50km text description of the course at Bandera Shady Grove The start line will be a short hike behind the lodge. Head out the back road behind the Lodge to get there. Start is in Shady Grove. Head strait up the jeep road for a half mile to the Last Chance aid station. You will not have access to the aid as it is only a half mile into the run, but you will turn left here. LAST CHANCE Turn left at the station to get on (#4). Thru a dry creek up a snort flat area until you turn right at (#4a) going up. It goes up for a good ways and then loops round to the left on top. This is the trail that we built for the race. It was created with trail running in mind. We call this Cairn's Climb. There where hundreds of cairn's that we used to mark the trail. But now that the trail is more established from a few years of use, the cairns are not quite as necessary. It loops back through trees on top to a ledge that overlooks Cougar Canyon. It steps down through a series of shallow ledges and then rides one very long ledge back until it drops off the top and switch backs down to (#4). Right on (#4) which does a bit of rolling as well until it climbs back up again to a high trail intersection (#4b) Right on (#4b) going up again. This rises fro awhile with the last section being an easy rise. The overlooks on the right give a phenomenal view of the park. But the trail does not go right up to the overlooks so you may not see them if you sprint right past them. They are about 15 feet to the right as you pass them. The trail wraps around a large canyon and then descends the next rib directly back down to the intersection at Boyle's house (#4). BOYLES HOUSE There will be a temporary aid station here (water only). The road splits and we take the left split going down a rough rocky hill. A bit further, the road curls to the left and down. A trail splits off to the right (#5). Turn right. This is The start of the First BIG NASTY. It is a very rugged uphill rock scramble. Mountain bikers avoid this route. This uphill climbs for 100 yards to a flat spot, then drops down and climbs again to The Saddle. Most of this section has plenty of loose rock of all size. The Saddle is an intersection of many trails. Your must go strait across and keep climbing (#5b). These two hills on either side of The Saddle are called Twin Peaks. We call this one The Island, as you will see when you run around the top of it in a clockwise direction. You can see a long ways off from any point on this circumnavigation. This is the first of many spectacular views. Just before you get back to the same trail you came up on, you should look for a trail that leads down off a ledge on the left side. This is a bushwhack section down and across to the valley on the left side. There is a trail but not a well used one. This will intersect (#5), but there is no sign here. The bushwhack is pretty rugged, but once on trail, it won't become much easier as the single track stays almost as rough with rock and brush. The trail drops into a crawls out of a few draws before it opens up on the other side with another wide open vista. But this is not a high up vista as you can turn to see the Island you just came off of well above you. You will descend further thru a dry creek and then a short climb up to a main jeep road (#1) intersection. A large hill sits directly in front of you and an open road to the left, but we are saving both of those for later. You must turn right on the jeep road. You will immediately go thru a wide fence opening and ride the jeep road as it curls round to the right with a slight rise. This road intersects the park and we call it the Superhighway as it is the easiest and widest in the park, which isn't saying much. Stay on it as it drops down, then climbs a hill, then drops again. You will pass a back country camp site on your left and a thin trail leading off to the left. It is just after this that you need to look to your right. The road has worn down a 2 foot ledge on the right and a trail on it that leads directly away on the right (#1B). That's your turn. This is the Ice Cream Hill loop. It is very nasty with Sotol. You will climb over 3 rises and drop into 3 draws before climbing The Ice Cream Hill. You'll know when you arrive as it goes strait up along a fence-line for 100 yards before topping out on a saddle just under the cone. The trail does not continue to the top but crosses over the saddle and goes right. About 40 feet before it turns left and drops off a ledge for a strait descent down into another draw where the trail crosses over and starts back up a short rise leading to the right and away from Ice Cream Hill. This next section is not too terribly hilly or rugged but it is sotol hell. The trail passes along a really fun section to run, but it also cuts through plenty of sotol. This trail will T into another trail at a corner boundary fence-line (#1) The Superhighway looks a lot different here than it did earlier as it has died from misuse. Go right and downhill on this very rugged rocky path. It will eventually reach a narrow track between a pond on the left and a creek runoff on the right. Cross over and left around the brush. This is easy terrain and not very hilly. It will detour off the old trail but continues easy enough until it rolls up the road at Nachos House. NACHOS Trail (#1) terminates here at the road by Nachos. Trail (#7) starts here at the same point. It goes uphill over some rocks. It's not much of a climb but is rugged. The trail bends right and does slowly wind itself to the right as it passes though a series of gates in old fence-lines and corrals. The trail is mostly dirt, but salted with protruding rocks and it seems that every turn has an abundance of large rocks that cannot be avoided. The trail will enter a small open area not much different than many others but with one major difference; there is a trail that leads off directly to the right that you cannot miss. To stay on (#7) you must turn right. This drops quickly and winds down a rocky track to the main park road. This is the hard packed road used for traffic into the park from Tarpley. You will see a 6 foot tall rock & cement freestanding wall. You must bend right as you cross the road to the right of the Rock wall. Trail (#7) continues on the other side. It splits immediately, and you take the left split. The next mile will wind in and out of the creek. A few trails will split off to the left but these all are shortcuts leading up to the road. We do not want the road just yet so take all the right splits. After a short bit, you will pass a small pond just before you cross directly over the hard pack road again. There will be a sign marking the trail (#7) Once across, it bends right and pass thru a field of chopped up ground from horse hoofs. This track will then get very clean and come into the back side of the Bar-O Horse Camp. This is the area you drive through as you come into the park and pass the ranger's trailer at the split in the hard pack road. Care must be taken here to go the correct way. The trail leads directly down to the Horse Shoe shaped road that the horse trailers pull up and camp on. The entire loop is in front of you and can only be about 50 yards long total. You must go down this road heading directly at the ranger's trailer and then make a right as it Ts into the main road. You are now on the main road. Proceed out the big swinging gate just before the Y split and cross strait over the intersection onto the rugged jeep road on the other side (#8). You can see this trail from the ranger trailer. It is no more than 50 yards away. You have just entered what we call the 8/9 Loop. This section should be the fastest and according to profiles there is not much to it, but things here are deceptive. This is a rugged but wide jeep road. You will pass by the (#8A) but Keep going strait on (#8). The road tops out at an old horse barn where we twists through a set of gates on the right before bending left and dropping into a high grass field. At first glance this field looks like easy running, but you'll find quickly as you start through that the field is saturated with many rocks such that it is very difficult to even dance through without hitting a rock. I like to think that there is no rhythm here. The trail rises and falls slowly as it passes over a series of hills, while it twists round to line up with the power-line cut. The power-line cut may be one of the rockiest and most rugged sections out here. It will eventually terminate at the base of a rough descent at a water tank and horse trough. We call this the Cactus Garden as prickly Pear are everywhere. A much better jeep road begins here as you pass thru a wide gate and turn left. It's an easy mile of better than usual jeep road. Watch for and turn left on Trail (#8B). It looks like another road but very quickly becomes a thin single track that turns right and nears a 30 foot ledge that drops into a creek. This is one of the prettiest views in the park. Turn right at the ledge and follow the track as it drops down to the hard pack road near the low water crossing road. Cross the road and turn right on the other side onto trail #9, The trail follows the creek up through a small copse of trees directly into the Chapas Aid Station. CHAPAS Chapas House is abandoned but the barns behind it are in constant use by the horse riders who use the park. A group of our own support riders will likely be staying here. A large field opens up from here. We take the trail into the field and turn right at the split in the middle of the field (#9b) This single track is mostly dirt with an occasional imbedded rock. It is also mostly flat and very fast easy running... when dry! If it gets wet, this dirt turns to show sucking mud. When it gets really wet, it's just a stream and very easy to run. A light rain that constantly keeps the ground wet is the worst. This trail is a loop that will come back to jeep road (#9). Turn right on (#9) and then you will quickly be to the next split (#9a). Go right again. Yes, we are running the perimeter and staying to the outside right. This trail is much the same as the last one but with a bit more variety. This trail can be a load of fun if dry. You will again follow the fence-line perimeter back to (#9), where You will find (#9) at an open gate on the right. Go through the gate to stay on jeep road (#9). It will bend left on this flat and wide road. Look for a sharp right turn under a powerline. Stay under the powerline until you get to another split. Go right at the next split. This trail parallels the main hard pack road. The road is on the left. The road turns left at the fence-line and then crosses the road just behind the main park entrance. The gate on the other side is usually left closed but not locked. Go through the gate and stay on the fence-line, go past the trail on the left just after the gate. Avoid the left splits. Stay on the fence line. There is usually some brush blocking the turns, but not always. Eventually, the this trail will T into another trail in a field. Turn left at this split. Follow the dirt road through some trees and to a busted down gate. Pass through and turn left. (#2b) Follow this grassy jeep road along the fence-line until a gate where the trail & you will go right along another fenceline. Follow this track until it splits in mi-field. Stay strait at the split and then drops down into a creek. Through the creek and then strait ahead to a gate. Follow the fence-line up through the narrow gate. Right after the gate at the split on the other side. Then cross the road and go strait across following the track on the other side. It will intersect another trail in 50 yards. Turn right. Follow this track until you see a side trail leading left. It will lead back to the Equestrian Camp. CROSS ROADS Care must be taken to not skip the inside loop here. You must leave down the jeep road (#1) and avoid the trail. Go left down the jeep road that leads out the back side of this camp area. It is very flat and wide. It stays this way for a mile. Look for a trail intersection and take the split on the left (#6) We usually cut the corner during the race so you may not even see the trail sign. This trail is a lot of fun. It is not real hilly, but is quite rugged and does make use of a few ledges. There are options in here for difficult or easy but we always choose the difficult option. So (#6) splits into two trails with the same name and then exit just as intersects (#6a). This is a very confusing intersection with (#6) points in three direction and (#6a) in the other. So, take the (#6) that goes uphill through a gate on the right. It doesn't climb very long before it opens up into a wide panorama of the park on a jeep road that is more single track. It will drop thru a culvert and then climb up again to an overlook at a trail that splits off to the right. (#5c) That's us. Go right and up. You are now climbing the back side of The Three Sisters. It's a 100 yard climb that open up on top. The trail turns right where you can see the middle sister. The trail drops to a saddle and then climbs sister two. You go strait across this one and through the next saddle to the third sister. On top of the last sister, you must turn left on top. Do not go strait across. Turn left and head strait down to the main intersection of (#1) and (#5). You where here many hours ago. You will go right this time. It is relatively wide and flat. This will gently wise and turn to the trail intersection at (#6). We where also here not that long ago. Turn left here and go up. This section is a bit tough but a load of fun. It is mostly dirt single track with some rocks. It rises then levels and then rises again. You will pass just under The Island on your left. You where up there many hours ago. This roller traverses the side of this large hill and rolls a bit in and out of a few draws. It will come to a point just under the Saddle. You must turn right at the first turn. Do not go left and up into The Saddle. The right turn takes you across the draw where you again turn right. We are not going up for now. Once on the other side of this large draw, the trail splits again. Do not take the trail leading down. Go left and stay at the level you are at. That's the whole point of this route. We avoid ascending or descending, staying below The Saddle bit not dropping all the way down either. This track will keep you on (#6). It will traverse The Island's Twin of the and come around from just above the Equestrian Center. You should be able to see the camp area and the aid station from above it. Follow the trail until you take a good downhill, and then it will split off as yo near the road. Take this right turn and head strait into the Equestrian Camp area. CROSS ROADS Head directly out from the station across a field. It will intersect Trail (#6) Cross over the road to stay on trail#6. When it does so, it becomes a jeep road. An easy angle down to T at a grassy jeep road (#2). Go left at the road. You will pass a jeep road split on the right. Go strait past it. There will be another split a few 100 yards after this. This split is a trail on the right. It is just before the jeep road bends left. Take the trail on the right (#2a) down into and across the creek. Follow the dirt single track trail for a good ways. It is pretty flat and very easy when dry. This area is the worst area to be in if wet. It is a very low lying area near the creek and gets very saturated quickly. If dry, she runs fast and easy. The trail cross onto a jeep road that on the right leads into a dude ranch. We aren't going to the dude ranch, so we turn Left. A few 100 yards, look for a track that leads up over a berm on the right side back onto single track just to stay on (#2a). Take this right and follow it to an area we call The Shade Tree. Its a pristine location completely shaded by trees where trail (#3) splits to the left. Going strait is also (#3) and thats what you should do. The trail will split again. Take the right split onto (#3a) going up. This next section is called Lucky, but it is far from Lucky. It sports one of the nastiest climbs on the course. It is a very steep rock covered hill with a descent on the other side loaded with ledges and almost as many rocks. Care must be taken here if wet as it will be very slippery on these rocks. You must stay right as you pass (#3b). After you climb and descend the beast, the trail tames down real fast. You will reach an unmarked split. Go right. This is a fast easy roll down to the creek and jeep road (#3). Turn left on the road. You will be at the intersection of (#4) very quickly. LAST CHANCE You are now only a half mile from done. You do not turn right this time, but instead go strait down the road. The final stretch goes thru a dry creek bed and then turns around to the finish in front of the lodge. LODGE