5k, 10k, Half Marathon

Saturday July 6, 2024

9:00 – 10:00am Starts, depending upon distance

Central Cascades Forest, Roslyn, WA

The forested slopes above Roslyn have a rich history of natural resource extraction, notably coal mining. Now, they are part of a vast expanse of land that is being conserved for wildlife, ecological values, sustainable timber harvest, and recreation. Home to miles of multi-use trails, including the renown Rat Pac mountain bike trail, the ridge can be thought of as the front country that divides the I-90 corridor at the east part of the Mountains to Sound Greenway from the backcountry of the eastern Cascade Mountains. It forms a gateway to the Teanaway Valley, the Wenatchee National Forest, and the Alpine Lakes Wildnerness Area.

Situated in the upper Kittitas Valley, Roslyn is in the rain shadow on the sunny side of the Cascade Mountains, so the forest has a more open character, with some verdant pockets that are more reminiscent of the lush montane forest up the slopes toward Snoqualmie Pass and parts that are closer in feel to the semi-arid grassland just a few exits farther east along I-90. The ridge generally goes up as one goes north from the center of town, gaining over 1400 feet to the crest, where Half Marathon runners will be treated to views into the Teanaway Valley. The trails are a mix of converted old roads, currently-maintained fire roads, and purpose-built single track, and the trails have every imaginable profile with respect to the slope, some going straight up or down, and many others traversing the slope at the same level or switching back to spread out the uphills and downhills.

The area we are using for this run is under diverse ownership, including the City of Roslyn, The Nature Conservancy, Inland Networks, a local individual landowner, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and Cle Elum-Roslyn School District. We thank these entities and people for making this event possible by facilitating our access to the area.