The Sasquatch Shuffle Runs are beautiful foliage & fundraising trail runs through one of the best parks in Idaho, whether a 50k, 30k, 10k, or all three!
As with all of our FUNdraising trail races, all proceeds go to local trails. These races are a fundraiser for Ponderosa State Park! Which means registration fees, donations, and any additional proceeds outside of permit fees and awesome aid go directly back to local Northwest trails, and specifically to Ponderosa State Park trails! Which also means you can feel doubly good about your registration fees and any additional donations you make being put to good use. (It also means we’ll give you extra high-fives of gratitude every chance we get.)
WHICH DISTANCE?
Pick the distance that sings to you—or run more than 1. If you’re a real maniac, run all three! In case you haven’t noticed from our other fundraising trail races–Sharlie, Cottontail, and Carkeek (now in its 13th year!)—we really dig loop events. They’re ridiculously fun, minimize our impact on the trails and other trail-users, and give us a chance to better support you.
The beauty of these events is that there’s something for everyone, whether you want a 10k, a 30k, a 50k, a couple of those distances, or even all three. No matter which distances you choose to run, we’ll be there to give high fives, feed you tasty homemade goodies and great ultra fare, and motivate you on.
LEAVE NO TRACE
In addition to being tough and F-U-N, our races are also low-impact. You won’t find any paper products at the Sasquatch Shuffle runs, and we avidly support local businesses, which means prizes and awesome aid will come from McCall-area businesses. We aim to have less than ONE bag of trash at each race day’s end, and in all our years of directing races, that’s a goal we proudly hit every year, every race.
THE COURSE
6.29 miles of varied trail terrain, every single loop. Views abounding. Gain per loop is right around 630′. Trust us when we tell you it’ll hurt (so good).
With gorgeous views of Payette Lake, varied terrain [rolling trails, rocky trails, flat trails, lots of flowy single-track, some double-track, and even some gravel and some pavement], and a festive atmosphere, we think this is a race you [and your family, and friends, and well-behaved, leashed dogs] will just keep coming back to, one challenging distance at a time. Each loop has just enough gain to keep you honest and enough varied terrain to keep you on your toes, so this “race” will definitely challenge you. But we promise you’ll love it (even when you hate it).
If this description of the event feels somewhat vague, don’t worry–We promise we send out more detailed info to all registered participants as we get closer to race-weekend. But if you’re looking for maps or an elevation profile, you’re not going to find that here. Or anywhere.
Part of the fun of the Sasquatch Shuffle is how low-key and old-school it is, which means we like to keep the course a secret for participants until race-day, and we don’t sweat the small stuff (and hopefully you don’t either!). We hand-make our bibs and “medals,” reward our canine participants with treats (and our human ones, too!), and work with the Park to ensure a brutally beautiful and sustainable course for you to run—so basically we’re trying to tell you that you’re in for a really really FUN day.
BUT WHY SASQUATCH?
Because who doesn’t want to run a race named after an elusive forest legend? Depending on your goals and your race distance, you may be sprinting, scampering, sauntering, strolling, or shuffling—just like Sasquatch varies his (or her) speed as need be. By the end of your run, it’s likely you’ll be seeing things, too, including maybe a bigfoot or two!
The Sasquatch Shuffle is also a GREAT way to close out your trail running season and start preparing for the winter. Embrace the fall foliage—huckleberry, rocky mountain maple, aspen, and larches abounding throughout the course—and celebrate trails by pushing yourself through one distance, two distances, or even all three! We’re here to help you run longer distances than you previously thought possible, and for making you feel simultaneously so proud and like you want to cry by the end of the day (it’s all very confusing, and very awesome).
LODGING
If you’re not local, and even if you are, know that there are plenty of nearby options. The campgrounds at Ponderosa State Park should still be open on first-come, first-serve basis, but if camping isn’t your jam, that also means you should be able to snag some decently priced “off-season” rates at nearby hotels and/or Airbnbs/VRBOs. Definitely find a warm place to sleep the night before the race, because temperatures will likely be turning quite cold in the mornings and evenings here in our beloved mountains as we turn toward winter, and there is no overnight parking/car-camping anywhere in Ponderosa State Park if not in a campsite.
WEATHER
Namely, there will be some. This is October in the mountains, which means it’s likely to be highly variable, both temperature-wise and in potential precipitation. Bring solid layers (especially some warmer, waterproof ones), and you should be ready, come what may (unintentional pun!). It could be sunny and warm, wet and chilly, or even snow. That said, if you’re busy moving, you’ll notice the weather far less. The trails themselves should be in great shape after a busy season of trailwork. (We don’t ever run irresponsibly on muddy trails, and if and when we need to, we’ll re-route our courses to avoid the potential of doing damage to any trails.)
LESS
