War Eagle Trail Festival 2013

2013 race logo (hand drawn by Ryan Holler)

Coming off of my surprising time at the Bentonville Half back in April I knew that I should be able to carry a pretty good pace through the 25k out at Hobbs. Scouting the competition it looked like a sub 2 hour time would be needed to get a podium spot and take home one of those coveted handmade Indian head trophies. Ultrasignup had me projected to finish 26th overall and run a time around 2h26m or so. Pffftt! That made the Farmer a bit angry. I went out a couple of weeks before the race and ran the course at about 90% effort or so and bagged a 2h15m running time with just a couple of short stops. Thanks to David Newman for actually crewing for me that day. How cool is that? The cold water at Piney was much appreciated. 

Mike Rush & Trae Etheredge battle in the 25k (photo by Luis Escobar)

As race day approached RD Jeff Genova made an announcement that Luis Escobar, trail running photography guru and a pretty bad ass runner, was coming to NWA to shoot pics at the race. Some of you may recognize his name from the best selling book Born to Run.  As a bonus, Luis was generous enough to present his incredible photo essay, Running With the Tarahumara, the night before the race at the Bentonville Activity Center. The photos are amazing and the stories that go along with them are compelling. Luis was an open book and the audience was fortunate to get a glimpse into a world that few Westerners have experienced. Thank you Luis, Korima, my friend. To learn more about Luis and his work check out his website http://www.allwedoisrun.com/ and enjoy. I found Luis to be extremely genuine and generous. Make sure to look through the shots from the race, absolutely beautiful work. 

This is the third year for the current format of the race that includes 10k, 25k and 50k distances. Like last year I opted for the 25k. Why not the ultra? Well, I didn't have the desire to train for a 50k and the 25k was the more attractive carrot for me this year. More on that in my next post, stay tuned. Last year I finished 16th (2h25m) with so so training coming off the stress fracture. I certainly had a better base this year. My training was not focused as much as I simply ran after the Half and averaged about 40 miles per week. I did some hill work and tempo runs but stayed off the trails mostly to allow my ankle time to heal. Regardless, I felt pretty confident heading into race day. The last two years the story was the heat. But this year the forecast was for rain. A lot of rain. As in 4-6 inches the morning of the race and a good chance of severe weather. Mother Nature did not disappoint. The predawn sky on the drive out past Beaver Lake was lit up with lightning flashes as the rain fell. Fortunately, the park staff opened the visitor center early so that we could stay dry. I found a spot in the back of the nature room and got my stuff ready. The start was delayed about 30 minutes due to lightning. After wrapping up my routine I walked around and visited with some familiar faces and met some new ones. After some words from RD Jeff Genova and Mike Rush the 25/50 group headed outside to toe the line in the grey, rainy morning. 

Another great shot from Luis Escobar

I took up position near the front as I had decided to use the Tom Lane method at the start. This entails sprinting the 70 meters or so to the trail head and running as though your hair is on fire for the first 1 1/2 miles before the hill out of Van Winkle Hollow. Apparently I need to work on that as Tom was, like last year, off like a greased dart well in front. No worries as I was in the front of the pack. I love running in the rain. It makes me feel alive. Despite the downpour these trails handle water very well. My initial plan was to take things relatively easy until the climb above War Eagle Valley Overlook and then pick it up from there. No need to red line things in the first 4 miles, right? Well, it was pretty much pedal down from the get go for me. I had the sensation that my body and brain agreed on a pace that would be maintained for the entire race and it was go time. Climbing out of the valley I began to pass guys that I normally would not pass. Now, they were doing the 50k but I still would not see them under normal conditions. I pressed on and continued to pick runners off. About 4 miles in Jeff Erickson caught me from behind. He and I would race one another to the finish. 

Me at the Tatur Station. That's the fastest lawyer in the land, John Nobles, in the background. Notice the swim goggles. At the table is Dana Childress trying to make me eat Pringles. Photo by the Trail Zombie Ken Childress. 

The first aid station is 6 miles in and it was good to see Taturs Ken "TZ" and his wife, Dana, as well as the wounded Sled Dawg, John Nobles, from the Tatur group in Tulsa. A quick refill of my bottle and a slice of pb&j and I was off on the heels of Doc Erickson. We kept the pace honest and I'm not sure if I was pushing him or he was pulling me. I think more the later. The guy can climb smooth and strong. I kept thinking I might get him on a downhill section but I could never pull away. The next section to Piney we ran quick and smooth. At Piney fellow Rush Goats Aaron and Dave were manning the aid station, always good to see some running buddies. Topped off the bottle again and the Doc and I shagged out. At this point I thought we should be top 5 overall but I wasn't sure. We couldn't see anyone in front of us but there were two guys hanging with us. I could tell from their breathing that these two guys were working hard. I thought the descent back into the hollow might be a good chance to drop them and maybe pull away. We hit the switchbacks and the Doc and I got froggy. We quickly dropped one of the hangers on and by now the other was breathing really hard and his footsteps were becoming heavy. I know I glanced down at one point and saw a pace in the 7 minute range. We pressed on and the other guy fell off. It was now just the Doc and me. We flew through Townsend Ridge AS without stopping and it was confirmed that we were 4th and 5th. I mentioned to Doc how I liked the sound of that. He agreed. By now we were passing some 10k runners. 

The 2013 finisher's medal. That would make a nice belt buckle. Hmmm....

As we approached the turn at the bottom of Van Winkle Hollow and the long climb out my legs were feeling the burn. Doc and I hit the climb together and about 1/3 of the way up I felt the explosion. Boom! I had pushed it over the limit. The Doc continued on and I glanced behind me. I saw nobody across the hollow so I got to the crest as best as I could. Once there I began running again and well. The Doc had a good gap on me and I only had maybe a 1/2 mile to close it. No chance. I put my head down and tried to close it out as best I could. My time was 2h05m07s and good enough for 5th place overall. Choke on that Ultrasignup. We nearly caught the 3rd place finisher. I can honestly say that it was one of the most enjoyable racing experiences I have had to date. I crossed the finish line and shook hands with the Doc. 

I want one. 

Next year, I'm getting one of those trophies. I want one. 

Full results here http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=15983

Great weather, beautiful trails, excellent company, hot fried catfish, cold PBR, awesome shag carpets, the sickest shirt and medal design I have seen (shout out to Ryan Holler) and a free pair of Sole Sport sandals. 

For more info on the War Eagle Trail Races check the website below

http://www.wareagletrailraces.com/War_Eagle_Trail_Races/Home.html

or follow on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/wareagle.trailrun

Both the 25 and 50k races are a wee bit short in terms of distance. The 25k clocks in with about 1,400’ of vertical and the 50k around 3,000’ total gain. I would highly suggest making a weekend trip of it if coming from out of town. There are some great family friendly attractions in the area including the world class Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the new Rogers Aquatic Center (water park), the 21c Hotel, War Eagle Mill and Cavern, and some outstanding local eateries. And don’t forget the Bentonville Square where you can check out the Farmers Market and First Fridays for some fresh food and kid friendly entertainment. 

25k course elevation profile

Trails of Bentonville

The Bentonville Square

Recently, Brian Hoover, the Head Tatur over in Tulsa, put the call out for info on regional running trails. I offered to pony up on the offerings we have here in the Bentonville area. I thought a regional trail guide was a cool idea. There are simply too many gems out there. Then it dawned on me that I could kill two birds with one stone. Knock out a blog entry and gather info for the Trail Zombie. I imagine there are some local folks that are not aware of all the great trails we have in our own backyard. We are fortunate to live in an area that has numerous spectacular places to run and here are a few of my favorites.

The Crystal Bridges Trails

So why begin a trail guide with a photo of the entrance to a museum? Because it is a great place to run. Located just a couple of blocks off the Bentonville Square the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is nestled on 120 acres of natural Ozark beauty and features about 3.5 miles of multi-use trails. Scamper through the woods and pass by works of art, cross bridges over springs, and admire the spectacular landscape on these groomed and manicured trails. Where else can you go for a trail run and then see world class art on par with the finest collections in New York, Chicago, London or Paris in a facility designed by world renowned architect Moshe Safdie? Be ready for an easy run on these mostly crushed stone trails that offer some rolling elevation change and great views of the professionally landscaped museum grounds. For more details on the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the surrounding trails click here.

Rock Ledge Shelter

Shore Lunch by Dan Ostermiller

Cedar foot bridge

Stone bridge over Crystal Spring

To get there on foot from the Bentonville Square go North on NE A St. for two blocks passing the Lawrence Plaza Ice Rink & Splash Park. From there you can see the trail head for the Crystal Bridges trail at the parking lot for Compton Gardens. Follow the pavement down hill through the gardens. During the right times of year this could be a great day trip with a visit to the Farmers Market, a stroll through Compton Gardens, the Art Trail, the Museum, and of course some trail running down at nearby Slaughter Pen. Don't be surprised if you see a number of Rush Runners around as we often use the hill up Crystal Bridges to end our runs. In fact on any given Saturday or Sunday morning about 7:00 AM you will likely find a group gathering on the Square to start a run. And we love new faces some come join us. For more info on group runs and all things running in NWA check out Rush Running.

Slaughter Pen Hollow

Without question the focal point of the trail scene in Bentonville is the Slaughter Pen system. Designed and built by Progressive Trail Design this complex offers over 15 miles of single track ranging from easy to moderate along the wooded hillsides. Slaughter Pen has three distinct phases stretching from Compton Gardens almost all the way to South Walton, I-540 and Highway 71-B exchange. On any given day you can see hikers, cyclists or runners using the trails. And it is not uncommon to catch some wildlife out along the trails including deer and foxes. There are sections of the trails that are quite rocky and a bit technical but nothing too difficult. The bulk of the trails are located in Phase I. The easiest access is from the Bentonville Bark Park at 2400 S. Walton Ave. just west of the Hwy 71-B exit off of I-540. From the parking lot here (restrooms and water fountain available) it is a short .5 mile jog up the paved multi-use trail to the Slaughter Pen trail head just across the first bridge on your left. A large sign with a map marks the spot. The four trails here: Seed Tick Shuffle (Easy), Armadillo's Last Stand (moderate), Tatamagouche (moderate) and Medusa (moderate), account for the bulk of the Slaughter Pen distance. An out and back on each of the four trails will result in about 10 miles of distance and a couple thousand feet of elevation change.

About .5 mile up the paved trail from there (or 1 mile from the parking lot), just across the second bridge and on the right, is Phase II West. Again, there is a sign at the trail head with a map. You can also access this section from the middle of Seed Tick Shuffle in the Free Ride area (look for the bike ramps). This section contains three different trails: Urban Trail, Razorback Ridge and Angus Chute. This section is not used as much as the first section I described. Maybe it is the sewer plant you run past? I usually run out on Urban Trail to the small wooden bridge and switch to Razorback Ridge following that to Angus Chute which ends with a nice hill climb into a neighborhood. During this route you will pass the Bush Push, a nice, steep climb President Bush rode his mountain bike up a few years back. This route is around 5 miles and a thousand feet of elevation. Remember the little wooden bridge? On the way back go ahead and cross it this time. You will find yourself out on the paved trail. If you turn left and go a very short distance you will see the entrance to Phase II East just across the road. This is NE A Street. There is not a sign here but there is a fence with something that looks like a gate. This is a seldom used section but is quite fun. A little more rocky, hilly and technical these two small loops: Free Time and Rocky Ridge, add a little over a mile but are well worth the effort. As a bonus there is a small creek crossing here. 

Phase III of Slaughter Pen was designed specifically with cycling in mind but I have run it several times. It is located between the sewer plant and the museum on the west side of NE A Street. There is parking available nearby where Cub comes off of Tiger Blvd at NE A Street. From the parking area (a gravel lot) there are two ways to access this section. You can go up Cub halfway and look for the gated entry there on your left or use the entrance just before the viaduct to the south towards the museum. You will see the trail veer off the paved trail to your right and into the woods. You can get a couple of miles in here. Just keep in mind that these are bike trails and leave a little something to be desired in terms of trail running. One good aspect here is you can get a good deal of hill work in within a small area. For more info and maps of the Slaughter Pen trails click here and here.

Update 09/11/2012
PTD has been busy adding some new trails to Slaughter Pen Phase I. On the North end of the hill (at the main trail head) a section of trail now runs along the East side of the creek towards Walton Blvd and 71B. This trail will take you to a multi-use paved trail that crosses under Walton Blvd and 71B and kicks you out on the East side of the highway. You can continue on this trail almost all the way up to BC40 (the county road with the first traffic light) towards Lake Bella Vista. When you see the BMW motorcycle shop look for the trail to dive down and to the right off the road, cross under BC40 and continue to the lake. This connects you to the lake loop which is about 3 miles of paved trail all the way around. From the Slaughter Pen trail head to the Lake Bella Vista loop is less than 2 miles. On the North end of the lake there is a small playground and a memorial to our military veterans. From this parking lot you can continue due North (less than a mile of pavement) past Cooper Elementary School (turn right at the stop sign) and end up at the Blowing Springs trail head.

Blowing Springs Trail

Just a few miles north of the 71-B exit in Bella Vista is the newest gem in our local arsenal. Blowing Springs is quickly becoming a favorite among local runners for the scenic trails and smooth single track. Located just east of Hwy 71 off Dartmoor behind Cooper Elementary School you'll find about 7 miles of sweet Ozark love waiting for you. To find it drive east from the signal light at Dartmoor and cross the bridge (just north of Lake Bella Vista). At the stop sign near the school parking lot continue straight about a .25 mile and the trail head is at the parking lot. Again, there is a large sign there. The south side holds the older trails and more or less makes a loop using an upper and lower trail. There is a spur on either end with one leading down to the school and the other linking up to the far end of the north trails. The north trails have some long flatter sections and some pretty technical trail along the bluff line. These also form a loop with one spur on the north end up to Kingsland Road. As long as you keep your bearings on the paved park road you can't get lost. There are a few wooden bridges crossing the springs and it gets rather muddy with any moisture. A few of us did a lot of training here for Rocky Raccoon over the winter. There is not a bunch of elevation out here but there is plenty of great single track that flows well and is quite beautiful.

North Trail Bluff

South Trail Spur

North Trail Head Bridge

Progressive Trail Design is also responsible for these trails. A nice loop was recently added on the north side trails towards the back of the park and there are plans for more expansion in the future. There is also a trail that leads north from Blowing Springs all the way to the Missouri border. It is not on any map, is poorly marked, quite technical, lots of elevation change and you will get wet as it goes along some creek beds. In fact, we haven't yet made it all the way on foot but we are hard at work on it. We know it exist because the local bikers do it as a point to point route about once a year. About 30 miles in total from the state line back to the Square. After we finish it off I'm sure I'll post some more info on it. Kinda sounds like a future 50k course doesn't it? Mike Rush, are you listening?

Update 09/11/2012
The trail to Missouri has been completed on foot. Several NWA GOATS have made the trip on what is now simply called The Epic Trail.

Hobbs State Park

About 30 minutes from Bentonville in Hindsville, AR. you can find miles and miles of single track out at Hobbs State Park, home of the War Eagle Trail Races. The event is held in part to celebrate National Trails Day and for 2012 this will be on June 2nd. Swag includes hand made finishers medallions and a tech shirt with a hand drawn design by local artist (and stud runner) Ryan Holler. Check the photo below by none other then the Trail Zombie himself. The race director is local ultra legend Jeff Genova and of course Rush Running has a big hand in everything. Hobbs features a new 17,000 square foot visitor center and more than 30 miles of wonderful Ozark mojo on the 12,000 acres. Hardwood and pine forests, abundant wildlife (including the elusive NWA Goat), thong trees (unusually bent trees used by Native Indians to mark trails), limestone bluffs, views of Beaver lake and Blackburn Creek are just some of the things you will see. These trails are open to hikers, bikers, runners and horses. There really is too much to cover so if interested the best place to start is by clicking here. The elevation here is not terrible, mostly rollers, but a couple of spots will certainly grab your attention. Likewise there is nothing too technical and the trails are all well marked. We do most of our trail running on the Hidden Diversity Trail with the bulk of those miles on Little Clifty and the War Eagle Loop. If that's not enough for you then hit the Bashore Ridge and Dutton Hollow Loops or as we call them the  "Rabbit Ears". All of these trails are rated moderate to strenuous. If you're coming for the War Eagle be prepared for the heat and a great event. If you're headed out that way and have never explored the area, make sure to visit the War Eagle Mill and War Eagle Cavern. And make sure to take some time to visit with the park staff. They are always excited when we stop in and visit with them.

2011 War Eagle shirt

2011 War Eagle Medals & Awards

Lake Wedington

Twin Knob Bluff

On Saturday 11/03/2012 I returned to Lake Wedington for the first time since my college days more than 20 years ago. Funny how one can go for so long without visiting a relatively close by area with trails. Perhaps that is because, from those days when I preferred to cover dirt on two wheels instead of my feet, I recalled not being very impressed with what was offered out there. The idea on this day was to knock out a 24 training run. The trails at Hobbs were closed due to the annual youth gun hunt weekend. So I headed South. Lake Wedington is located on Arkansas State Highway 16 between Fayetteville and Siloam Springs. Technically it is located within the confines of the Ozark National Forest. David and I were planning on running the North Twin Trail. The trail head is located on the (duh!) North side of Hwy 16 near the entrance to the recreation area on the opposite side of the road. Look for a small parking area (maybe 12 spaces) and a sign board at the start of the trail. The trail is clearly marked in most areas by blue blazes. 

Twin Knobs Bluff

From what I could find the trail is about 7.25 miles in length and we would run it as an out and back. The first couple of miles are pretty rocky and has some rolling hills. At about the 1.6 mile mark you come to a dirt road. The trail continues if you turn right and travel across the small spring that crosses the road here. Look to your left and watch for a rough, likely overgrown double track with blue markings. That's the trail. Another two miles or so and you cross CR 839 (dirt road) for the first time. Just past this is where the Twin Knobs rock formation is seen. This was worth the effort. Super technical single track (especially with all the leaves on the ground) travels along the face of the bluff before turning and then continuing between the two faces of the bluff that are split apart. Very scenic. I would put the scenery up there at the very top of the list here. Another turn and the trail goes along the backside of the bluff before diving down into the gulley below. CR 839 is crossed again as are a couple of other dirt roads. Eventually the trail winds along the bottom of a dense thicket before ending on the top of a large, wooded hill. There is another spur towards the end that leads to the Illinois Bayou but we were not able to locate it. 

In numerous places the trail is blocked by down trees but it is easy enough to navigate around all of it. We never really got off trail. The trickiest part is the first road crossing. There are signs of pretty heavy equine use on the trail and parts are kinda rough. There are stretches of very "runnable" trail but for the most part expect rocky conditions. The elevation is no big deal, we hit 1,600' of vertical for 24 miles out there. Just shy of 15 miles on the trail and then the dirt road leg. On the "out" leg of our run we decided that doubling up on the trail was not the best idea. Yes, it is that technical (compared to Hobbs of Blowing Springs). After we made it back to the trail head, we headed West to CR 839, found a good place to park and then completed the final 9+ miles on forest service roads. We just reached the edge of the WMA boundary before we turned to head back. Very little traffic, just a few hunters and horse riders out there. In the end I'm glad I returned and I'm super stoked to take my kids out to the bluffs sometime. They are gonna love it. To find the Twin Knobs bluff you will need to take CR 839 North from AR Hwy 16, maybe 3 miles or so. Look for the blue trail markings once you see the bluffs. 

Somewhere down the line I'll cover some more trails including the smaller Bentonville park trails, Lake Fayetteville and Devils Den. If you have any info on trails I missed let me know. And as always you can follow me on Twitter @RedDirtRunner. Thanks for stopping by and Cheers.