journey here to there
XAIPETE NIKΩMEN
A Here to There, LLC Event
The Ghost Town 38.5
an ultra walking/running event of unique distance
in southern New Mexico
Distance: 38.5 miles
When: 17 January 2010
Where: Sierra County, New Mexico
Entry Fee: $99.00
The cap for 2010 is 75. A waitlist will be maintained.
The Course: The course in '07 was a huge hit. So: you'll run or walk (your choice) 38.5 miles, and you'll still have that stretch from Hillsboro to Kingston that takes you to the Gila National Forest, but there will be some adventurous sidestepping onto a dirt forest service road that quickly takes you away from civilization and into the wilderness. There is one spur up and back down (300 ft. elevation gain in the ~1.3 miles up) the "Forest Trail." The route is an out-and-back but maximizes exposure to the wilds and minimizes time on pavement!
Things that were new in '07:
The start/finish line will be at "headquarters" aka my place. The first 6.3 miles are on pavement, and pretty much uphill into the Black Range Mountains and the Gila National Forest. There are a few cattleguards to cross and this stretch does have some traffic, though in the early hours at start time there should be almost none.
Forest Service Road 157 is going to dominate the '07 route. The surface is dirt, loose gravel, rock, or sand or the combo of any of those possibilities. It will be a challenging and gorgeous out and back of about 13 miles each way. It's okay...I don't think you'll mind the out and back when you see the landscape. It's rugged, sometimes open, sometimes deep in the forest. If you keep your eyes open, about 5 miles in you'll see a lone grave on the left. P. Luis was shot and buried there in 1882 for cheating at a 50 cents card game. Just a bit of the old west to remind you where you are.
Support crews/vehicles for runners/walkers will be allowed on 157 but only in one assigned location...this is for the safety of all concerned. It's a road that is one lane, full of blind spots, requires 4x4 and having a crew driving on 157 will result in the runner being dq'd and pulled from the course.
The deep miles on 157 are very remote and definitely wild. If you want a sense of being in wilderness, this is going to give it to you!
The final 6.3 miles are once again on pavement and mostly downhill. I've just added a number of photos to the Ghost Town photo page...don't forget to check them out.
The villages: Both Kingston and Hillsboro were once thriving mining communities that entered hard times, reducing the populations to near ghost town levels. Today they are charming, friendly villages, where the residents are proud of local lore. There are two motels and a B/B in Hillsboro and a B/B in Kingston. Hillsboro has two cafes, both in historic buildings. There are small museums loaded with memorabilia of the early days of each village, as well as various shops and artists' studios.
Time limits: 12 hours for the entirety.
Some basics: Packet pick-up/signing liability waivers on Sat. Jan. 16, 2010 - my place in Hillsboro.
No proxies for registration - you must pick up your own packet/bib number. There will be set intervals (these will be posted closer to the event) for folks to gather for orientation sessions.
There will be gear drops somewhere along the way and at the finish.
Watering holes - food, water, power drink, etc. will be out there, but until the route is set I'm hedging on exactly where they'll be. Check out the map for an idea of how things are laid out...but I promise, you won't be all alone or hungry out in the wilds!
Support crew/vehicles will be limited to paved surfaces and at most 4 miles into the dirt road for everyone's safety.
START TIME: 6:00 am - NO LATE STARTS
Plan on headlamps/flashlights as none of the route has street lamps.
Post-race bbq for all participants and volunteers at my place...details to follow.
Elevation: Hillsboro - 5,100 ft. Kingston - about 1,100 ft. higher than Hillsboro. In the Gila you'll be topping out close to 7,000 ft.
Special stuff: check out the awards page (there will be new awards '09 - I like to keep things interesting) and the finisher's medals page...again, it'll be different from '09. It's a secret right now....shhhhhh.
The awards for 2010: 1st place male, 1st place female, oldest under the clock
The Martin Luther King Day award will go to the 21st finisher, since MLK day is on the 21st in '08.
The Marty Duchow Award will go to the first finisher who lives at 1,000 ft. or less elevation. Marty has had great runs in both '06 and '07, finishing behind runners who live at elevation comparable to the Ghost Town's or higher. So, it seems appropriate that there be a lowlander's award in Marty's honor.
The Jeff Johnston Award will go to the most improved runner in any two consecutive years.
I'm coming up with a new award for 2010...not sure what it's going to be yet, but it'll be fun and for the back half of the field.
A new event in '09 will continue in 2010: The Ghost Town Double Masters Ultra - same day and time as the 38.5, but the Double Masters is for runners and walkers 80 yrs. or older and will be ~ 27 miles. There's a link above, so if you are interested, check it out. The field is capped at 5. If you are interested in this event, please let me know via email: ghosttown@journeyheretothere.com
Registrations....go to the registration pages through this website - there's one for online and one for mail-in. Come on now, don't be shy! There is a separate online registration for the Ghost Town Double Masters Ultra. Registration to the general public opens on Sept. 15, 2009. Details to be posted closer to that date.
Accommodations: Click on the link above marked 'The Ghost Town 38.5 accommodations. This will also get you to info. on how to get to Hillsboro and a little more about what to expect. Hillsboro is small, accommodations fill early. BOOK EARLY.
For more information: Susan Reynolds (575)895-3383
or ghosttown@journeyheretothere.com
This event is brought to you by Here to There, LLC, which organizes and promotes walks, treks and runs of varying lengths in beautiful places.
XAIPETE NIKΩMEN (c)2005 Here to There, LLC