CANCELLED!!! Sunshine in September
Note: 2012 event is CANCELLED!!!!
- as close to a get a way in a day as you can get!
- Watch a video of the 2008 event!
When and Where?
- Sunday, 2 September 2012
- Start right at the ferry terminal in Langdale, British Columbia, Canada
- See agenda for details on how to get there and course description
Who is registered?
- R
- Find out who is registered.
How Much?
- Free for Club Fat Ass members (click here for current membership fee and benefits)
- To keep hassles on the morning of the run to a minimum and allow your host to participate as well, we ask to please sign up for both, club membership and the event online and in advance.
Event Registration - Sunshine in September
This is a Club Fat Ass (CFA) event, so we adhere to CFA event management guidelines and privacy policy. Please complete the whole form. Your personal information is needed to make sure I spell your name right in the results and so I can contact you... or your next of kin! The other information helps me to plan any aid or post-event activities. Please help me to host a safer, better event by registering early and by notifying me if you can't make it. I'm constantly looking for ways to improve, so please share your thoughts or questions with me in the Suggestion Box below. After you click on "Yes, I agree" below, your registration details will be confirmed.
Jackie Montgomery - Your Club Fat Ass Event Host
Results - Sunshine In September
Sunshine in September - 2011
Starter Photo: 11 September 2011 - coming soon
Report: coming soon.
Photos: If you have photos of the day, upload them to the Flickr CFA group, tag them with SunshineInSeptember2011 SunshineInSeptember and ClubFatAssEvents. Photos uploaded will be posted in a slideshow on this page.
Feedback: We'd like to hear your feedback about this event. Please respond to this brief Post Event Survey. We appreciate your thoughts. You can also add your own comments or impressions via the comment form below or as a blog post (that will be attached to this page).
Results: coming soon.
Sunshine in September - 2010
Starter Photo: 11 September 2010 - 13 Starters
Report: Contrary to the weather forecast leading up to Saturday, we truly had Sunshine in September on the Sunshine Coast this weekend. On Saturday morning, we arrived at the ferry terminal to find our starters properly caffeinated and ready to go.
After a brief summary and details for those unfamiliar with the trails, everyone was off. Starting off on the short section through the local neighbourhood before getting into the canyon, Jason, Ran, Bill and Des quickly took the lead, followed by Heather, Craig and Helen with Jess, Kelly, Lishe, Ben, Dave and Jackie meandering along until the guilt got to us and we took to our feet as well.
As much as it might be preferred to the old route that followed the highway to the mountain bike park, the first 500m or so (or 500km as Kelly noticied in the course description!) can best be summarized as "miserable". But we soon hit the canyon and started the true climb. This was the first time I have seen mountain bikers, hikers, mushroom pickers and other users on the trail. It was nice to see the trails actually being used!
Thanks to the frontrunners for finding the first flaw in the course description and confirming that taking a left at the second junction is indeed the wrong way to go. Changes will be made! But everyone made it back onto the trail and continued the climb as planned.
As we continued to climb, we first encountered Des on his return trip to the ferry terminal. Wow! We were barely halfway and he was on his way back?!? Des was kind enough to warn us about the mother bear and two cubs shortly ahead of us on the trail, but the head wandered off by the time we got there.
At the 10k/2hr/clearing we decided that it was time to turn back. After an entertaining chat with a group of mountain bikers, and some encouraging words from Ran and Jason on their descent, Jess, Lishe, Kelly and I started back down the hill. Dave decided that he was going to keep on climbing.
Shortly after turning around, Kelly and Lishe very kindly found the wasps' nest and saved Jess and me from also getting stung (thanks!). Kelly seems to be a wasp magnet - this wasn't her first sting while running this summer. Those three went on ahead and I decided to hang back and wait for Dave since he was just a bit behind.
Shortly afterwards, Bill came screaming (not literally) down the hill and was hot on the trails of the girls. A short while later (I couldn't help thinking about this mother and bear and cubs wandering around) Craig, Helen and Heather came running up. Deciding that standing around was not going to get me to the finish in time wasn't the best idea of the day, I decided to follow this group down the hill.
Have to say - other than the second turn, the directions worked well getting up the hill. Coming down was another story... I eventually encountered Jess, Kelly and Lishe again and realizing that there was no way we were going to get to the finish in time for our planned 12noon rendezvous, snacks and prizes, Kelly and Lishe booked it back to the start. Since this was just the beginning of our weekend on the coast and we didn't have to be on the ferry, Jess and I came in at a more sedate pace.
Upon reentering the ferry terminal, we could see a group of runners making their way to the loading area across the parking lot. We had missed the entire post-run social! Oh well - Bill took care of everyone for us and made sure we had finishing times and garbage points recorded. Thanks Bill. We finally caught up with the group as they reached the loading gate. But where was Ben?!? Just as we were starting to worry, Ben can storming up the parking lot and even found the strength to hop the fence to get into the pedestrian area. Good show!
Dave caught up with us back and the car and must have been caught up in the excitement of the event. Not only did he run to the gravel road as planned after we turned back - he ran the entire 26k course! Well done!
That was it for the 2010 Sunshine in September. We started the drive to the cabin for the weekend and the rain started!
Thank you all for coming out! Hope to see you next year. Jackie
Photos: If you have photos of the day, upload them to the Flickr CFA group, tag them with SunshineInSeptember2010 SunshineInSeptember and ClubFatAssEvents. Photos uploaded so far are posted in the slideshow below:
Feedback: We'd like to hear your feedback about this event. Please respond to this brief Post Event Survey. We appreciate your thoughts. You can also add your own comments or impressions via the comment form below or as a blog post (that will be attached to this page).
Results:
| First Name | Last Name | City | Age | Event | Time | Reg. Pts | Garbage | Total Pts. | Prize? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackie | Montgomery | Vancouver | 40-49 | 19k | 3:53 | 2+2 | 1 | 5 | |
| Desmond | Mott | north vancouver | 50-59 | 26km | 2:53 | 2 | 2 | Yes | |
| Jason | Eads | Kirkwood | 30-39 | 26km | 3:02 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Ran | Katzman | Vancouver | 40-49 | 26km | 3:02 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Yes |
| Bill | Dagg | Vancouver | 40-49 | 26km | 3:19 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Yes |
| Craig | Moore | North Vancouver | 40-49 | 26km | 3:35 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Helen | Tilley | White Rock | 40-49 | 26km | 3:38 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Heather | Urquhart | North Vancouver | 30-39 | 26km | 3:38 | 1 | 1 | Yes | |
| Kelly | Corday | Vancouver | 20-29 | 26km | 3:46 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Yes |
| Lishe | O'Kiely | Vancouver | 50-59 | 26km | 3:46 | 2 | 2 | Yes | |
| Jess | Dagg | Vancouver | 20-29 | 26km | 3:53 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Ben | Harapat | North Vancouver | 50-59 | 26km | ?? | 2 | 2 | ||
| David | Montgomery | Vancouver | 40-49 | 26km | 4:23? | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Claudia | Bullington | Richmond | 40-49 | DNS | -1 | -1 |
Sunshine in September 2010 - Run, Ran, RUN!
For those of us NOT from BC or another coastal area, ferry rides are a rarity. I really didn't know what to expect in terms of what this "boat" would look like. It was a pleasant surprise because BC ferries are PLUSH! First of all, the things are HUGE and can hold more than 100 cars - WOW! Plus, they have full service restaurants, multiple levels and even a sun-deck upon which you can sit outside and take in the cool & fresh Howe Sound air on the way between Horeshoe Bay and Langdale.
Craig hadn't had his coffee yet, which explains this glazed over look on his face, but he perked up one he scored some Starbucks from the barista on the ferry.
Generally speaking, it was pretty overcast as we made our way over to the sunshine coast, but sure enough, about the time we were arriving there was a very bright spot of sun right over Langdale - as if to say: "Yep, this is the Sunshine Coast allright!". Once we were all off of the ferry and settled in Langdale it was apparent that the weather would actually continue to improve. Improve it did, and Sunshine In September certainly lived up to it's moniker. A very nice trail run.
The run
Early in the run is a short bit of road, then you hit the trails and continue to climbing up, and up, and up. There are a few rolling hills that give you a brief reprieve from the constant climbing, but it's a bit taxing for the entire 1st half of the 26km option for this run.
Making our way out of Langdale, I settled in with Ran Katzman (YES, that's his real, given name!) - a great runner that most of you know. Can you say 5:47 at the 2010 Kneeknacker?!? Suffice to say, deciding to run with Ran probably wouldn't be the best decision I would make this day - or would it??? The thing about Ran is Ran RUNS. He doesn't walk hills, he doesn't "power hike" hills. He RUNS hills. I'm mean, c'mon, the guys name isn't "Walked", right???
Although Ran pulled me harder than he knows up the 7.5 mile slap in the face that the 1st half of the run climbs, it's the back half that was pretty rewarding. I tried to talk to Ran as much as I could, but I didn't have the oxygen to hold a lot of conversation. Fortunately, Ran was simply cruising around effortlessly and navigating - so he was chatty, which was good. He also had printed directions of the route, so once I committed to running with him I was in whole hog or risk getting lost.
Once we FINALLY made our way to the high point of our run (and the turn around to back from whence we came) we encountered a cool little airplane sculpture that marked the beginning of a very technical and super fast downhill. I knew Ran would be 10x faster than me down this, so I asked him to go ahead - hey, if I get lost, I get lost. No big deal. Instead, Ran insisted that I lead - so I did, for about 200 meters. Then I hear Ran the Freight Train coming down the tracks! I step aside and watch Ran dice this technical downhill up like a pizza. He was kind enough to wait for me at the bottom and we made our way back up the fire access road to get to the single track that would take us home. Thanks for waiting, Ran!
All this time, I'm telling Ran how impressed I am that he can take these hills (both up and down) the way he does. He's a modest guy, and says "spend a year or two on the North Shore and you'll get better at it too". Yeah, right. He also gave me some B.S. about what Ran calls "the leader effect". Now, I don't dismiss this theory, but I can tell you there's not a snowball's chance in hell that I was motivating Ran very much. In fact, I'm pretty sure I was slowing him down and he must have slowed for me to catch him a million times.
The leader effect goes something like this: You get a little extra push of energy because you are leading someone else down the trail (presumably, knowing where you're headed) and the follower is guessing on your next move because they aren't necessarily focused on much besides following. I SUPPOSE, Ran, I suppose. 
Anyhow, we enjoyed eachothers company on what resulted in a 3hr 2min dash about near Langdale. We both managed a garbage point, and Ran's hydration strategy was a BIG surprise to me. How he sneaked in a Pabst Blue Ribbon while mowing down all those hills is a mystery to me, and he even crushes the cans on his BARE FOREHEAD! What a BEAST of a lad!
We arrived back and the Langdale ferry terminal to find Des Mott chilling near the car. Des had practically worked himself to death all week and decided a custom distance for SIS 2010 was the better option for him this day. Ran, Des and I wandered over to Wheatberries coffee stand and Ran treated me to a big chocolate milk and a sports drink. Good stuff! Made me feel better almost instantly!
Jackie hosts an awesome run and since she IS the QUEEN of homemade energy bars, you'd be crazy not to take her up on this one next year! This run was a ton of fun because you get to hang out and share war stories on the ferry ride back to Horeshoe Bay. Heather even scored a battle wound! That may actually be my favorite part of the whole deal. Thanks, fellow Fat Asses - it was an awesome day!
Sunshine in September - 2009
Starter Photo: 5 September 2009 - 13 Starters
Report: Thank you to everyone who braved the early start and fall weather for the third Sunshine in September. 12 starters (and finishers!) made the trip over to Langdale. After introductions and a bit of a wet start, it was off to the trails. Well, they went to the trails. I stayed behind drinking coffee while waiting.
Had a chance to see almost everyone pass through the 3k mark, although Sibylle, Steve and Monty appear to have found a better route for future years. By the time folks came past, the weather had changed two or three times but was enthusiastically raining again, although the jackets had been stowed by this point. But you'll be glad to know that the car was toasty warm and dry.
After my temporary panic wondering if I'd sent everyone off to never be seen again at 2h 45m, it was great to see a crowd of runners come around the bend on the Port Mellon Highway. The remaining runners came along soon after and although it was a bit rushed before the ferry sailed back to Horseshoe Bay, we did have time to eat some treats and award prizes.
I'm looking forward to a springtime running of the course with Sibylle to fine turn the directions and the 2010 Sunshine in September!
(Thank you to everyone for your help and patience as I sorted out Event Hosting details!). Jackie
Despite Jackie being worried about her flock getting lost on the vast trail system beyond Langdale, we all made it back in one piece. A few of us did add a few creative kms to the course and Steve and Sibylle got stung by aggressive wasps, but the trails were beautiful and the weather much better than what we prepared for.
Photos: If you have photos of the day, upload them to the Flickr CFA group, tag them with SunshineInSeptember2009 SunshineInSeptember and ClubFatAssEvents. Photos uploaded so far are posted here.
Feedback: We'd like to hear your feedback about this event. Please respond to this brief Post Event Survey. We appreciate your thoughts. You can also add your own comments or impressions via the comment form below or as a blog post (that will be attached to this page).
Results
| First Name | Last Name | Event | Points | Time |
| Ellie | Greenwood | 26km | 2+1* | 3:10 |
| Ran | Katzman | 26km | 1 | 3:10 |
| john | mcgrath | 26km | 2+1* | 3:10 |
| Jackie | Muir | 26km | 1+1* | 3:10 |
| John | Neels | 26km | 2 | 3:10 |
| Larry | Nightengale | 26km | 1 | 3:10 |
| desmond | mott | 26km (added detour) | 2+1* | 3:22 |
| Heather | Urquhart | 20km | 1 +1* | 3:10 |
| Craig | Moore | 20km | 2 + 1* | 3:24 |
| Dave | Montgomery | 20km | 1 + 1* | 3:30 |
| Monty | Watts | Custom - 21km | 2 | 3:25 |
| Sibylle | Tinsel | Custom - 20km (added detour) | 2 +1 * | 3:25 |
| Steve | Deller | Custom - 20km (added detour) | 1 | 3:45 |
| Jackie | Montgomery | Event Host | 4** |
* Garbage Point
** EH Points
Sunshine in September - 2008
For only it's second year as a CFA event, Sunshine in September for 2008 was a huge success! The weather was perfect, the trails were dry, the ferry was on time, and the number of participants was up... alot!!
13 folks toed the line at Langdale ferry terminal and put all their trust in my course directions. After the (unfortunately!) mandatory 3km section of highway everyone was able to enjoy the excellent, non-technical single-track trails of the Sunshine Coast.
Though I was unable to run it this year, I did manage to tag along behind on my mountain bike and get some photos of the runners as they headed back after the turnaround point.
Bill, Des, Tim and JP got distracted picking up garbage and overshot the Red Baron trail junction which added a couple of extra kilometres to their run.
Ean, JoJo and EJ came cruising down the trail hootin' and hollerin' and generally sounding like they were having the times of their lives!
We all met up at the Wheatberries Cafe back at the terminal for some well deserved drinks and delectable treats before catching the 12:20pm ferry back to Horseshoe Bay.
Some memorable comments that made me really proud of the course were 'some of the best trails I've run on', 'nice change from the technical North Shore', 'amazing area and perfect weather', 'so glad I came out to do this run!' ... these are my reward as an event host!
Thanks everyone for coming out this year. Hope to see you for the 3rd installment of Sunshine In September in 2009!!
Please add your own comments or impressions via the comment form below or as a blog post (that will be attached to this page). If you have photos of the day, upload them to the Flickr CFA group, tag them with SunshineInSeptember2008 SunshineInSeptember and ClubFatAssEvents. Photos uploaded so far are posted here.
Results
| First Name | Last Name | Event | Points | Time |
| Bill | Dagg | 29km (unplanned detour) | 2 + 1 * | 3:13 |
| Tim | Wiens | 29km (unplanned detour) | 2 | 3:13 |
| JP | Obbagy | 29km (unplanned detour) | 2 + 1 * | 3:13 |
| christine | rybak | 26km | 1 | 3:13 |
| Jackie | Muir | 26km | 2 | 3:13 |
| Killaine | Sharman | 26km | 2 | 3:19 |
| Pamela | Keck | 26km | 1 | 3:19 |
| desmond | mott | 22km (start at parking lot + unplanned detour) | 2 + 1 * | 2:35 |
| Kim | Taylor | 21km | 2 | 3:32 |
| Pat | Matthieu | 21km | 2 | 3:32 |
| Sibylle | Tinsel | 18km | 2 | 3:22 |
| Patricia | Barry | 18km | 2 | 3:22 |
| Ean | Jackson | 11km | 2 | |
| JoJo | 11km | 2 | ||
| EJ | 11km | 2 | ||
| Berglind | Hafsteinsdottir | bike | 3** | |
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* garbage bonus point ** EH point |
2007 Sunshine in September
8 September 2007 - Starter Photo
Running for the ferry on glorious Sunshine...
The Sunshine Coast lived up to its' name as we were greeted with nothing but glorious sunshine for the inaugral running of the Sunshine in September event. Sibylle, Craig and myself headed out on what can only be described as stunning day.
We met at the church on Taylor Way and, after sampling some of Craig's fresh homebaked choc-chip cookies (yum!), loaded into Craig's car for the quick drive to Horseshoe Bay. We were pleasantly suprised to find out that today was Faresaver day on BC Ferries - half price fares for everyone!!! - we paid our mere $5.40 for a return ticket, hopped on, sat back and enjoyed the views on the very short ride across to Langdale.
As expected, the trail was in perfect condition and we ran along enjoying our surroundings. We didn't come across another soul all day and the opportunities to pick up trash were really few and far between.
Reaching the clear-cut at almost 10km offered us the chance to take in the views down to Roberts Creek and across to Vancouver Island. Sibylle turned around at the 10km mark while Craig and I, after some quick calculations, decided we had enough time to complete the extra 6km loop and get down to catch the 12.20pm ferry. The additional distance was great - especially blasting down Red Baron trail - but time was of the essence and thankfully it was practically all downhill. We reached the terminal with less then 10 minutes to spare.
Thanks to Craig and Sibylle for coming out - you know we all set course records today!!!
Please click here for a slideshow of more photos.
| Name |
Distance |
Time |
Points |
| Sibylle | 20km | 3h 36m | 3 |
| Berglind | 26km | 3h 50m | 3 |
| Craig | 26km | 3h 50m | 4 |
| Rhonda | DNS | -1 | |
| Cheryl | DNS | -1 | |
| Sharon | DNS | -1 |
Until next year!
Berglind
Thanks - Sunshine In September
If you'd like to support Sunshine In September and our guests in some way, we'd love to have you onboard. At the very least, we can promise you a place on this Thank You page! Please contact us with your thoughts on how you'd like to participate.
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TrailRunner: Thank you for the 2 gift subscriptions to your popular magazine as draw prize. Also for offering members of Club Fat Ass a special discounted subscription price |
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Agenda - Sunshine in September
Results |Background | Thanks! | FAQ | Contact
Best you print this and the course description off if you don't want to get lost! Go to the bottom of this page and click on "printer-friendly version" for best results.
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Sunday September 2 |
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| 07:00 | Drag your fat ass out of bed. Check the weather. Be sure to print off this agenda and the course description! |
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9:00 |
IF YOU HAVE ARRANGED CAR-POOLING - arrange at agreed upon location to car-pool to Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal. NOTE: I will already be on the sunshine coast and will NOT be car-pooling or arranging the car-pooling, but there are always folks interested in meeting/sharing the transportation. If you are interested in car-pooling, feel free to contact me and I'll do what I can to help arrange. |
| 9:20 |
Drive into the Village and park in day parking area in front of ticket booth (cost per vehicle is approx. $12 for the day). Meet at the ticket booth (ticket sales close at 09:25am sharp!!). There is a parkade just behind (east of) the day parking lot, but your best bet is to carpool as much as possible! |
| 09:40 | Ferry sails to Langdale terminal. |
| 10:20 | Arrive at Langdale ferry terminal. Welcome and final briefing. Photo. Start after the traffic leaves the terminal (target is 10:30am) |
| 13:30 | First Finisher? |
| 14:15 | Ferry departs for the trip back to Horseshoe Bay |
Course
DISCLAIMER: In three (now four) attempts, I have yet to be able to follow my own course directions. But as long as you can follow the signs back to Langdale Ferry Terminal or Sprockkids Park you'll make it home.
This is an informal, environmentally-friendly event. Be sure to print this agenda and the course description and bring them with you to the event as there are no flags, marshals or other directions. (I recommend you put them in a plastic baggie, as they will otherwise surely turn to mush.) Better yet, train on the course and bring the directions.
Getting to the Start
Suggested CARPOOL MEETING PLACE: St David's Church, 1525 Taylor Way, North Vancouver
Drive north (toward the mountains) along Taylor Way. Follow signs for Hwy 1 West. Take the left turn as if to go west on Hwy 1 but instead of going straight, take an immediate right turn onto Westcot Rd. The church is right on the corner. Park and meet to arrange carpools.
HORSESHOE BAY FERRY TERMINAL:
Head west along Hwy 1 as if going to Squamish. Follow signs the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. Don't get into the ferry line-up! Instead, follow the Village signs down to a set of traffic lights (be in the right lane at the lights). Take the first right after the lights and right again to enter the parking lot. Find a spot. Pay the fee. Meet at the ferry ticket booth.
The start and finish is at the ferry teminal in Langdale, BC Canada.
What to Bring?
- bring your own aid (if you don't know what that is, better wait another year)
- bring your own official timing system (a watch will do, even if the second hand doesn't work)
- bring some change for parking for your carpool driver
- we have a geardrop this year! Although no showers in the area, you can bring a change of clothes, etc. and leave your gear in Jackie's car. Bring warm clothes to change into! You will very very likely be going back on the ferry wet.
- there's no cost to enter if you're a member of Club Fat Ass, but bring a few bucks to pay for parking, the ferry and treats at the cafe
Notes
- it's not a race, but we do keep track of your times so you have something to compare to next year
- you will likely finish the race hours before I do, so don't forget to record your times on the registration sheet at the car for posting to the website.
- we hope everyone will run the same course, but won't disqualify folks for getting lost and running extra distance. To be honest, if you don't get lost, you're doing far better than your event host.
- this event is not sponsored, sanctioned, permitted or anything else that would qualify it as an official event
- it's pay parking at the terminal - approx. $12 per car per day - the machines ONLY take credit cards.
Backgrounder - Sunshine in September
In January '07, I met up with a group of friends to go mountain biking on the Sunshine Coast. I had heard some really good things about the area and was excited to explore new trails. We lucked out with the weather and the trail conditions were perfect.
The trails in this area are some of the best I have ever seen! Not nearly as technical as the North Shore but not 'boring' like Stanley Park trails. It's a perfect mix of smooth undulating singletrack, smooth steep climbs, smooth decents.... it's just smooth!
After the ride, I immediately decided this would be a great place to host my first CFA event. I've since plotted out a 26km course that I hope will showcase some of the best the Sunshine Coast has to offer.
See you in September!
Course - Sunshine in September
To purchase a custom map for this course, please click on the image above
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10:20 |
Reference Point - Langdale Ferry Terminal - Start / Finish |
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10:20 |
Meet INSIDE the building just past the yellow fence by the washrooms and vending machines once you exit the ferry (on the left). We'll give the cars a few moments to unload from the ferry and exit the terminal area. |
0.0 |
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Once we have all gathered, we will walk over to the parking lot to drop bags at the car. |
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10:30 |
Starter photo and we are off! Heading up the parking lot stairs to the highway (on the right hand side of the ferry terminal property) |
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Follow Port Mellon Highway (you'll be running on the shoulder against traffic) uphill about 400m. Turn left on Wharf Road (first street on left) and follow to trailhead at end (about 500m). |
1.0 |
| Stay on the main trail through the canyon. As you exit the canyon the trail hits a "T" junction. Turn right. At the next junction (a "Y" junction in approx 200m), turn RIGHT. When you come to the next (third) junction (a "Y" junction) turn left and head under the power lines. (Watch yourself here! This is where everyone gets lost - you aren't turning LEFT until you are under the power lines!) | ||
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Follow the trail across the mountain bike bridges. Continue along the trail, turning right to stay on the switchback trail when you reach the nasty looking incline. |
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At the top, turn RIGHT (new!!). You'll be running under cover of the trees through this section. |
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After about 200m there's a 4-way junction, stay straight (recently, this route has been marked with orange markers, yellow markers and white trail markers). |
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Another 400m up this trail take a left again and continue to follow the orange and white markers. |
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There's a trail sign after another 50m - Lower Flume - follow this to the left and take a quick right onto Upper Flume. NOTE: This turn is very easy to miss! If you end up following only yellow markers, you've missed the turn!) |
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There's another junction after 200m - go right to Upper Trails, SideWinder. Then take a quick left 20m later and follow the blue and white trail markers. |
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Go right after another 400m onto Ridge Trail (blue markers) and across the Gibson Creek Falls bridge. Stay on Sidewinder. |
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You'll come across a 'Caution Drop Off' sign (but it will be facing the opposite direction...) - stay right to avoid the drop and continue straight and up the hill. |
5.0 |
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At the top of the climb follow the blue arrow painted on the tree - middle trail option. After 50m go straight following the Highway 102 signs. Still blue markers... |
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After 150m note the white arrow pointing right follow this across the bridge. Stay right at the primative campsite. |
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Continue along Highway 102 trail (blue markers) for 1.5km. You'll go down a steep, short downhill and at the first junction turn right and continue up along the Highway 102 trail. |
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You'll notice a clearcut through the trees on your left but don't be lured by this unless you want to check out some seriously huge mtn bike stunts!! Take the right trail at the clearcut junction - we've almost finished climbing - and you'll come to a gravel road. |
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Reference Point - Gravel road |
9.5 |
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Turn right on the gravel road and continue along for 70m until you reach a small parking area. Take the trail on the left - Highway 103 |
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Climb easily for some time (approx 700m) and take the left at the first junction - Highway 103. Cross over a large log 5m after the junction and enjoy the nice trail. |
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Take another left at the next junction (after about 1km) onto Red Barron trail (note the interesting plane trail marker - up on the tree to the right). Enjoy the steep but super-fun down!! |
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The Red Barron spits you back out onto the gravel road. Turn left at this point and head up the road. |
12.5 |
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The clearcut will be on your right so keep following this gravel road until you reach the trailhead for Highway 102 (it will come into view shortly after the clearcut is replaced by trees on your right). |
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Head right and down back onto Highway 102 and begin retracing your steps back to the ferry |
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Stay left at the clearcut junction and keep heading down the hill. |
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Take the left trail at the next junction and go up the steep but short hill - Highway 102 |
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At the top of the hill, continue right along Highway 102 (blue markers) for about 1.5 km and you'll end up at the campsite and bridge. When you reach the "Y" junction, go right, back onto Sidewinder (blue markers). |
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Cross the bridge, continuing to follow the blue markers. Continue along Highway 102 and take the left trail at the the drop off sign (may be difficult to spot - they keep changing the orientation.) |
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Continue straight at the junction and cross over 2 trees and under 3 trees. Cross the Gibson Creek Falls bridge and along the Ridge Trail. Go left and down off the Ridge Trail. |
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Follow the blue and white markers, take a right onto Upper Trails / SideWinder, then a quick left onto Upper Flume. |
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There's another junction after about 400m, go left then a quick right onto Lower Flume |
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At the junction, turn right to stay on the main trail, the white markers will start soon (if you see only yellow markers, you've turned the wrong way. Trust me, I know this...). |
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You will come upon a subtle 4-way junction while on the main trail. Stay straight (all coloured markers point in OTHER directions). In approx. 50m you will turn left to head back downhill. |
23.0 |
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Follow the trail back down the same way your came up. Take the left at the hydro lines. Take the right to take the short switchback back down the hill (I wonder if the stump carved `NUTS` is still here). At the `Y`junction, take the left fork. Take the left fork at the `T`junction and follow the obvious trail through the canyon, back to Wharf Road. |
25.0 |
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Head down Wharf Road. At Port Mellon Highway, go right and downhill to the ferry terminal. When you reach Sunshine Coast Highway, cross both directions (CAREFUL!), ending up on the same side of the road as the terminal, past the car entrance. |
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Head through the last gate on the right and onto the pedestrian path on the right (keeping the car line-ups on your left). |
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Go straight for another 30m until you reach the Wheatberries Cafe - This is the finish!! |
26.0 |
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Meet up with your friends and enjoy some delicious goodies at the Wheatberries Cafe. Washrooms available on the right, next door to the cafe. Thanks for coming out and congratulations on completing the Sunshine in September run! |
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FAQ - Sunshine In September
| Q: | I've never done a trail run before. Is this a good place to start? |
| A: | It's a toughie, but if you can run a 1/2 marathon on the road and are comfortable carrying your own food and water, you should be good for this run. |
| Q: | Do I need to print off course instructions and bring them with me? |
| A: | Yes. Otherwise, we guarantee you will get lost! |
| Q: | What if I get lost? |
| A: |
Let's be honest, I'm still figuring out writing and reading course descriptions so you've got a good chance of getting off course, if not actually "lost". Follow the route directions. If you do feel you are lost, ask a mountain biker or backtrack to the last place you saw a runner. If you can find your way to Sprockids Park, you can always follow the road out to the highway and run down the highway back into the ferry terminal. |
| Q: | What if I have to heed the call of nature. |
| A: | There is a public washroom at the start/finish at Langdale Ferry Terminal. If you have to go on the trail, be discreet, do your business at least 10 meters from the trail and bury anything solid at least 10 cm deep. |
| Q: | What should I bring on the day? |
| A: | Please check the agenda for thoughts |
| Q: | I am supposed to be self-sufficient because there is no aid provided. Can I get a friend to come out and give me food and drink along the route? |
| A: | Absolutely! In fact, it would be nice if your friend were to help everyone. See aid stations and crew for some thoughts on what they might be able to do. |
| Q: | Where can I park? Where can I change? |
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I would encourage you to park at the church on Taylor Way and carpool to the ferry or, if you are running late/already have a full vehicle, park at the Ferry parking lot at Horseshoe Bay (see agenda for details). There is a public washroom at Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, on the ferry, and the Langdale Ferry Terminal. We have a gear drop available so feel free to bring a change of clothes or even your travel mug for coffee afterwards at Wheatberries. |
Confirmation - Sunshine In September
The following people are registered for this event:1) desmond mott (1)
2) Jackie Montgomery (0)
3) Dylan Chadsey (0)
4) Sibylle Tinsel (2)
Contact - Sunshine In September
We welcome your comments, criticisms, feedback and questions.
Please be sure to read the the Agenda and FAQ section of this website first, as this is where I've tried to answer the most frequently asked questions.
Jackie Montgomery - Your CFA Event Host
Post Event Survey - Sunshine in September
Please take a moment to share your thoughts about the Club Fat Ass event you recently participated in. Your feedback will help your Event Host to refine their event next year.
This is an anonymous, confidential survey (as long as you are not logged in to the website) so please feel free to offer constructive criticism about any aspect of the event in the comment box.