get in on some bonus prize giveaways this weekend!):
- Runners score points towards the VK, Sky, or Ultra overall 2015 US Skyrunner Series.
- All runners count toward geographical teams for their state or country (if outside the US), with full details at: http://www.usskyrunning.com/ #!team-scoring/cxop
- Series sponsor prizes will be given out featuring gear from Salomon, Altra, La Sportiva, Julbo, Ultimate Direction and UltrAspire, and all runners need to do is follow US Skyrunning on Twitter () and/or via Facebook (/usskyrunning) to see details of these giveaways closer to race-day.

Last but not least, don't forget to follow us on Twitter () & Instagram () if you don't already, as we'll be posting updates and photos there before and after the races this weekend! (Super limited service at the start/finish, and everywhere along the course, but we'll do our best to make some social media magic happen!)

07/31/2015

NEW POST ON THE RAINSHADOW BLOG WITH IMPORTANT ANGELS 60K/35K INFO: http://www.rainshadowrunning.com/blog/angels-staircase-2015-info

Relevant to anyone registered to run next weekend! And anyone still needing to purchase finish-line bracelets for specators/friends/family! (This information was also emailed to all registered runners this morning - July 31st.)

60k runners have until MONDAY, Aug. 3rd to let us know if they want to drop down to the 35k. And anyone not running/volunteering, but planning to hang out for the weekend and partake in beverages and wood-fired pizza, has until the end of the day, Wednesday, Aug. 6th to pre-purchase finish-line bracelets for friends/family/spectators via this link: https://ultrasignup.com/shopping.aspx?did=31995

We're minimizing our paper waste footprint, too, so there will be ZERO paper cups at aid stations, and minimal paper cups at the finish-line, so plan ahead, and bring your bottles/collapsible cups/favorite drinking receptacles with you, and/or we'll have single-serving collapsible cups for sale at check-in for $5/each (cash or check only).

Pre-race email forthcoming next week (most likely Wednesday or Thursday). See y'all soon!

This info email was originally emailed to all registered participants on July 31, 2015 at 10:30 AM. We're posting it here, too, for easy access/future reference, and in the event that folks don't...

07/21/2015

Our 2015 Angels Staircase 60k/35k is fast approaching, and we're still looking for some key volunteers for both Saturday, August 8th & Sunday, August 9th. Have a free weekend to give back to the trail running community? Maybe you're a Methow local, and/or coming to cheer for a runner, and/or running one day but not both? In any case, if you're game for helping us put on the highest and most remote trail races in Washington State by being one of our awesome volunteers, please email [email protected]. (What's in it for you, beyond an epic and inspiring weekend? Endless good karma + volunteer credits to be redeemed at future Rainshadow races and/or in the Rainshadow store, for start!) Thanks, and excited to see a bunch of y'all in our beloved Methow Valley soon and very soon!

03/23/2015

It's Monday, March 23rd, which means registration for the 2015 Angels Staircase 60k/35k - a 2015 US Skyrunning race! - is open via UltraSignup! https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=31995

Tons more info about Angels (and why you should run it!), and the U.S. Skyrunner Series via this link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=755376701166355&id=184199848284046

More info about the course (including elevation profiles & maps) via our website:

http://www.rainshadowrunning.com/angels-staircase-60k.html
http://www.rainshadowrunning.com/angels-staircase-35k.html

And we have a list of 60k qualifiers on our website, too:http://www.rainshadowrunning.com/uploads/2/6/1/4/26141050/angels_qualifiers_2015.pdf

There isn't another race in Washington State like this one, and we're excited to get back to the Methow after last year's devastating wildfires and help bring healing and growth back to some of our favorite Northwest communities - and we hope you'll join us!

11/03/2014

We're super excited to be a part of the second year of US Skyrunning, with both of our Angels Staircase 60k/35k races part of the 2015 U.S. Sky Runner Series! http://www.usskyrunning.com/

The 2015 Angels Staircase 60k will be Saturday, August 8th, 2015, with the 35k following on Sunday, August 9th. Registration for both events is set to open via UltraSignup in March, 2015. Angels Staircase is a premier mountain-running event [you'll spend time in the 60k and 35k above 7,000 feet, and will reach 8,000 feet, after having climbed there from 2100 feet!], and thus, it fits well with the purpose and form for the U.S. Skyrunner Series, modeled after some of the best and toughest European mountain races.

For more info on both events, including elevation profiles & course maps, please visit our website (and the race-specific pages): www.RainshadowRunning.com

Angels Staircase will also include some serious prize money for the top three male and female finishers for both the 60k & 35k [at least $1,000 to the male and female winners of each race!], and that's just the tip of the iceberg on the overall U.S. Skyrunner series prizes. iRunFar.com just today posted a great primer re: the 2015 U.S. SkyRunner schedule, with great information about the schedule and the series itself: http://www.irunfar.com/2014/11/2015-u-s-skyrunner-series-schedule-announced.html

To get an idea of the sort of course Angels is - and how extreme and radically changing alpine weather conditions can be [it went from epic thunderstorm the night before the races to beautiful on race-day] - check out Project Talaria's great 2013 Angels Staircase 60k/35k video: http://vimeo.com/81076600

And Glenn Tachiyama's awesome race photos from 2013's event are here: http://www.tachifoto.net/Running/Angels-Staircase-60K-35K-2013/31148058_jcLR8x #!i=2695746503&k=D2Bm9Bg

Hope to see a bunch of y'all at next August! Gorgeous (and remote!) singletrack that'll take you to some of the prettiest high-alpine views in Washington State - and a traditionally epic Rainshadow post-race party, of course - will be waiting!

The 2015 U.S. Skyrunner Series schedule and information.

08/12/2014

Our friends at the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association [MVSTA!] are hosting their 15th annual 11-mile trail run in the North Cascades on August 23rd, and they're generously offering a big discount to any Rainshadow runners - especially for those of you who were registered to run Angels Staircase 60k/35k this year, and who are looking for another race in the area in upcoming weeks - BUT ONLY WHEN YOU REGISTER VIA THE LINK BELOW:

http://store.mvsta.com/special_cutthroat/info.php

[Full price: $85; via the link above, Rainshadow runners can run it for $50!]

James calls Cutthroat, "The best 11-mile trail race in the Northwest (if not the world), with amazing mountain views, and fun trails."

From the website:
"The Cutthroat Classic is a 11.1 mile trail run through the North Cascades, following the Pacific Crest Trail and over Cutthroat Pass. Race registration includes transportation to the race start and back to Mazama from the finish, a race t-shirt, aid stations, awards and random prizes.

The Course
This mountain course begins at Rainy Pass on the North Cascades Scenic Highway, elevation 4,800 feet. The route follows the Pacific Crest Trail north on a steady, gradual 5 mile climb to Cutthroat Pass, elevation 6,800 feet. Runners then descend 4 miles to Cutthroat Lake (many switchbacks on a 5-10% grade). The course continues gradually downhill for 2 more miles to the Cutthroat Creek Trailhead, elevation 4,500 feet. Total course length is 11.1 miles."

Please help spread the word about the Cutthroat Classic (and the link) to any Rainshadow runners, family, and friends, so we can hopefully get some folks signed up for this great, locally-supported event!

[For more information on the race, please visit MVSTA's Cutthroat event page: http://www.mvsta.com/events/calendar-events/cutthroat ]

07/28/2014

For anyone in or near the Methow Valley, or who could be soon, there's an immediate need for volunteers at Pateros High School:

We'll be sending an email soon with more ways to connect and volunteer on the ground in the Methow in upcoming days and weeks, but we just got word that they're LOOKING FOR IMMEDIATE VOLUNTEERS AT PATEROS HIGH SCHOOL, to help move donations to another nearby facility. We don't have a contact for this specific volunteer opportunity [communication is still shaky, and organization a bit chaotic, per our contacts on the ground], but the need is coming from the Community Foundation of North Central Washington, and they said anyone in the area who wants to help should just go directly to the high school and check in there.

The Red Cross is also looking for immediate volunteers at a shelter they have set up in Brewster, WA. While not a large group opportunity, anyone who could volunteer there would be a great help. If you're already a trained Red Cross volunteer, you can sign up to volunteer via their website.

If you're not already a trained Red Cross volunteer and would like to help in this effort:
-->Go to: www.Redcross.org/WA/Spokane
-->On the left panel is a tab titled VOLUNTEER
-->When you get to this page there is the Adult Application.
-->Once you initiate your application it will send an e-mail which contains a link to activate your profile.
-->After your profile is activated, there are a series of steps including reading and agreeing to Red Cross Policies, attending an on-line orientation, and submitting to a background check.
-->Once your profile is complete, a local member of the Red Cross will send you a link for the on-line Shelter Fundamentals training, and get you plugged in where they need you most.

Serving the Apple Valley, and communities affected by the Carlton Complex fires.

07/23/2014

It's with heavy hearts we announce that the 2014 Angels Staircase 60k/35k will be cancelled due to the extreme wildfires in the area. It's the first Rainshadow Running Race to ever be cancelled and we did not make this decision lightly. At this point everyone's safety (runners, volunteers, emergency responders) has to be our top priority. After consulting with the Forest Service and after monitoring the conditions in the area for the past week it does not look likely that by Aug. 9th & 10th the race can be done safely--even if the fires (which are currently surrounding the race course) are put out in time there are many other factors that could make the race unsafe and or inappropriate to put on a midst all the destruction to the surround towns, communities, forests and other infrastructure. Also considering the remoteness of this race and the fact that the emergency responders are already taxed and spread thin, we would not want to further burden them if more fires broke out in the area, or if there were to be an emergency on the course.

Many more details [including ways to help this hurting community] can be found in the email we just sent out to all registered runners: http://tinyurl.com/kvyc6zz

07/04/2014

We're still looking for a few good volunteers for Angels Staircase 60k/35k, especially if you have medic experience/training! Check out our VolunteerSpot page to see open volunteer positions, and sign yourself up [and earn a free entry into another Rainshadow race in the process]!

http://www.volunteerspot.com/group/4757297740102 #!/show

Feel free to email Matt & Kerri, too, to sign up, and/or with any volunteer-related questions: [email protected].

View open positions and sign up online. All we need is your name and email address!