The Skunk Ape Night Run is a classic Florida race that covers almost all of the terrains Florida has to offer. From pasture lanes, mud, dirt roads, single track trails on the Florida Trail, some hills, to sugar sand, fire berms, and more! You’ll be listening to the drone of frogs from all over, hoots from the owls, calls from birds, buzzing of bugs, and the yips of coyotes in the distance. Part of that sound and also silence, will make you wonder if “just that sound” was from something else… perhaps, the Skunk Ape.
Wildlife: You’ll see it if, you see it… but I can guarantee you’ll hear it first! But the Green Swamp – West Tract is loaded with wildlife from Hogs, Armadillos, Deer, Owls, Alligators, Bobwhite Quail, and Skunk Ape’s, Pygmy Rattlers, to more than 30 threatened or endangered species, including the Florida Black Bear, Florida Scrub Jay and Wood Stork. The Start will be between Ranch and Cumpressco Road, or by the Hunting Check-In… basically the same place.
You will take off down Cumpressco Road, which will turn right onto a lane between two pastures that turns into a grass / dirt road called Rangers Landing Road. You will follow this road for a few miles until you reach the Big Foot BSA campsite (just under 3 miles or something like that). Once reaching that point you will do the little the loop around the trees and come back the way you came until you see the bigfoot flag, at the flag to turn right onto the Florida Trail. There are two Florida Trail entrances, you will taking the second one that you will come across on the way back from the loop. (Again, it’s the Florida Trail marked the bigfoot flag).
Once on the Florida Trail you will follow the course markers (flagging and tape). Watch out for the Skunk Ape, according to research and reports it is “highly likely” that he roams the land through this area. I’m not kidding, someone claimed to see a Skunk Ape here.
This will then bring you to an aid station and you’ll cross over Cumpressco Road and then over a small bridge, still remaining on the Florida Trail. This section is known as “The Ridge,” the sunset and sunrises through here are stunning!
Nearing mile 8 or something like that you will come off the Florida Trail to an aid station onto Ranch Road and follow the markers turning left onto the dirt road called Cedar Pocket Road. You’ll see an arrow!
Following that road for around half a mile you will see the next aid station that you see twice! Welcome to The Berm! This is where you will follow the overgrown forest road out the Berm Loop. There used to be a ranch located here in the 1940’s and is now long gone, all those tall trees were also planted in late 30’s and into the early 50’s.
After The Berm loop you’ll be turning right back onto Cedar Pocket Road, you will follow the road until meeting back up with the Florida Trail. You will again turn right and follow the Florida Trail until roughly mile 14ish when you’ll turn left back onto Cedar Pocket Road. This is the long forest road section. It’s either awesome to open up and run fast, or it’s awful because your quads are already shot from the sandy hills and Berm. Following Cedar Pocket Road you will follow it as it goes from gravel to grass. Continue straight through the grass!
You’ll follow the grassy horse trail for some sweet Cross Country action, it’s sometimes soggy and waterlogged… So that’s fun! You’ll also have the Creek Crossing in this section! (Or two if it’s flooded lol). As you leave the grassy horse trail, you will be directed by tall flagging for the final turns and loopty loops in the open fields. I mean hey, I’ve gotta do something to add some distance. But yeah! Eventually you’ll back to the finish line!
Course Marking
We will have Reflective Tape with PINK Flagging and “turn here” signs that will have self-correcting info on it in case you’re concerned. If you don’t see pink, better rethink! I know we all love an adventure, but, maybe not an unplanned one. My phone number will also be on all the race bibs! 🙂
Post-Race Pot Luck Party
For a total price of $15 and a Pot Luck… Boom!! Let’s add to the fun and share some of our favorite foods with each other. Bring something fresh like a a fruit dish, pasta salad, or a raw vegetable side dish for some variety… Lasagna, baked chicken wings, casserole, or mashed potatoes. Cookies, Brownies, Fudge, or Banana Bread….
Bring your families favorite recipe or that secret craving you always have after a race. That will make a lot of people happy.
We all love to eat, drink, and “recover”. And after running a 30k, you will be hungry, hangry, and so will the volunteers! Last events Post-Race Potluck Party was a blast!
Cut-Off: None! I’m here for YOU to get that finish. Our goal is to get more and more people into the sport of trail running, we are here for every pace to have that finish line moment.
Aid Stations: Every 3 to 5 miles!
– Aid Stations will be stocked with Soda, Pickles, Gummy Bears or Worm..idk one of those, Chips, Snacks, Cookies, Produce, some brand of powder electro’s. We will also provide band-aids and women hygiene products in a plastic box at all the Aid Stations.
Awards: The Top Four Men and Women overall winners! Brie with Wicked Skins does such an amazing job time and time again.
Finisher Awards: Nothing fancy here… No age-group awards, no t-shirts, and no special accommodations on that end BUT…. we’ve got you a Pint Glass, Whiskey Glass, Orange Juice Glass, Mugs, or Cups!! I keep it open to whatever you choose.
Did you know…
Did you know? Skunk Ape sightings date back hundreds of years, including during the Seminole Wars. During the Seminole Wars, people ran into Skunk Apes in their battles near the Miami River and Big Cypress. The same goes for the Green Swamp – West Tract near Dade City, Florida.
Reports of the skunk ape were particularly common in the 1960s and 1970s. Since then, there have still been many sightings of a large, foul-smelling, hairy, ape-like creature, which ran upright on two legs in the Green Swamp area near Dade City, Florida.
The evidence comes in form of photos, audio responses from wood knocking, and also some other sounds that many Paranormal Investigators and Professional Bigfoot Hunting Teams believe, could be the Skunk Ape. They have also found what appear to be nests of some kind, made by a large animal in Pasco County’s deep woods… bears can also be seen, but rarely inside of Pasco County. How the Skunk Ape interacts with local wildlife is unknown.
Tracks were also observed as well. At the current time the creature in the Green swamp is still active according to researchers and locals there. Footprints of the Pasco County Skunk Ape have measured 17 inches in length and their depth implied a creature of tremendous weight, perhaps in excess of 600 pounds. There are other reported foot prints which claimed to be as large as 24 inches long and 8 inches wide.
The Green Swamp WMA has long been known to be home to the Florida Bigfoot, or Skunk Ape. Several investigations in many specific areas inside of the Green Swamp, have concluded that several investigators are “pretty sure” and are “very certain” that this creature does dwell inside the Green Swamp WMA, and has for a very long time.
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