Route:

Photo at left: view looking North at Green Mountain from the Dakota /Dinosaur Ridge Trail. click for larger version.

Route:

There are several options. Please choose the appropriate route for your speed to finish in about 1:00-1:10.

the hill. Do not turn here. Continue to the next junction, the Utah trail, 3.1mi (UTAH1). This is the first option.

]Option 1A: Intermediate runners should go left here, or see 1C below. Go up for ½mi then go left at the trail junction (UTAH2). Go up the trail another 1mi to the service road (GM4). Go left for 0.7mi to option 5.

1B: Faster runners should continue straight and continue around to the Florida lot ( FLA ), 3.4mi.

1C: Slow runners, and anyone wanting to avoid any big climbs, should continue to the Florida lot ( FLA ), or until you've been out 30-35 min. Then return the same way.

Option 2A: At the large, dirt, Florida lot ( FLA ), go left onto the single track at the north end of the lot. It merges with 2B about ½mi up, at a 90 ° left turn. Continue up to option 3.

2B: Go straight (yellow line) through the north end of the lot for ~1/3mi. Go left up the next trail. It merges with 2A.

Above the next rise after 2A&B merge, there's a single track on the left (UTAH3).

Option 3A: Go left (yellow line) on the single track. After ¼mi, go right at the junction onto the Utah trail (UTAH2). Continue another 1mi up to the service road. Go left, then continue to option 5.

3B: Continue climbing up the ridge to the towers (TOW). This is a few minutes shorter than 3A, unless you take 4B.

Option 4A: Go left at the towers (TOW) and follow the service road another mile, over the top of Green Mtn, to option 5.

4B: Go right (yellow line) at the towers and start down the ridge for about 50 yards. Go left onto a single track. This parallels the service road heading NW. Merge back up to the service road. Go right and continue to option 5.

Option 5A: (GM5) The service road takes a sharp, left turn and heads down steeply. Stay on the road. It's about another mile to the finish.

5B: Stay straight onto a single track. The trails fork, then come back together before the next turn. After ¼mi, Go left onto a single track (GM6). This rocky trail winds its way down the side of the mountain. After ~1mi, go left at the saddle down a steep trail. This goes over a couple of rises, then merges back with the service road. Go right and continue another 0.4mi to the finish. 5B is ~0.8mi longer than 5A.

Intermediate: At the Utah trailhead sign (~2.9mi), go left up the hill. This is the 3 rd left you can take to the top (the 2 nd is at ~2.0mo). This is just short of halfway in terms of time, depending on how you handle hills. About 1/2 mile up, take a sharp left at the fork. You have about another mile to the top. At the top, at the large service road, go left. West, over the rise and follow the wide service road back down to the bridge. The last mile is steep and fast. ~6.4mi.

Advanced: Follow the Intermediate route to the Utah trailhead and go left up the hill. About 1/2 mile up, stay right at the fork. When it merges with another trail, go left and continue up to the radio/TV towers. From there, follow the service road west, then back down to the bridge. ~6.7mi.

Advanced1: Continue past the Utah trailhead to the Florida lot (~3.3mi). You are not quite halfway yet. At the far end of the lot, go left up the trail. It's about a 1.3 grind up to the radio/TV towers. From there, go west on the service road to the finish. ~6.8mi.

Advanced2: Continue past the Utah trailhead to the Florida lot (~3.25mi). You are not quite halfway yet. At the far end of the lot, go left up the trail. The trail switchbacks up, comes over a rise and around a sweeping right curve, then makes a 90 degree left turn. At the first (I think) flat section, after the first steep pitch, after the left, about 0.6mi from the Florida lot, look for a trail on the left. Follow this trail to the fork on the Utah trail, take a right, then continue another mile to the top. From there, go west on the service road to the finish. ~7.2mi.

Expert - Continue straight, past the Florida lot, ~0.3mi. Go left up a steep hill. This merges with the Advanced route at their 90 degree left turn. Follow the advanced route back to the service road. Shortly after the service road comes over the top of the hill, at a sharp left turn, just before the road gets steep, skip the left and go straight on a single track trail. In ~1/4-mi, go left on another single track. Follow the switchbacks down the hill ~3/4-mi to a saddle. Go left down a steep hill. Follow this trail down and up two hills to the service road, then go right on the road back to the bridge. ~7.7mi

If you are late, you can run the route in reverse and meet us. From the start, go left up the service road and continue to the radio towers.

If it takes you more than 35-40 minutes to get to the Utah trailhead, or if you don't want to do steep hills, consider skipping the climbs, turning around, and heading back to the start the same way you came.

Time Trial: 3.2mi of rolling trails to the Florida lot. 2/3 junction. 1.8 lot on right. 2.85 Utah . 3.2