The scenery and wildlife were the best part of this race. It was a tough one though. There were some steep hills, some with switchbacks, but there were some short, … MORE
The scenery and wildlife were the best part of this race. It was a tough one though. There were some steep hills, some with switchbacks, but there were some short, steep climbs too. There were also stretches with nothing but solid golf-ball sized sharp rocks. The worst part of this was that because it was a 4.79 mile loop, you had to run the hills and the technical sections multiple times. The first 1.2 miles of the course were relatively flat and smooth though. It was when we got near the end of the peninsula where things got interesting. This was where the switchbacks started that led up to the overlook, which was a new addition to the course this year. The addition was a short side loop to the top of a rocky knoll overlooking Payette Lake. Even though it was a tough climb, the view was worth it. Even though there weren’t many other runners to keep me entertained, I enjoyed watching all of the wildlife including mule deer, red squirrels, ruffed grouse, sandhill cranes, bufflehead, chipping sparrows, ravens, American robin, and yellow-rumped warblers. The race was very low key, with no bling, but if you like to run by yourself in the great outdoors with spectacular scenery, this is the one for you.
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Beautiful course in Central Idaho
The scenery and wildlife were the best part of this race. It was a tough one though. There were some steep hills, some with switchbacks, but there were some short, … MORE
The scenery and wildlife were the best part of this race. It was a tough one though. There were some steep hills, some with switchbacks, but there were some short, steep climbs too. There were also stretches with nothing but solid golf-ball sized sharp rocks. The worst part of this was that because it was a 4.79 mile loop, you had to run the hills and the technical sections multiple times. The first 1.2 miles of the course were relatively flat and smooth though. It was when we got near the end of the peninsula where things got interesting. This was where the switchbacks started that led up to the overlook, which was a new addition to the course this year. The addition was a short side loop to the top of a rocky knoll overlooking Payette Lake. Even though it was a tough climb, the view was worth it. Even though there weren’t many other runners to keep me entertained, I enjoyed watching all of the wildlife including mule deer, red squirrels, ruffed grouse, sandhill cranes, bufflehead, chipping sparrows, ravens, American robin, and yellow-rumped warblers. The race was very low key, with no bling, but if you like to run by yourself in the great outdoors with spectacular scenery, this is the one for you.