MMT - A New Headquarters
The VHTRC Board agreed with MMT RD Stan Duobinis's suggestion that we move the start/finish of the event from the Skyline Ranch Resort to the Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp. Here is the explanation of that move:
The 2010 Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Miler will start and finish at the Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp and Retreat Center (CF) located near Camp Roosevelt in Fort Valley. This is the first time the event will not be headquartered at the Skyline Ranch Resort (SRR). The VHTRC believes that this significant change is in the best interest of the volunteers, the runners, and the event itself.
The move from SRR has not been made without a great deal of thought. SRR is a beautiful facility and embodies much MMT history. The new run headquarters will cause changes to the event and extra work for management and volunteers during the first year. But upon the recommendation of the race director, Stan Duobinis, the VHTRC Board voted unanimously to make the move.
Here is why we believe that the move to Caroline Furnace (CF) is good for the event.
-Cost: The overall cost for our weekend activities at CF will be significantly less than what we have been paying at Skyline Ranch Resort (SRR). This will help us in our continuing battle against the rising overall cost of the event to runners.
-Facilities: CF has everything we need to put on the event. There are many bunkhouses, sleeping porches, and camping locations. There is a dining hall where we can have the Friday meal and where we will be able to prepare post-run food. There is a very new shower house that will be feet from the finish line. There is plenty of parking. The water tastes good.
-Exclusive Use: We will be the only group at the facility. There will be no one for us to bother or vice versa.
-Location: CF is in the middle of the current course. This means that we can use the current course and only change the where we start and finish. (We will not use the Buzzard Rock section of the old course (the former first three trail miles) and we will add the new Brown's Hollow trail. Otherwise, we will do the prior course in the same direction.)
There are other advantages to the new location. A runner will never be as far from the start/finish as he was when he was on the southern section of the old course. Thus, drops will be easier to deal with. Also, runners will be at the aid stations along Route 211 much later and should be more spread out. This should reduce the parking problems at that location.
-Support: The management of CF has been very supportive of our needs. We are optimistic that we can build a favorable relationship with the facility. A good example of the receptivity of the CF authorities is that they have readily agreed to charge those staying at the facility (in bunk houses, sleeping porches, or camping) by the weekend. No more early check-out times to deal with on Sunday!
-Travel Distance: While SRR is closer to modern hotels than CF is, the difference is not great. Additionally, there are four different towns with hotels that are about the same distance from CF. While SRR was about seven miles from Front Royal, the CF is only a few more miles from civilization. It's 10 miles from CF to Luray, 11 miles to Woodstock, 15 miles to New Market, and 14 miles to Mt Jackson. All of those towns have hotels, markets, restaurants, etc.
While the move to CF will not be without dislocation and adjustment, we strongly feel that, overall, this will be good for the run as it enters its second 15 years.
The VHTRC Board and MMT RD
Comments
MMT - New Headquarters
Maybe now we can offer a true 100 miler instead of the current 101.8 miles?
(We will not use the Buzzard Rock section of the old course (the former first three trail miles) . . .
[I thought this section was 4 miles].
:-)
MMT course
So when will we get to see the intended route?
I've heard lots of opinions on how it could be done.
Soon
Stan is working on that now, but it should be pretty clear from above. It's the same course changed only by eliminating Buzzards Rock and adding Brown's Hollow. At this point, you enter the course by running up the Moreland Gap road to the south end of Short Mountain.
Short Mountain
So, does this mean you run Short Mountain near the beginning of the race or near the end? Leo
Beginning
But don't worry. You hit Kerns at about 70 miles.
aha, Short at the start and Kerns at 70
So my guess is it'll go something like:
Short Mtn, then Powell's Mtn to Woodstock and on to Powell's Fort, Elizabeth Furnace up over Shawl to Veach, Milford, Camp Roosevelt, Gap 1, Kerns Mtn and down the road to Visitor's Center, BirdKnob and on to Purple trail to Pink Trail and back down to 211E and Orange Trail back to Roosevelt.
With the old course if you dropped at 50 miles you were 30 miles from your car. With this one you can walk to your car.
That makes it too tempting to drop midway.
After 211E,
White connector trail to Massanutten Mountain Trail (orange) to intersection with Scothorn Trail (yellow) at Scothorn Gap, down yellow to Scothorn trailhead at CH road, road to Gap II to Jawbone Gap to Moreland Gap, to road back to Caroline Furnace.
You are right about the temptation at Camp Roosevelt.....
Hotels
As noted above, it's a bit further to drive to the start, but not much. Here is a page with comparisions of the options. Hotels
waterfall
some folks like the idea of us heading up waterfall sometime after mile 90. i think it's a really bad idea. just my 2 cents. misery is one thing, but torture is another.
MMT 2010
Looking forward to it, if I can get in. Short Mt on fresh legs during the day. That sounds good. Lower prices sound good. Stan has a Ph.D. in economics ... he is a Czar.
A great change
MMT will be greatly imroved by moving the HQ and adding the Brown Hollow trail. Getting rid of Bird Knob on the down hill will be awesome. If we need a few miles we could add in Signal Knob.
MMT - New Course
Is this going to change the Chocolate Bunny course and all of the other MMT training runs?
I ran all this by Dogzilla and all she wanted to know was if the course changes would mean more bunnies/squirrels/voles? She's so one-track minded.