The Wild Oak Trail 100 Miler

The Wild Oak Trail 100
February 2, 2008
Starting Time: 7 AM

If you don't know about TWOT, please learn more about it before you consider participating. This is a tough run.

If you want to run TWOT, please e-mail Dennis Herr at herrdennis@yahoo.com. Remember this run is "semi-invitational."

From Dennis Herr:

[Submitted for prior years, but still valid.]

Directions to Trailhead | Course Description | Who is Invited

Wild Oak Trail Logo "Wild Oak is . . . the same format as prior years - no fee, no aid, no awards, no time limit and no scoring. It's a 100 miler again, but people can do 1, 2, 3 or all 4 loops. (For people who want to do more than one loop but not two this year I'm going to give them the option of doing the old 34 mile loop. They'll need to find their own way though, because it won't be marked.) It's a semi-invitational. I want people who have a low to zero (preferably zero) probability of getting lost. I will write a course narrative this year which I will give to you.

"I'm limited to 75 people. That's the maximum number the Forest Service allows without a permit. Our main problem is going to be parking, so maybe you could mention that on your Web site and encourage people to carpool if at all possible. There's plenty of space, but most of it is a quarter mile away from the trail head which adds an extra half mile per loop to get to your car. We'll start at the crack of dawn again which will be about 6:30." [Editor's note: It's 7 AM this year.]

E-mail Dennis Herr at herrdennis@yahoo.com

DIRECTIONS TO TRAILHEAD:

I-81 to Exit 240 then Rte 257 West to Bridgewater. Left on Main St. (Rte 42). Right on Rte 727 (right after crossing bridge). Six miles on 727 to Sangerville. Left on Rte 730. Six miles on 730. Right on Rte 718. One mile on 718. Cross cement bridge, do a right-left dogleg onto FDR 95. 0.1 mile on 95 to trailhead parking lot on the right.

Parking: There is limited parking right at the trail head and then other parking down the street at the girl scout's camp. Dennis has asked that those only doing one loop save the good parking for those doing multiple loops. Don't make someone who is going back on a second loop walk to his car when you are going to drive away to a warm bed! And don't park in front of any gates!

COURSE NARRATIVE:

Cantrell would call this entire trail a candyass trail. In fact, it's so easy my grandmother could do it and she's dead.

The entire trail is marked with white blazes painted on the trees and light gray plastic diamonds nailed to the trees and a few yellow diamonds. The turns are not marked. This narrative is for the clock-wise direction. It's your choice as to which direction you want to run. (How many courses give you that option?)

From the parking lot, go a quarter mile on the trail to a split and go left. You'll be returning on the right branch many hours later. Go another quarter mile, cross the road and pick up the trail on the other side and a few yards uphill. Go a half mile to the bridge. Follow the trail PAST the bridge and then switch back to the bridge. DO NOT CUT DOWN THE BANK DIRECTLY TO THE BRIDGE. The reason will be obvious when you see the bank. Cross the bridge. Turn right. Go 30 yards and turn left at the trail sign. Go approximately 3.5 miles to another split in the trail. You can go either way. (How many courses give you that option not once but twice per loop or 8x in 100 miles?) Go another quarter mile or so to the junction with the North River Campground Road coming in from the right. Go left. The next 2.5 miles is easy road running. Once the trail resumes, go about a mile to the Dowells Draft Trail/FDR96 sign at the top of a little hill. Turn right and descend (more or less) for a little more than 2 miles to FDR96. (The sign says 3 miles, but it's wrong.)

Cross the road and ascend for 1.5 miles on a gentle grade to the first of 2 old tank traps. Right after crossing the first tank trap, there is an obscure little trail going down the bank to the right to a little waterfall on the Mitchell Branch. This is one of 3 water sources on the trail. The other 2 are the 2 stream crossings. Continue climbing on a steep grade for more than 0.5 miles to a pond. Skirt the pond on the right side and turn right near the back of the pond. Continue climbing for more than 0.5 mile to the top of Big Bald. Descend for less than a mile to the junction with the Hiner Spring Trail coming in from the left. Go straight. Descend another 1.5 mile to Camp Todd. Cross the road. Cross the river and climb for 3 mile to the top of Little Bald. Make an ACUTE right turn at the trail signs. DO NOT GO STRAIGHT ON THE LITTLE BALD KNOB ROAD. Anstr has an excellent picture on the Web site illustrating this turn. (Here is another picture.) Descend(more or less) for 3 miles and turn right 30 yards BEFORE reaching the Grooms Ridge Trail/FDR101 sign. Descend (more or less)another 2 mile to the Little Skidmore Trail. Do a 10 yard left-right dogleg at the sign. Descend (more or less) another 2 miles to the parking lot.

The 34 mile loop goes like this: Follow the course narrative for the clockwise direction to Big Bald Knob. Descend off of Big Bald for 0.8 miles and turn left at the Wilderness sign (if it's there - it may be lying on the ground). Go 1.2 miles to the headwaters of Ramsey's Draft (no sign here). The trail comes to an indistinct "T" at this point. Turn right. Go 0.25 miles to the Hardscrabble Knob Trail branching off to the left. Go straight at this point. Go another mile to the junction with the Shenandoah Mt. Trail (another indistinct "T" and no sign). Turn right and go 3 miles to FDR 95 (dirt/gravel road). Turn right again and go 4.2 miles to Camp Todd (the sign is on your right). Turn left, cross the river, and you're now back on Wild Oak heading for Little Bald Knob.

Who is Invited

Since this is a semi-invitational, here are some guidelines to help you determine if you are "invited". Actually, most of the following determines who is not invited.

If you are even the least bit worried or concerned about getting lost, don't come.
If you have questions, don't come.
If you need a crew, don't come.
If you need toilet paper to wipe your ass after shitting in the woods, don't come.
If you expect to be pampered in any way shape or form, don't come.
If you're a whiner, don't come.
If you're a freeloader, don't come.
If you're seeking fame and/or fortune, don't come.
If you're thinking about writing a report about your experience at Wild Oak, don't come.
If you crave abuse, if you yearn for abuse, if you are addicted to abuse in any way shape or form (be it physical, mental, sexual, verbal, mathematical, artistic or whatevah) BY ALL MEANS, BE MY GUEST. (This applies to abusees only. Abusers are not welcome. The only abuser allowed is the trail.)

Comment from Anstr:

This is not a race. Expect nothing that you would get at a race. Do expect, however, a fantastic, challenging trail. It will likely be very cold and there will probably be snow on the ground. The course will not be marked and if you have a crew, he or she can't see you very often at all. This is absolutely not for everyone, but for the right people this is a fantastic experience. This is not a VHTRC event. All the credit (and liability) goes to Dennis.

Wild Oak Trail Information

Group on the first hill
2001 Racers Take Break During Relentless Assault of First Hill