Easton, WA, Washington
A 100-mile loop out of the Easton Fire Station in the central Cascades, with 23,000+ feet of climbing and roughly 30 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. Thirty-four hours, a 9:00 AM Friday start, and a course that saves its worst for last — the Trail from Hell at mile 69, then six climbs called the Cardiac Needles between miles 81 and 89. Moved from August to July in 2022.
| Name | Mile | Elevation | Crew Access | Drop Bag | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goat Peak | 4.5 | 3,856 ft | No | No | — |
| Cole-Blowout Saddle | 12.5 | 4,059 ft | No | No | 1:30 PM Fri |
| Little Bear | 19.7 | 5,254 ft | No | No | — |
| Tacoma Pass | 25.4 | 3,445 ft | No | Yes | 5:00 PM Fri |
| Snowshoe Butte | 31.9 | 4,633 ft | No | No | — |
| Stampede Pass | 36.2 | 3,668 ft | Yes | Yes | 8:30 PM Fri |
| Meadow Mtn | 43.2 | 3,647 ft | No | No | — |
| Olallie Meadows | 49.1 | 3,832 ft | Yes | No | 2:00 AM Sat |
| Hyak | 54.3 | 2,560 ft | Yes | Yes | 3:00 AM Sat |
| Keechelus Ridge | 62.4 | 4,429 ft | No | No | — |
| Lake Kachess | 69.2 | 2,500 ft | Yes | Yes | 8:00 AM Sat |
| Mineral Creek | 75 | 2,372 ft | Yes | Yes | — |
| No Name Rd | 78.6 | 3,909 ft | No | No | — |
| No Name Ridge | 81.6 | 4,888 ft | No | No | 12:30 PM Sat |
| Thorp Mtn | 86.4 | 5,410 ft | No | No | — |
| French Cabin | 89.2 | 4,980 ft | No | No | — |
| Silver Creek | 96 | 2,379 ft | Yes | No | 6:15 PM Sat |
| Finish — Easton Fire Station | 100 | 2,169 ft | Yes | No | 7:00 PM Sat |
| Segment | Miles | Terrain | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start to Tacoma Pass | 0–25.4 | climb | hard | +7,735 / -6,459 ft. A third of the day's climbing before the first crew stop. Goat Peak takes 1,800 ft out of you in the morning heat — the race says many DNFs start on this climb. |
| Tacoma Pass to Stampede Pass | 25.4–36.2 | rolling | moderate | +2,821 / -2,598 ft. Rolling PCT over Snowshoe Butte, a hike-in station at the end of a 3/4-mile bushwhack. First crew access of the race waits at Stampede. |
| Stampede Pass to Olallie Meadows | 36.2–49.1 | rolling | moderate | +3,283 / -3,119 ft. Night falls in here. Meadow Mtn at 43.2 was water only in 2026 — carry accordingly. |
| The ropes and the tunnel | 49.1–54.3 | technical | hard | +169 / -1,441 ft. Off the PCT down a steep hillside on fixed ropes, steep and slippery and dark for most runners, then the Snoqualmie Tunnel. Crew and pacers are not allowed inside it. |
| Hyak to Keechelus Ridge | 54.3–62.4 | climb | hard | +2,197 / -327 ft. Eight miles up: 2.5 miles of pavement, then dirt road climbing the whole way. Almost no relief in it. |
| Keechelus Ridge to Lake Kachess | 62.4–69.2 | descent | moderate | +308 / -2,237 ft. Fast descent. The last easy miles before the Trail from Hell — no crew vehicles between Hyak and Kachess. |
| The Trail from Hell | 69.2–75 | technical | extreme | +2,162 / -2,290 ft. Just under 6 miles on trail #1312 along Lake Kachess. Narrow, washed out, steep drop to the right, a creek crossing where the bridge used to be. The right turn onto #1331 at 4.6 miles is easy to miss. |
| Mineral Creek to No Name Ridge | 75–81.6 | climb | hard | +2,787 / -271 ft. A long unbroken climb at mile 75. Crew parks 2.5 miles uphill from Mineral Creek and walks down; no one is allowed up the road toward No Name Ridge. |
| The Cardiac Needles | 81.6–89.2 | climb | extreme | +2,849 / -2,757 ft. Six short steep climbs, including the mandatory out-and-back to the Thorp Mountain lookout at 5,840 ft, the course high point, where you punch your number. The race says the first climb is the worst. |
| French Cabin to the finish | 89.2–100 | descent | hard | +709 / -3,521 ft. A 3,200 ft drop in the 6.5 miles to Silver Creek on quads with 89 miles in them, then a flat run to Easton. |
View the full interactive elevation profile, 3D course flyover, and race strategy tools on HARDN.