Kachess Ridge 50
Cle Elum, Washington
- Date
- Saturday, August 22, 2026
- Location
- Salmon La Sac Rd
Cle Elum, Washington
United States
OpenStreetMap Google Maps - Distances
-
- 50k
About this event
You won't want to miss this point-to-point adventure in the heart of the Cascades! Starting by Lake Kachess, you'll climb through big forest into alpine meadows. After a steady, long climb, you'll roll along Kachess Ridge with 360-degree views. Chikamin Ridge and Mt. Daniel loom large to the north, the mountains of Snoqualmie Pass to the west, and the Stuart Range to the east. Lake Cle Elum and Lake Kachess rest down in the valleys below. Topping out at the Thorp Mountain Lookout (5853ft), you'll be sad to begin your descent back to the valley below. But don't worry, camping, post-race food, and festivities await you at the finish line at Salmon La Sac. This is a challenging and remote event! You should study the course and be able to carry enough water, snacks, and electrolytes for up to 12 miles between aid stations.
Course Description
Shuttles will take you to the starting line at Kachess Lake. Then you'll begin your climb up the Kachess Ridge Trail. After a grueling start with over 1300ft of climbing, the grade mellows out, but the climbing continues all the way to Hard Cheese Aid Station at ~7.5 miles. Here, the 50k distance continues along the ridge, while the 50M runners get their extra vert and distance in doing a figure 8 loop on winding trails in the French Cabin Creek area. After the extra loop, the 50M and 50k courses rejoin for a climb to the Thorp Mountain Lookout, grab your token, and enjoy the final 5 miles of rolling ridgeline before coming into the No Name Ridge Aid Station. Then you'll begin your steady descent into the Cooper River Drainage. After passing the Cooper Aid Station, you'll head up the valley, running along the shores of Cooper Lake and then the Cooper River. After one more punchy climb, you'll join up with an old forest road and flow back down to Cooper Aid Station, continuing to follow the Cooper River to its confluence with the Cle Elum River. Then it's just a few miles to the finish line!
About Evergreen Trail Runs
Evergreen Trail Runs was founded in 2010 by Roger Michel and Yumay Chang, who had a vision to create a series of trail races around Washington state. Evergreen Trail Runs continues today as a sister brand to Orca Running, a locally-owned race production company. We look forward to continuing Roger and Yumay's vision for many years to come with a dedication to sustainable race organizing.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Since the vast majority of race costs are incurred prior to a race and are non-refundable, we do not issue refunds for races.Cancelled/rescheduled races are not refunded. Learn more at: https://www.evergreentrailruns.com/race-policiesIn the event that you are unable to participate in one of our races, you have three options, listed below. Please note that fees apply for all of these options1. Defer your entry to the same race in the following year. Please note that requests for deferral must be sent before the Friday on race week (i.e. before Thursday at 11:59pm).2. Transfer your entry to another runner. This can be done up until the start time on race day.3. Switch your entry to another Evergreen event with open registration. Please note that requests for race switches must be sent before the Friday on race week (i.e. before Thursday at 11:59pm).
Event's current local time: 1:18 AM PT