Course Preview: Miles 80-100

Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stagecoach Line 100 Mile Ultra & Relay Course Preview

Miles 80 to 100:  Hull Cabin to the Tusayan IMAX Theater

Where we left off last time.  Hull Cabin Aid Station (mile 80).

After retracing their steps back to the Arizona Trail from Hull Cabin, runners are greeted by the Grandview Fire Tower (mile 83).  Still actively used in the summer months to spot wild land forest fires, the tower affords some good views of the Grand Canyon if you can handle heights well.

Another view of the Grandview Fire Tower.

Back on the Arizona Trail heading west towards your final destination, the Town of Tusayan, runners pass through the aftermath of the 2012 Grand Fire.

Large oak stands greet runners on this section of the course.

More meadows and wild flowers.

Most of the final 17 miles gradually trend downhill.

Smooth two-track.

Watson Tank (mile 87) is usually dry.

A half-mile past Watson Tank is FR303 and the location of the 88 mile aid station.

Back into the forest and through yet more stands of red-barked ponderosa pine.

At roughly mile 94 the Arizona Trail joins the Tusayan Mountain Bike Trail System.

These smooth two-track bike trails pass through wide meadows...

...and wash bottoms lined with limestone cliffs.

The trail along the bottom of Coconino Wash.

Reed Tank (mile 97.5).  As evil as it is, it is here that you will be literally a stone's throw from the finish line and IMAX Theater.  You'll be on Tusayan's city limits here.  To keep you honest and moving forward your final aid station will be located here to direct you onward.

One final climb...

...to the Highway 64 underpass...

...then a final mile of gravel urban trail...

...to your finish line...

...at the Tusayan IMAX Theater.  Mile 100!

Course Preview: Miles 59-80

Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stagecoach Line 100 Mile Ultra & Relay Course Preview

Miles 59 to 80:  Moqui Stage Station to Hull Cabin

Where we left off last time:  The Moqui Stage Station Aid Station (mile 59).

The Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stagecoach and how folks traveled to the Canyon along this route.  A rough, dusty, and bumpy ride.

Replacing the old directional signs at Moqui and the Arizona Trail.  

The old sign before...

...and after with the new, more visible sign in place.

Clearing downed trees from the course and the Arizona Trail.

Before...

...and after.

Heading north on the Arizona Trail from Moqui.

One encounters grazing implements...

...and a few gates.

Russell Tank: Mile 68 and site of an aid station and relay exchange.

Leaving Russell Tank and headed still further north.

As we near the Coconino Rim the trees increase in height and girth.

A sign welcoming runners to the Coconino Rim section of the course.

Along this section runners will catch glimpses of the Grand Canyon Rim and the Painted Desert to the east.

At mile 78, runners intersect Forest Service Road 307.  They'll do a 4-mile out-and-back on this dirt road to the Hull Cabin Aid Station.

Hull Cabin (mile 80).  The site of an aid station and relay exchange.

The barn at Hull Cabin.

Trail Advocacy

Doing our part to keep the Arizona Trail and the Flagstaff to Grand Canyon 100 Mile course fit.

Replacing old signs that have fallen into disrepair...

Digging new post holes.

Mixing cement in the backcountry.

Erecting the new sign (which was made by volunteers) in place of the aged sign above.

Thanks for all your help everyone!  From left to right:  Ketih Rusin, Emily Harrison, Shawn Redfield, Joel Axler, Scott Bajer, Ian Torrence, Rob Decot, and Tom Coulson (taking the photo).

Course Preview Miles 20-59

We find ourselves where we left off in the last blog.  Mile 20:  Kelly Tank.  The site of the first relay exchange.

The Arizona Trail reenters the ponderosa forest and then begins a 13-mile long, 1,400' gentle descent to Cedar Ranch.

Soft forested single track en route.

Leaving the pine forests behind and descending towards the juniper grasslands indicative of northern Arizona (~mile 28).

Looking back and south towards the San Francisco Peaks (~mile 30).

The Arizona Trail trailhead at Cedar Ranch. (mile 33.5).

A view north across Babbitt Ranches from Cedar Ranch. (photo by Fred Gaudet).

Welcome to Babbitt Ranch. (photo by Neil Weintraub)

The wide open expanses offered by Babbitt Ranches. (photo by Larry Simkins)

Passing by the occasional cinder cone. (photo by Larry Simkins)

An Arizona Trail marker in Babbitt Ranch.

As you pass through Babbitt Ranches, you'll catch site of horses... (photo by Fred Gaudet)

...both mama cow and calf...

...dada cow...

...and pronghorn.

A typical ranch watering hole:  Lockwood Tank (~mile 51).

The Babbitt Ranches-Kaibab National Forest Boundary aid station location. (~mile 53).  Here the Arizona Trail leaves the dirt roads it traversed through Babbitt Ranch and returns to forested single-track.

Passing thorough more frequent pinion-juniper stands on the way to Moqui Stage Station.

Moqui Stage Station aid station, mile 59.

The old well at Moqui. (photo by Fred Gaudet)

Mmmm...an impromptu "aid station?"

Here's another good photo montage and description of the route.

Stay tuned for Miles 58 to 81...coming soon.