**IMPORTANT UPDATE – for the 2019 Black Canyon Ultras**
February 14, 2019
For immediate release:
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the Agua Fria river effective Thursday afternoon through Friday morning. Moderate to heavy rain showers are forecast to hit the Agua Fria watershed today where the Black Canyon Trail course runs through. We expect river levels to rise to flood levels at some point Thursday. Storm totals could reach over 1 inch in the area of the race.
Aravaipa Running has been closely monitoring this incoming weather storm and has prepared two alternate courses for the Black Canyon 100K & 60K that will be described in further detail below. Our team will be closely monitoring precipitation totals, discharge levels of the Agua Fria River and the height of the river throughout the storm.
Our first priority is the safety of our participants, volunteers, staff, spectators and crew members. We ideally would like to run the full point to point courses of the event, but if river levels are unsafe we will not put anyone in harms way. A final decision as to which of the course options will be utilized this weekend will be made Friday morning and communicated with all participants, volunteers, staff and support teams via email, publicly on this website and through social media.
Weather Update
We are expecting COLDER THAN AVERAGE temperatures and humidity during this year’s race. The start line of the race at Arcosanti (and the first 8 miles of the race) sit above 4,000 feet elevation and will be significantly colder especially with a wind chill then when you leave your hotel or home in Phoenix. Please prepare with layers and warm clothes. IT WILL BE BELOW FREEZING AT THE START LINE.
Race day highs in Black Canyon City will only reach into the mid to upper fifties and could fall into the low forties / upper thirties at night.
Please be prepared with layers and warm clothing items both on your person and in your drop bags to prevent hypothermia. Put yourself in the best position for a successful finish by showing up prepared.
Course Updates
We have already modified the standard 100K course for this year’s race due to already higher than normal levels of the Agua Fria river crossing heading to the Cottonwood Gulch Aid Station. This alternate will be known as the “Little Pan Course”. In case of unsafe river levels, we will activate the “High Water Course”. You will find more of both below:
Little Pan Course – Option A
This option has one change compared to the normal course. The Cottonwood Gulch Aid Station will be moved to the near side of the Agua Fria River and runners will be routed through the Black Canyon Trail’s Little Pan segment. This is similar to what was run in the 2014 edition of the race. This will extend the distance between Black Canyon City & Cottonwood Gulch by 1.3 miles. Note a short out and back to the new aid station location directly after the river crossing. The 60K under this option would remain unchanged.
High Water Course – Option B
The High Water option has been designed to avoid all three crossings of the Agua Fria River in addition to the crossing of Black Canyon Creek prior to the Soap Creek Aid Station. The Soap Creek Aid Station supplies and volunteers would also have to cross Black Canyon Creek which may still be running too high for safe passage.
Runners will instead leave the Black Canyon Trail south of Gloriana Mine Aid onto Maggie Mine Road just as we did in the 2017 re-route. However, for this option, we’ve decided to move the 100K finish line to Black Canyon City. This will offer a finish line lower in elevation instead of heading back up the mesa providing warmer temperatures late into the night.
100K runners once through Black Canyon City will head south of Black Canyon City on a jeep road to the new Squaw Creek Aid Station. This will be the southernmost point on the course from which runners will return back through Black Canyon City. The final leg of the race will be a return via the course back to Gloriana Mine aid and then back down to the finish at Black Canyon City.
We realize there will be some additional congestion along the single track section of trail in between Maggie Mine Road & Gloriana Mine. We ask that you be courteous and share the trail.
Map of High Water 100K Course
Map of High Water 60K Course
Decision
A final decision will be made early Friday morning and communicated with all runners, volunteers and other support teams in order to have a full day to implement either option. We appreciate your understanding of the necessity of these alterations to the course for the safety of everyone involved and look forward to producing the best event we can under these conditions.
Full Details
Please visit the other pages on this website including “The Race” & “The Course” for full updated details of both options.
Questions?
If you have additional questions, please reach out to us and we will do our best to respond as we can amidst these preparations.