Coyote Howloween Moon 55K
10:00 AM, October 31, 2009
Los Padres National Forest, Ojai, CA
IS FORMALLY CANCELLED A/O OCTOBER 5TH
Updated 10/18 “Ridge Peaks 50K Howloween Training Run”
Format: Too many other ghouls to chase down that day… so we’re changing brooms in search of greasier cauldrons. We’ll have a Coyote Cohorts training run that day, still starting at 10AM (now 7AM; for those interested in carpooling from Ojai, we’ll meet at the Von’s parking lot at 6AM and plan to leave NLT 6:10AM — if you’re late, you’re late); and depending on how many people want to come grab some miles, we’ll find some way to wheedle in some Howloween theme into the roaming, and finish off with some apple-bobbing, paté-noshing and brew-swilling once everyone returns from whence the brooms took flight and the howloween moon rises above the horizon’s grave. Because we’re going much earlier, no planned moon-rise games; maybe we’ll have a food fight w/ apples?
Entry Fee: T’ain’t any. It’s a training run. (So, don’t go hitting the “Register” button up top, unless you just want to magnanimously donate half your month’s wages to future Coyote lunacies.) Tho again, depending on numbers showing up for ‘weening in the dirt, we may pass around the pointy hat to help reimburse the moth-eaten purse for post-run nibbles and brew. Still don’t have a good sense of numbers, so if you care to bring something a la pot luck, have at it. What we bring is all there will be; if it’s enough to go around, great!!
Course and Aid Stations: Numbers, with respect to adequate parking space, will dictate whether we base our brooms from bottom of Howard Creek or the C2M aid station near Rose Valley campground. Since numbers are still in question, will curve toward enough to make using Howard Creek a bit cramped. A 50K course will encompass a climb/drop of Howard Creek trail, a climb up the Rose Valley road, a drop down Lion Cyn trail, a visit to Nordhoff Peak tower, and the ridge between the tower and the top of Lion Cyn. How little or more of that course your broom brushes dust is entirely up to you. As for aid, we’ll have only one station, at whichever off-ridge location (HC or RV) doesn’t serve as broom closet, that station at either Mile 12 or 17, start/finish point dependent. Revised 50K course: Rose Valley S/F, up the road to ridge, turn right and get to Nordhoff Peak tower, return along ridge, turning left and dropping down to Howard Creek. That’s about 12 miles, and we’ll have aid there. Return to the ridge, turn left then down the road back into Rose Valley. That’s about 19 miles, and another chance for aid. Either call it quits there, or take Lion Canyon trail to the ridge, turn left at top and grab Topa, then return down Lion to Rose Valley. That’s about 50K. If this is gibberish to you, then if you decide to visit with us, either glom onto someone who understands the translation into a real route, or you’re on your own to roam the Ojai ridge (have fun!!).
Accommodations: Even tho the event is formally cancelled, if you’re coming from outside local driving distance, you may wish to make it a full weekend of training miles. In which case, you may still want some thatch over your pointy-hat head and/or a real closet to park your broom. The Ojai Best Western http://www.ojaiinn.com/ has been a Coyote favorite, and they’re still offering a special rate of $85 for the weekend. Mention Coyote Howloween Ultra to have the reduced rate applied to your reservation.
What to do now: If you unquestionably can’t avoid this training run, first, my condolences that you’re opting out of sitting on your front porch to dole out sweet goodies to the local urchins; second, all you need do is send an e-mail to the Broommeister at his Yahoo’s “dirtyshooze” address to include your broom as participant. If you still have reasonable questions that may yield questionably reasonless responses to help you decide, direct them to the same idiot. Once enough brooms are accounted for to decide rallying point, those signed up will receive e-mails on point and with other questionably relevant information. This webpage will likely contain the same information, albeit potentially somewhat delayed behind the e-mail traffic, but no promises on that score. At that juncture, you’ll just have to rely on e-mails to the BM or among the other broom riders to get the last minute scoop.
Ghouls, don your costumes and come ride your brooms!!!
