Dardanelles to Peachstone (Miles 65.7 to 70.7) (46 days to go!)

The fifteenth stage of the Western States course is a five mile stretch high above the American River canyon.

Special thanks to my aunt and uncle Sue and Dave Kanz, Steve and Amie Smith, Brian and Brooke Lunt, Tony Lounsbery, and Chris and Andrea Vinyard for their donations to the Wounded Warrior Project that sponsor this segment of the course tour. And good luck to Tony, a fellow Minnesota native now living in St. Louis, who is training for the Leadville 100 in August.

When I ran this stretch with Fernando, it was dusk, and the sunset over the river valley was beautiful. We could hear the water rushing below us, and there were pink, orange, and red colors dancing throughout the woods.

The trail is a series of climbs and declines along relatively wide trail. It cuts through a lot of woods, crosses over some small creeks, and requires patience from runners with sore quads from the previous sixty-some miles.

The leaders will enter Peachstone around 4:05 PM. 24 hour runners will enter it around 8:45 PM, with 30 hour runners at 1:40 AM. The Peachstone aid station closes at 2:30 AM. There is no crew access at Peachstone, but runners do have access to a supply drop. They also have to check into seventh medical check of the race.

It's only a short 2.3 miles to the next aid station...and just under 30 miles to the finish line!