Volunteer Communication 3

Date: 8/23/13
Subject: Superior Fall Trail Race 2013 Mark and Sweep Volunteers [1]

Hi All,

I am super excited that our marking and sweeping coordinator Matt Long has once again put together such a great Marking and Sweeping crew for this years race!  You should have received my general email to all volunteers already, but if not, it can be found HERE http://fall.superiortrailrace.com/volunteer-communication-2-2013/

Here is a pic of last years team, many of you were there!
Inline image 1

Matt may be in touch with you regarding some specifics for marking and sweeping but I just wanted to drop a line in advance to say thank you to all of you for your help.  Many of you are return marking and / or sweeping volunteers and those that are not will get paired up with people who have experience.

For marking we will meet at 6:30 AM at Caribou Highlands unit #540 http://fall.superiortrailrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Caribou_Highlands_Superior_Finish_Diagram.pdf – you are welcome and encouraged to come on Wednesday afternoon / evening and stay – as always make sure you have a sleeping bag / pad and pillow in case all of the beds are taken.  Make sure that you have something to carry water in, preferably a pack of some kind since you will be carrying flags.  Bring the normal nutrition items you would bring when doing a run and we will also provide some sandwiches, chips and a cookie for you to bring out on the trail (kindly donated by the Delta Diner in Delta WI).  We will have a quick briefing before we leave regarding marking protocol, do’s and don’ts etc.  I have also attached a .PDF should anyone like to look it over explaining the fundementals of our (Don Clark’s) marking system.

For sweeping, your assignments have been made by Matt as well and he will be coordinating and explaining how that whole process will work and I won’t claim to know the specifics – it’s over my head!.  As always the function of the sweep is three-fold, pick up our flagging material and signage, picking up any garbage dropped by runners and most importantly, look for any runners who may be in trouble on the trail.  Matt Long will personally handle the enforcement of any cutoffs.  We will plan to send a first aid kit with the sweeps as well as a SAT phone to call net-control in the event of a life-threatening emergency or a needed evac.  We are super excited that Joy Parker has joined our medical team and will be providing medical support near the back of the race this year and you on the seeping team will probably see a fair amount of her, so if you bring in a runner that is bumped or bruised, having an allergic reaction from a bee-sting or worse, Joy can help (or can be dispatched by the HAMS to help), she will also be carrying an AED and a EpiPen.  Joy will be off duty for awhile late Friday night but will be available the majority of the time.  As always emergencies and communications should be routed through the HAM Radio Operators – we will also have a doctor (Adam Swank) at the finish line.

Finally, I have attached the marking and sweeping assignments that Matt put together (they are on the website as well) but these versions have everyone’s contact info, which is mostly going to be important for Matt and the crew to coordinate during the sweep (omitted for web version of this email).

Matt will expand on this where needed and can answer questions etc.  If you have any questions for me, please do not hesitate to ask.  Looking forward to another great year on the SHT!  You guys are awesome and I feel blessed to get to work with you on this grand endeavour!

Thank You,

John Storkamp
Race Director
Superior Trail Races

Superior Fall Trail Race
100MI, 50MI, 26.2MI Trail Race(s)
Lutsen, Minnesota
(approx 4hrs North of Minneapolis, MN)
September 11 & 12, 2020
• 100MI Friday 8:00AM
• 50MI Saturday 5:15AM
• 26.2MI Saturday 8:00AM

Registration / Lottery:
Registration via 15 day lottery registration period.
Opens Wednesday January 1st, 2020 – 12:01AM CST
Closes Wednesday January 15th, 2020 – 11:59PM CST
Complete Lottery / Registration Details HERE

Directions:
100MI Start: Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN HERE
50MI Start: Finland Rec Center – Finland, MN HERE
26.2MI Start: Cramer Road – Schroder, MN HERE
Races Finish: Carbibou Highlands – Lutsen, MN HERE

Terrain:
The Superior Fall Trail Races 100MI, 50MI & 26.2MI are run on rugged, rooty, rocky, 95% single-track trail with near constant climbs and descents.  The race is held on the Superior Hiking Trail in the Sawtooth Mountains paralleling Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota / not far from the Canadian border.  The race located approximately 4 hours North of Minneapolis, Minnesota.   The Superior Fall Trail Races are very difficult / challenging races and are probably not a good choice for your first trail or ultra race (see Registration Info for qualifying requirements).

100 Mile:
Point to Point 103.3 Miles
Elevation Gain 21,000 FT
Elevation Loss 21,000 FT
NET Elevation Change 42,000 FT
13 Aid Stations
38 hour time limit
Complete 100MI Info HERE

50 Mile:
Point to Point 52.1 Miles
Elevation Gain 12,500 FT
Elevation Loss 12,500 FT
NET Elevation Change 25,000 FT
7 Aid Stations
16.75 hour time limit
Complete 50MI Info HERE

26.2 Mile:
Point to point 26.2 Miles
Elevation Gain 5,500 FT
Elevation Loss 5,500 FT
NET Elevation Change 11,000 FT
3 Aid Stations
14 hour cutoff
Complete 26.2MI Info HERE

More About the Race:
The Superior Trail 100 was founded in 1991 when there was no more than a dozen or so 100 mile trail races in the USA, back then if you wanted to run a 100, you had choices like Western States, Hardrock, Leadville, Wasatch, Cascade Crest, Umstead, Massanutten and Superior . Superior quickly earned it’s reputation of its namesake today – Rugged, Relentless and Remote and is known as one of the tougher 100 mile trail races.  Superior lives on now as one of the “legacy 100 milers” and is considered by many to be one of the most challenging, prestigious and beautiful 100 mile trail races in the country. Shortly after the inception of the 100, the Superior 50 was started and in the early 2000’s the Moose Mountain Marathon was added. None of the history or tradition of this race has been lost and is a great event for those looking for a world-class event with a low-key, old-school 100 miler feel.  The Superior Trail Race is put on by ultrarunners for ultrarunners.

More About the Area:
The North Shore of Lake Superior runs from Duluth, Minnesota at the Southwestern end of the lake, to Thunder Bay and Nipigon, Ontario, Canada, in the North to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in the east. The shore is characterized by alternating rocky cliffs and cobblestone beaches, with rolling hills and ridges covered in boreal forest inland from the lake, through which scenic rivers and waterfalls descend as they flow to Lake Superior. The shoreline between the city of Duluth to the international border at Grand Portage as the North Shore.  Lake Superior is considered the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It is the world’s third-largest freshwater lake by volume and the largest by volume in North America.  The Superior Hiking Trail, also known as the SHT, is a 310-mile long distance hiking single-track hiking trail in Northeastern Minnesota that follows the ridgeline overlooking Lake Superior for most of its length. The trail travels through forests of birch, aspen, pine, fir, and cedar. Hikers and runners enjoy views of boreal forests, the Sawtooth Mountains, babbling brooks, rushing waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. The lowest point on the trail is 602 feet above sea level and the highest point is 1,829 feet above sea level.