From the website
The 2023 Open will start at 0800 MDT, Saturday May 27th, at the Owl Creek TH on Holland Lake, and finish at the obelisk at Marias Pass. Course area is all public land in Montana. The usual guidelines apply.
-This is not a race.
-You must be entirely self-supported and self-contained. Take everything you need, and leave nothing behind but footprints. Any pre-planned assistance of any kind is forbidden.
-Any form of human-powered locomotion is allowed within the identified course area. No linear travel on the surface of paved roads.
-You are responsible for you. Come prepared for challenging conditions which can easily, with improper luck or preparation, turn life-threatening. Any and all contingency and emergency plans must be arranged in advance by each individual.
This will be my ninth year "toeing the line". Each the start and finish change- how you get from start and finish is completely up to you; no set route. No t-shirt, no trophies, no mugs- just some beautiful country with not a soul in it and usually a healthy share of pain thrown in for good measure
Water is usually the crux of this event. Water is always high late May, sometimes it's simply too high (had to bail two different years due to not being able to cross a stream). With three rivers to ford this year (and numerous larger creeks) it will be the crux again this year. Some years a lot of snowshoeing is involved, this year it appears there won't be. Always a lot of blowdown to contend with, I'm expecting no different this year.
Last year we only had nine folks show up, this year looks like it could be 20-ish.
My route is a little over a 100 miles (with a shit ton of climbing/descending), hoping to finish in three days, but bringing enough food for 4.5 days
I'm packing up now and heading out tomorrow for Owl Ck, I'll post a full report up when I'm back!
The 2023 Open will start at 0800 MDT, Saturday May 27th, at the Owl Creek TH on Holland Lake, and finish at the obelisk at Marias Pass. Course area is all public land in Montana. The usual guidelines apply.
-This is not a race.
-You must be entirely self-supported and self-contained. Take everything you need, and leave nothing behind but footprints. Any pre-planned assistance of any kind is forbidden.
-Any form of human-powered locomotion is allowed within the identified course area. No linear travel on the surface of paved roads.
-You are responsible for you. Come prepared for challenging conditions which can easily, with improper luck or preparation, turn life-threatening. Any and all contingency and emergency plans must be arranged in advance by each individual.
This will be my ninth year "toeing the line". Each the start and finish change- how you get from start and finish is completely up to you; no set route. No t-shirt, no trophies, no mugs- just some beautiful country with not a soul in it and usually a healthy share of pain thrown in for good measure
Water is usually the crux of this event. Water is always high late May, sometimes it's simply too high (had to bail two different years due to not being able to cross a stream). With three rivers to ford this year (and numerous larger creeks) it will be the crux again this year. Some years a lot of snowshoeing is involved, this year it appears there won't be. Always a lot of blowdown to contend with, I'm expecting no different this year.
Last year we only had nine folks show up, this year looks like it could be 20-ish.
My route is a little over a 100 miles (with a shit ton of climbing/descending), hoping to finish in three days, but bringing enough food for 4.5 days
I'm packing up now and heading out tomorrow for Owl Ck, I'll post a full report up when I'm back!
