DAY 3
DODGER POINT MARATHON
5200 FEET OF GAIN
AFTER STARTING FROM THE WHISKEY BEND TRAILHEAD AND FOLLOWING THE ELWAH RIVER TRAIL FOR 1.8 MILES WE TAKE THE THIRD LEFT. DESCENDING ABOUT 1 MILE DOWN TO THE RIVER AND CROSSING THE BRIDGE TO THE OTHER SIDE. THE IMMEDIATE CLIMB FOLLOWING THE RIVER CROSSING AT AN ELEVATION OF 800 FT IS SOMEWHAT STEEP BUT MOST OF THE CLIMB TO SNOW LINE JUST BELOW DODGER POINT IS RUN ABLE (WELL AT LEAST IT WAS WITH FRESH LEGS WE'LL SEE HOW RUN ABLE IT'LL BE ON MONDAY) ONCE THE TRAIL DISAPPEARS BENEATH THE SNOW IT'S EASY ENOUGH TO JUST CLIMB STRAIGHT UP TO THE RIDGE FOR VIEWS OVER TO THE TWO PREVIOUS DAYS ROUTES AND OVER TO MT OLYMPUS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HERE WE TURN AROUND AND RUN BACK TO THE TRAILHEAD. ALTERNATE: TURN AROUND ANY TIME YOU FEEL LIKE IT FOR A SHORTER RUN WITH LESS GAIN. WATER: THIS IS A TWO BOTTLE RUN FOR MOST FOLKS. MOST OF THE WAY UP THE RIDGE IS DRY. IT'S NOT UNTIL A MILE OR TWO FROM THE TOP DO YOU HIT A COUPLE OF SMALL STREAMS BY THAT TIME I HAD DEFINITELY DRANK A FULL BOTTLE AND WAS THIRSTY FOR MORE.
AGAIN IGNORE THE MILEAGE AND GAIN THIS IS 26.2 MILES AND 5200 FT OF GAIN