Agenda - Marathon Shuffle

Saturday, 27 April 2013

6:00-7:00 pm

Townsite Brewing Tour and Tasting

5824 Ash Avenue, Old Townsite, Powell River

7:00-9:00 pm

Pre-run Meet and Greet Pasta Dinner

(pre-registration, and course briefing)

Old Courthouse Inn, 6243 Walnut Street, Old Townsite, Powell River


Sunday - 28 April 2013
7:00am	Have breakfast. Check the weather. Bring along your route instructions you printed off at home. Make sure you know how to get to the start... and don't forget your shoes!
7:15am	Arrive at the Kinsmen parking lot above the Shingle Mill Pub and Bistro for Shuffle bib number pick up and sign in.
7:30am to 7:45am	Buses and car pool leave for the start at Malaspina Road.
8:25	Starter photo
8:30am	Start - Runners first, hikers second
9:30am	Half Shufflers meet on Tomkinson Road at the intersection with the Sunshine Coast Trail (instructions how to get there below) for bib number pick up and sign in.
9:55	Half Shuffle starter photo
10:00	Half Shuffle start
11:15pm	First runners arrive at Kinsmen's Park/Shingle Mill
3:00pm	Post event festivities at the Shingle Mill Pub and Bistro (Children are welcome in the Bistro only).
4:15pm	Participants going back via the Saltery Bay ferry need to leave now to make the ferry at 5:25 pm
4:30pm	Last hikers arrive at Kinsmen Park/Shingle Mill.

How to get to Powell River?

Traveling from the Lower Mainland (Vancouver or beyond)? You will need to arrive the night before the start (Saturday night). The trip involves two ferries from Vancouver but you only pay for the first. . Check the ferry schedule for connections. Here is a list of a few accommodations in the Powell River area.

If you come from Courtenay on Vancouver Island you can take the first ferry of the day and arrive just in time for the Shuffle.

Sign in 7:15 am. Please be at Shingle Mill by 7:15 am to sign in and arrange bussing to the start.

Bus transportation and car pooling - 7:30 to 7:45 (Kinsmen parking lot, above the Shingle Mill Pub and Bistro parking lot). Service will be donated by Powell River Regional Transit System, the drivers and the City of Powell River. There are two forty-five passenger buses available on a first come, first serve basis. Over and above that, participants will need to arrange their own carpooling to the start on Malaspina Road.

Buses leave 7:30 to 7:45 am. There is free parking along the side of the road and pay parking in the Kinsmen Park parking lot.

From the Powell River - Comox ferry terminal in Westview (Powell River) head north along Marine Avenue (Highway 101) towards Lund. Follow Highway 101 to the Townsite, crossing Ash Street at the first stop sign, and turning right on Arbutus at the second stop sign. Continue north, across the Powell River Bridge and make an immediate right turn. This road leads along the water to the Shingle Mill parking lot, continue a bit further to the Kinsmen parking lot, which is the marshaling point for getting on the bus, and where you can sign in and pick up your Shuffle Bib Number. Bus to the start at Malaspina Road.

Starter Photo - 8:25

Start - Marathon Shuffle - 8:30

If you missed out getting a seat on the bus, get back on Highway 101 near the bridge, and drive north, up the hill toward Wildwood, Sliammon and beyond. From the bridge it is about 16 km to the Malaspina Road turnoff. Just before you reach Malaspina Road, you will see a large sign alerting drivers to the Okeover Arm Provincial Park and a number of other billboards singing the praises of that wonderful area. Turn right onto Malaspina Road and proceed 1.4 km to a sharp right curve. A gravel road branches off to the left. Park here and look for the Shuffle starting point 100m farther along on the highway on the south side of the pavement. Bussing supports the growth of the event.

Half Shuffle

The Half Shuffle starts at the beginning of Sliammon Lakes Trailhead. You can also make your own carpooling arrangements at the Kinsmen parking lot at 9:15 am and then drive to the start together. Please note, the access road to the Half Shuffle is a gravel road and rough, with a few deep trenches to cross in the last few kilometres. You will need a car with good clearance to navigate these.

Half Shuffle sign-in 9:45

Half Shuffle Starter Photo - 9:55

Start - Half Shuffle 10:00

To get to the Sliammon Lakes trailhead, drive north on Highway 101 to Scuttle Bay, about 12 km from the Westview ferry terminal. At Scuttle Bay turn right, up Wilde Road. Where Wilde Road branches in the hamlet (1 km), stay to your right (Tomkinson Road). Pass the access road to Big Sliammon Lake (4 km) on your right. After another 2 km you will cross the bridge over Appleton Creek. Just 100 metres beyond it, turn left into a former gravel pit, which is a good place to park, or park along the road. The northern end of the Sliammon Lakes Trail is situated east across the road from the entrance to the pit, and a few steps below.

Javascript is required to view this map.

What to Bring?

Bring your own official timing system (a watch will do, even if the second hand doesn't work).
Be self sufficient for your food and water needs on the trail. While we aim to have a few aid stations along the way, these are a bonus and should not be relied upon.
Be prepared for the weather and trail conditions. If you are a hiker bring your usual gear and extra clothes to layer and protect from rain.
A change of clothes and maybe a towel will come in handy. There are no showers, but there is a public washroom at the finish where you can change.

Pre-Event

2013 marks the 20th Anniversary for the Marathon Shuffle. In honor of this milestone the following pre-event activities have been planned:

6:00-7:00 pm Saturday, April 27th - Townsite Brewing - Tour and Tasting
7:00-9:00 pm Saturday, April 27th - Meet and Greet Pasta Dinner ($15 pp) at the Old Courthouse Inn. There will also be pre-registration available, and a course briefing. Capacity for the pasta dinner is limited to 50 people, so again, first come, first serve.

Post-Event

Come and join us for stories of the trail, some food and beverages at the Shingle Mill Pub and Bistro at 6233 Powell Heights (604-483-3545) near the finish.

Other Notes

The whole trail has been well marked with fluorescent orange-red metal squares all the way to the finish line at the Shingle Mill. It has also been brushed and groomed in the weeks preceding the Shuffle. Be at the trailhead at least 15 minutes before the start so we can take the starter picture, sign up any late comers and start on time. Be prepared for the weather. Make sure you have your Shuffle Bib Number clearly visible during the event so volunteers can check you off as you pass through the half-dozen checkpoints along the route. If you decide not to finish the entire route, it is imperative that you hand your Shuffle Bib Number in to a volunteer at one of the check points, or a at the finish (Shingle Mill).

For some it's a race, but for others it's not. However, we do keep track of your times so you have something to compare to next year. We hope everyone will take the same course, but won't disqualify folks for getting lost and hiking or running extra distance. Over the last few years the course has been substantially upgraded with the installation of a multitude of the square florescent markers every 30 meters or so, and dozens more of the carved wooden directional signs at any of the junctions. If you don't see any of the orange markers, retrace your steps to the last junction and take the fork that has the markers. Junctions are signed with the ground being spray-painted, but when you are running (or talking) you sometimes don't look up to take note of the proper turn, keeping straight ahead instead. Remember: orange markers, orange markers. Look up every so often, and refer to your route instructions.

This event is not sponsored, sanctioned, permitted or anything else that would qualify it as an official event.

Use this wonderful opportunity check out some of the last surviving groves of BC's old growth temperate rainforest.

Expect rain, trails, hills, some old friends and maybe some new.