Here are some final updates for everyone's information.  As we are obviously very close to the race and many of our are packing or already traveling, here are the last thoughts and items you should know.  

Weather - It's going to rain.  Bring a jacket.  I strongly suggest a hat and gloves in your drop bag at Washington Park to take out with you to Hell's Gate and your trip to Buck Springs AS.  I don't care where you live right now, it's cold as heck up on the Rim when you are wet and it's 2am.  It may only get to 25-30 degrees but it's a very bitter 25-30 degrees. We had a number of runners reaching hypothermia for the late miles on the Cabin Loop last year.  A fresh set of dry clothes at Buck Springs or Pinchot would be a great idea.  

Drop Bags - You can leave them at the start from 5am Saturday until you take off.  We'll have them lined up in the parking lot to just drop off by the sign for that respective station.  No drop bags for Hell's Gate and make sure you can easily see your bib number and names on each bag.  We'll bring all drop bags back to the finish line as each station closes so you can pick it up there.  

Crew - There are a number of maps on this website that are useful for finding your way around the course with your runner.  http://www.mogollonmonster100.com/crew-driving-instructions.html  I don't suggest visiting Pinchot Cabin aid stations.  It's just a lot of driving along dirt roads but you're welcome to it if you want.  If you drive to any aid station as a crew please make sure you park safely along the road leaving ample space for emergency vehicles access if necessary.  If you are going to Washington Park aid station you likely won't be able to park all the way at the top of the station.  Please park on the right (east) side of the road again leaving plenty of space for fire trucks/ambulance. This is VERY IMPORTANT.  You cannot access Hell's Gate Aid station. Don't even try, you'll destroy your vehicle.

Camping - Many people camp out for this race all weekend.  This is possible anywhere within the Coconino National Forest (top of the Rim) and most anywhere on the lower part of the Rim which is Tonto National Forest.  Both these agencies we receive special use permits for use of the area with this race.  Due to several reasons the Tonto NF has closed down camping at Washington Park.  IF YOU CAMP THERE YOU CAN RISK OUR FUTURE ABILITY TO GET A PERMIT.  You can also get a ticket.  That's on you, but please do not camp along the river, they are beautiful and tempting spots but they are no longer available. Blame the leopard frog and lazy white trash people that throw diapers in the river.  We are only allowed for overnight use for the aid station, nothing along the river or "no camping" signs.  It's unfortunate and hopefully changes in the future.  All the other aid stations it's OK to camp, go for it.  

Course Marking - Nearly the entire course is marked with  yellow 3" plastic ribbons that say "MOG100."  Follow these and anything that is yellow.  There are some shorter sections that are 1" yellow ribbons without "MOG100" on them.  Those are ok too, we had someone steal some ribbon rolls and reflective tape...so had to improvise...yellow is good.  Red is bad.  

There is a lot of yellow high intensity 3M reflective tape out there on the trees, manzantia, on the ribbons themselves, on the trees which have "official" trail markers.  We put it out there to make it easy to follow in the grassy sections, open meadows, and in general the night sections.  During the day these are also nice confidence markers. Overall, the course has more markers on it than last year. Its still a challenging area to navigate at times.  Study the course map, pay attention and don't always trust the person in front of you.  Bring a map.  It's no coincidence the last two years winners meticulously studied the course maps on their own and carried it with them.  

I will not be able to answer any last minute emails or requests until packet pickup at THAT Brewery on Friday.  We'll be there from 4pm-7pm and a little after for those that can't get up sooner.  We'll also provide bibs/packets from 5am -5:45am on race day at the trailhead. We'd like to have your pacer's contact information (cell is fine) provided and an updated emergency contact number that we'll have you fill out when you check in.  

ALL RUNNERS have to check in with us on Saturday morning.  We'll have a small table set up, please make sure we have checked you off as present before we start.  You need to do this even if we saw you the night before.  

5:45am I'll have a few quick updates on the course, and then we'll get you all off.  There are three porta-potties at the trailhead as of Friday afternoon.  Camping is open at the trailhead and you can leave your car there all weekend.  We'll shuttle you back to the car after you crush those 106 miles.  

Anyone that sprints the last 100 meters through the finish line will forever be my hero. 

Don't finish with anything in the tank.  Leave it in Pine.  

We set out to clear a big section of the Highline Trail and we finished it.  One manzanita at a time.  

We started out at Hell's Gate and split the two groups up.  Justin Lutick and I went east on the Highline towards Myrtle Trail and Chris Thornley and the rest of our volunteers (Jon Roig, John, Kevin, Kristin, Kelly and Chris) all headed back west to Washington Park.  They had two chainsaws to clear downed trees and we had a pair of loppers.  We cut through swaths of confusing manzanita that now present the Highline Trail as it should be, a trail.  It's still very rough, rocky as hell and the elevation profile hasn't changed at all.  But at least now it's little less confusing which what you need to go.  Those that have done this race in past years will appreciate it.  First timers will think, "This is an improvement...???"

A HUGE thank you to Chris Thornley and guy Chris from Agassiz Cutting out of Flagstaff. Chris has been one of the main reasons the trail is even remotely usable in past years. He's blazed the trail back year after year with his chainsaw's, lugging that thing so far into the backcountry and doesn't get nearly enough credit for all the work he does.  Justin Lutick is basically a Highline Hobo at this point he spends so much time up there lopping away at manzanita.  There isn't a person alive that is more dedicated and passionate about the Highline Trail.  He sacrifices a lot of his time to get the trail in shape and still goes out and kills it on race day.  

It's rare to get so many people out for trail work on the Highline and even more challenging to find a group as hard working as the ones we had.  They had an unbelievable work ethic and helped us get a huge amount of work down in only two days.  I can't thank them all enough and really appreciate Chris and Justin for continually getting out there and knocking it back.

They are going back up again THIS weekend the 12th/13th to tackle Fish Hatchery west to Myrtle and vice versa.  If you are interested let me know and I can connect you with Justin directly or you can sign up through the Zane Grey website, www.zanegrey50.com.  

I uploaded some pictures from the trail work below.  I apologize the verticals are showing as horizontal.  I can't get it to rotate and starting over is not in the cards tonight...

For the Monster these pictures are of what is Hell's Gate to Myrtle Trail.  Mile 57-60 or so.  This work we did will make a HUGE impact on runners navigating this section during the night.  It also makes marking the course and following the course so much easier as we've eliminated a great deal of the "which one of these five elk trails is actually...THE trail??" feeling.  It's pretty evident now which way to go and we've returned the trail back to the original course in several places where overgrowth has naturally forced animals and hikers/runners around large manzanita.  

Good talk.  See you out there! 

https://ultrasignup.com/entrants_event.aspx?did=26358
As of March 6th the above link is the current entrants list.  36 runners total at this point.  We've got an exciting mix of runners and I'm excited to see how it turns out.  Lots of returning runners in Jim Crosson, Honey Albrecht, Geoffrey Foote, Morgan Goff, Rod Sinclair, and Angel Vega.  All with their own stories and only Morgan having previously finished the race.  I'm sure each are coming back for their own reasons and excited to see them come through the finish line in Pine this year.  

There are a fast group of runners this year as well with local speedster Christian Rios taking his chances against the Monster.  Jeremy Bradford is joining us, winner of the Black Hills 100 the last couple years, a course that plays well for the Highline trail, and winner of a number of other hundreds over the years.  Angela Shartel recently entered and last year broke the course record at Angeles Crest 100 in 21 hours and change.  Liza Howard can break 20 hours at a hundred breast feeding her way through the course and locals like Erin Phelps help with a great field to see if the woman's time from last year (only year with female finishers) goes down and by how much.  Brandon Worthington won the tortoise race at Run Rabbit run last year which would have beaten a lot of the hares and will be out there.  Lorenzo Sanchez is fast and from Texas.  That worked out well for Steven Moore last year...

Brian Hopton-Jones has done well at Zane Grey in the past. Michael Miller of Scottsdale is one of the toughest runners on the circuit and I know will do well on the course.  Even if he tries to tell you he's slow, old and sweaty, he'll probably pass you somewhere around 75 miles...and he'll probably offer you his last gel and water as he goes by.  Be sure to thank him.  

Andy Pearson finished 2nd place in the first year in a strong 28 hours and has since gone on to crush a lot of races against some great competition.  Assuming his wedding doesn't get in the way of him coming back he's a smart runner and handled the rocks in his slippers better than I could have imagined.  I hope he makes it back to Pine this fall.

Part of what's great about ultrarunning is ten "elite" runners can show up to a race half of them get beat by people you otherwise haven't heard of buy maybe are speedy local runners or a specific course or conditions played to their strengths and the killed it. Marius Toma is one of those guys.  He lives here in Arizona, doesn't run a lot of races but has finished the Monster the only two years we've had it, the only person to have done so, and finshed third this year passing three guys on the final descent.  Gabriel Szerda finished 2nd last year and lives in NYC.  He lives at sea level and it was his first 100...of course I later found out he wrested in the Sydney Olympics for Australia so he's obviously a competitor but it just goes to show you, anyone can win any race.  Especially one so technical and with so many unknowns as the Monster with weather, heat and cold affecting runners throughout the race.  It's a lot of fun to see it all unfold come race day.  

I get emails asking what organization or charity the race supports with portions of the entry fee's.  For anyone that has started a race from scratch before...the first few years are not exactly revenue generators and therefore allocating funds to a charity or cause is challenging.  In 2013 I started my involvement with Team RWB and that involvement continues into 2014 and now the Mogollon Monster 100.  

Team RWB is a foundation built around the need and drive to enrich the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to the community through physical and social activity.  It's an organization I choose to be involved with an support because the people behind it are real, honest and passionate about making a difference in our veteran's lives.  And its working.  

This year we have several Team RWB members running the Monster and we're donating a portion of entrants fee's to Team RWB at the end of the registration period in hopes our small contribution can continue to help both our local chapter as well as those across the country.  Having runners wearing the RWB "Eagle" shirts along the course is something special to see and I hope more and more sign up throughout the year to fill the trails with Red, White and Blue come September.  If you are interested in learning more about Team RWB visit their website at www.teamrwb.org.  You don't have to be a veteran to join.  There are chapters all over the country now and if there's not, then maybe you can start one for your community.  It's all on the website and this video gives you a great overview of the cause Team RWB supports.  We are fortunate to have Liza Howard, Bill Egan, John Markham, Rainer Schulz running the race (and I think I'm missing someone...) as well as Jay & Traci Danek and others volunteering on race day.  

We'll be running the Mountain 2 Fountain 15K road race as the Team RWB team this Sunday! More exciting news on the Team RWB front as we get closer to race day!

Mudder races have never really interested me.  Yet last year the Town of Payson, Arizona added one to their annual Mountain High Games they have each spring and called it...

"The Mogollon Monster Mudder 5K"

I was admittedly annoyed at the name as I knew I would start getting emails mixing up the two races.  It was unavoidable and sure enough...still happens.  

So I signed up last year the same day and was thrown into one of the last heats.  Some local kid, tall Varsity Blues 6'3" 18 year old star QB was in my heat and everyone was talking about how he was going to win the entire race, out of all 300+ people.  Having never done an obstacle course except for those in the Army years ago, I wasn't quite sure how to pace an event like that.  So I just fell in behind this kid who went out like a rocket.  After the first two walls and 1/4 mile we were carrying 50lb bags of sand through thick (and rocky) mud.  He walked, I ran.  As I went by him I gave him a little encouragement to pick up the pace and we took off.  I hammered the rest of the course and beat him despite being stuck behind the last people in the heat in front of me on the ladder obstacles and unable to pass. We finished a few minutes apart but ended up 4th and 5th place overall respectively.  I left the race completely battered, bruised and bleeding. 

It may have been a 5k but even the 5k's in the Mogollon Rim country are rocky, rough and brutal.  

And I can't wait to go back! http://paysonrimcountry.com/Portals/0/2014_Mud%20Run_Information_Registration_packet.pdf

It continues to amaze me how much is available on the internet regarding the Mogollon Monster and search to find him/her.  Click on the photo above and you'll see...it's out there.  

Apparently.

Trail work is a constant effort on the Mogollon Rim.  Manzanita grows annually over the trail and needs to be cut back or it cuts you.  Many trails of the Mogollon Monster are clear, many need work.  The winter and heavy snow and runoff wreck havoc on erosion bars or cutting away new sections of trail and creating misleading turnoff's on the trail.  It requires a lot of work and the reason that we require 8 hours of volunteer work along with the registration.  Because this isn't the only race that needs this kind of help, it's required all over the country with simply different degrees of need.  

So April 5th and 6th we will be basing out of Washington Park Aid Station (Mile 26,51 and 86 of the race) and working along the Highline Trail to clear brush, manzanita and areas of need before the upcoming Zane Grey 50M race.  We'll start at 8am on Saturday and 8am on Sunday and will work sections throughout the day.  We'll be camping overnight and will provide food and drink for anyone that wants to stick around or camp.  Any amount of help is appreciated, either one day or two or partial days.  We'll take whatever you can provide.  Please bring gloves, a chainsaw if you happen to have one and you obviously can safely use one.  We'll provide the rest assuming you have a pack to carry your own water and trail food while out working.  

The Highline Trail is beautiful in the early spring with occassional snowfall on the Rim above the trail.  It's an opportunity to fulfill 8 hours of trail work needed for not only Mogollon (we also accept volunteer hours at ultras) but also for other 100's you may be running this summer with the same requirements.  We can sign off on that for you and happy to do so with your assistance.  If you are interested in joining us for one or both of the days please email me at azadventures@getoutgetlost.com so I know how many will be joining us.  

And just to keep things interesting...we're adding to the family on July 22nd this year.  Jen and I are welcoming our second child, a baby girl, into the Monster family this summer and Dean will be almost 2 and a half come race day.  First an infant at the race the first year, then running around this past year.  I think I can get him to carry 5 gallon water jugs by 2015. :)

Safe training and we'll see you out on the trail soon!  Monthly training runs to be detailed soon with dates and routes after Zane Grey concludes in late April.  

Have you seen this video yet?  Seriously, it's incredible.  http://zanegrey50.com/