Twin Bears Chena River to Ridge

The race will start and finish at the Twin Bears camp, mile 30 Chena Hot Springs Rd. Racers will follow a trail north from the southwest end of the lake at Twin Bears for ~1/2 mile to the intersection with the Yukon Quest trail. Racers will turn right and travel along the Yukon Quest trail for about 2 miles before turning left to follow the Colorado Cr. and Compeau trails in a counter clockwise direction. Around race mile 8, racers will pass the Colorado Creek public use cabin and then immediately begin a steep climb toward the ridgeline. This signifies the beginning of the Compeau trail. The trail climbs from 700’ to approximately 2400’ during the first 9 miles and then roughly contours just below the ridgeline with frequent, short climbs and descents for the following 4 miles. The views of the surrounding high country and the Alaska Range to the south are stunning. A small aid station with refreshments will be located near mile 14 of the race course, the junction with the Little Chena Dozer line trail. The race course then descends for 6 miles to the valley floor and the intersection with the Yukon Quest Trail. This descent is occasionally interrupted by several small climbs. Racers will continue straight across the 4-way intersection with the Yukon Quest trail for an additional ~1/2 mile and hang a left onto the return trail to Twin Bears. Continue on the return trail for about 1/2 mile before entering the lake on the southeast end. This will be the end of the short course and the midway checkpoint for those doing the 50-mile route.