AS OF 5/19/08 THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS NO LONGER CORRECT! 

IF YOU DID NOT RECEIVE THE COURSE RE-ROUTE EMAIL, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT NB2V@HOTMAIL.COM SO I CAN SEND YOU THE DETAILS. 

WE ARE CUTTING OUT MOST OF THE MILEAGE BETWEEN TWIN FALLS AND EASTON.  TOTAL MILEAGE = 90.   PARTICIPANTS WILL BE SHUTTLED FROM MCCLELLAN BUTTE TRAIL PARKING LOT TO EASTON.

CREW DRIVING DIRECTIONS

!! = COURSE INFORMATION FOR RUNNERS/BIKERS

(ALL DIRECTIONS ARE GOING EASTBOUND ON I-90 IN WA.)

START / CEDAR FALLS / EXIT 32

From eastbound I-90, take Exit 32 and go South on Cedar Falls Road for 3.5 miles.  After Passing the Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area entrance, go left to the Iron Horse State Park parking lot.  Look for “NB2V” signs once you hit Exit 32.

Miles to next aid:  4.5

TWIN FALLS / EXIT 38 (MILEAGE 4.5)

From Eastbound I-90, take a RIGHT off the exit (see sign that says “Ollalie State Park,”) cross the river/bridge, the road curves left, but you go RIGHT into the parking lot for Twin Falls and drive up to the gate.

Crew will have to walk */-200 yards up to the John Wayne Trail from the gate carrying water and any drop bags for this aid station. 

!! Runners/Bikers: 

Fill up your water here and make sure you have your headlamp/flashlight and extra batteries for the 2 mile trek through the Snoqualmie Tunnel to the next aid station.

CREW – to get back to I-90 go straight out of the parking lot on (instead of turning left), this road will parallel I-90 and take you to the I-90 East on-ramp.

Miles to next aid:  16

HYAK / EXIT 54 / TO THE SNOQUALMIE TUNNEL (MILEAGE = 20.5)

5/19/08 - DUE TO COURSE RE-ROUTE, WE WILL NOT BE GOING THROUGH HYAK!

Take a RIGHT off of I-90 and come to a stop sign. 

At stop sign, turn LEFT (east) on the access road that parallels the freeway (Route 906), you’ll see signs for Iron Horse State Park.  

After 0.13 miles, you can go straight or right, you should turn RIGHT on the first road, Forest Service Road 22191. 

Take an immediate RIGHT up the hill (don’t go straight up to Hyak Lodge) road signed to Hyak/Iron Horse.  Drive up and park near the trail/restrooms.

!! Runners/Bikers: 

You will encounter the Hyak aid station right after coming out of the Snoqualmie Tunnel.   Go straight across the parking lot to reenter the John Wayne Trail.

Miles to next aid:  18

EASTON / EXIT 71 (MILEAGE = 38.5)

From I-90 take exit 71, take a RIGHT off the Exit.  Go straight through the first stop sign, cross the railroad tracks, take a LEFT into the fire station parking lot (big red building) so that the fire station is on your left.  Drive straight onto the trail, past signage until you come to the parking area/restrooms.

!! Runners/Bikers:  You will pop out from the trail on Cabin Creek Road/2^nd Street, just keep going straight on that road and look for the fire station in the gravel parking lot, pass the fire station so that it is on your left and then you’ll rejoin the John Wayne trail and come to the aid station.

There is a water faucet located by the restrooms/outhouses.  You will also find many running streams between Easton and South Cle Elum.

Miles to next aid:  11.5

SOUTH CLE ELUM / EXIT 84 (MILEAGE = 50)

From I-90 take exit 84 until you come to the first lighted intersection and take a RIGHT.  (Look for the great signage in Cle Elum directing you to the trail.)  After you go over a bridge, turn RIGHT on Madison and in two blocks turn LEFT onto West 6th Street. Turn RIGHT onto Milwaukee Avenue, and the trailhead is on your LEFT at West 7th Street.

!! Runners/Bikers: 

Look for the train cabooses on your right and the aid station is going to be on the left.

Might want to use the outhouses at the Cle Elum trailhead; nature’s restrooms won’t offer much tree coverage after this point.  

CREW - when you leave Cle Elum, instead of turning left at that first main/lighted intersection, take a right and then follow sign to I-90 (take another right in 1 or 2 blocks at the light) to get back on I-90 East.

Miles to next aid:  18.5

THORP / EXIT 101 (MILEAGE = 68.5)

From I-90, go LEFT on Thorp Highway 0.25 miles.  Turn LEFT on Thorp Depot Roadwhich is a dirt/gravel/bumpy road and continue another 0.25 miles to trail crossing.

Miles to next aid at Ellensburg East:  8.6

ELLENSBURG WEST / EXIT 106 (MILEAGE = 75.5)

NO AID at Ellensburg West.  Crews go to Ellensburg East trailhead at the fairgrounds.

!! Runners/Bikers: 

The trail is “blocked” in Ellensburg by the Central Washington State Campus and you have to “detour” through campus. 

The trailhead at Ellensburg West comes out onto Water Streetbetween Indiana Dr. and  15th Avenue.  You can “wing it” and just head east, but the easiest way is to go right onto Water Street and follow Water Streetuntil you hit 8th Avenue which is University Way.  Go left onto University Way and follow that to Alder.  (There is also a reader board with directions on it when you exit the trail in Ellensburg West with a map to show you how to get to Ellensburg East.)

CREW - There is a stop light at Alder and you’ll see a 7-11, and Ken’s Auto Wash and Winegar’s on the left (see pictures for Ellensburg East trailhead).  Take a RIGHT on Alder and the trail is about 100 yards down on the left.

Miles to Ellensburg East:  1.6

ELLENSBURG EAST / EXIT 109 (MILEAGE = 77.1)

Take Exit #106 onto US-97 toward Wenatchee/Ellensburg and go 0.8 miles.  CONTINUE on Cascade Wayand go 0.6 miles.  Bear RIGHT on Cascade Way (I-90 Business Loop) and continue to follow the I-90 Business Loop for about 1.8 miles.  You will CONTINUE on 8^th Avenue/University Way for about another ½ mile.  Look for a Dairy Queen and then a Ken’s Auto Wash and Winegar’s on your LEFT.  Take a RIGHT on Alder.  The trailhead is about 100 yards on your left at Ellensburg Fairgrounds.

From I-90 take exit 115 (Kittitas) and go LEFT off the exit.   Look for the Iron Horse road sign and for Wilson Park on the left where you will meet the runners.

!! Runners/Bikers: 

After leaving Kittitas and going about 2.5-3 miles, paralleling the road (which will be on your left), you will come to a road crossing the trail.  This is Prater Road.  The John Wayne Trail is closed here because the trestle crossing I-90 is not pedestrian friendly to say the least.  From here to the Army West trailhead you will be on paved road.  Take a RIGHT on Prater Road, cross over the freeway on the overpass.

Then take a LEFT at Boylston Roadand proceed alongside the freeway for 3.4 mile to a T-intersection with Stevens Road.  The trailhead is on the right. 

!! Bikers: 

Unless you have a crew meeting you at the Army West trailhead, Kittitas is your last chance to fill up on water before we get to Vantage – it’s a long stretch from here.  Instead of heading straight across the road at Wilson Park back onto the trail, turn left and head into town to purchase water/food.  Then you can backtrack to the trail, or follow the driving directions to get to the Army West trailhead to meet up with the trail.

Miles to next aid:  6

ARMY WEST / EXIT 115 (MILEAGE = 88)
 

Head North (a LEFT out of Wilson Park) onto Main Street.  Main Street will curve around and take you into the tiny town of Kittitas, where you will turn RIGHT onto First Street.  (Note there’s some gravel road offshoots – stay on paved road.)  First Street becomes Parke Creek Road and parallels the trail for 2.5 miles (trail will be on your right). 

Turn RIGHT on Prater Road, cross over the freeway.

Then take a LEFT at Boylston Roadand proceed alongside the freeway for 3.4 mile to a T-intersection with Stevens Road.  The trailhead is on the right. 

CREW – The runners/bicyclists will be following the same course as you did to drive here.  Just pull up to the gate at the trailhead.

!! Runners/Bikers: 

When you get to Army West where we’ll meet our crews, there will be a sign-in/kiosk where you are supposed to check in (sort of like when you visit a national forest).

Fill up your pack and handhelds with water here – it’s 20.6 more miles to the finish with no tree coverage and no water stops.  You’re almost there.

Note:  It can get very windy during this last section.  Also, the trail varies between large gravel and fine sand. 

Miles to FINISH:  20.6

FINISH / ARMY EAST / EXIT 136 (MILEAGE = 108.6)


From I-90, travel south (take a RIGHT) on Huntzinger Road.  Go past the Wanapum Recreation Area and after 3.5 more miles you’ll come to the eastern point of the John Wayne Trail (in what feels like the middle of nowhere). 

There are actually two trailheads that come down into Vantage.  The main trailhead off the John Wayne Trail is the first trail you will see as you drive into the parking area.  The second trailhead is ~50 yards further. 

!! Runners/Bikers: 

When you encounter the “kiosk” that is 3 miles from the end of the John Wayne Trail you can either go straight or right.  They will both take you to the “finish line” in Vantage.  If you go straight you will exit into Vantage on the main trailhead.  There may be a 0.5 mile difference between the two routes but no one is counting.