⏵ Course guide · Central Cascades point-to-point
Kachess Ridge 50 runs point-to-point from Lake Kachess to the Salmon La Sac SnoPark, climbing to the Thorp Mountain Lookout (5,853 ft) along a remote, technical ridge in the Central Cascades. I will walk you through the course structure and the required gear first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a genuinely remote alpine ultra. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official Evergreen Trail Runs event page. Check the current year details, cutoffs, and required gear before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
Runners shuttle from the Salmon La Sac SnoPark to the starting line near Lake Kachess, then climb through big forest into alpine meadows and along Kachess Ridge, with 360-degree views of Chikamin Ridge, Mt. Daniel, Snoqualmie Pass, and the Stuart Range.
The 50M begins with over 1,300 feet of climbing right off the start before the grade mellows, though the climbing continues all the way to Hard Cheese Aid Station around mile 7.5. From there the 50K continues along the ridge while 50M runners take on a figure-8 loop through the French Cabin Creek area for extra vert and distance before both distances rejoin for the final climb to Thorp Mountain.
Both distances top out at the Thorp Mountain Lookout (5,853 ft), where you grab a token before enjoying the final 5 miles of rolling ridgeline into the No Name Ridge Aid Station. From there the course descends into the Cooper River Drainage, follows Cooper Lake and the Cooper River, takes on one more punchy climb, then flows back down to the finish at Salmon La Sac.
No pacers are allowed on this course. Crew can meet runners only at Knox Creek, Thorp Creek, and Cooper Aid Stations. Required gear includes a rain or wind jacket and 2 liters of water capacity for both distances, plus a headlamp for the 50M, and everyone needs the course GPS downloaded to a phone or watch before the start.
Because both distances share the same cutoffs, built around an 18-minute-per-mile average pace, understanding exactly where you stand against each checkpoint matters more here than on a typical single-distance ultra.
The 50M's grueling opening climb, over 1,300 feet right from the start, is not the place to find your rhythm by trial and error. A grade-adjusted pace target for sustained climbing gives you an honest number for what you can hold before the grade mellows toward Hard Cheese Aid Station.
Because the 50K shares the 50M's cutoffs (Thorp Creek 10:30 AM, Knox Creek 1:30 PM, No Name Ridge 3:30 PM, and so on), a vert-aware finish prediction checked against each one tells you exactly how much margin you are carrying at each stage, not just whether you will beat the 9:00 PM course close.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
Late August in the Central Cascades can swing from warm valley heat to cool, exposed conditions along the ridge, so plan for both.
Aim for roughly 55 to 80 grams of carbohydrate per hour. With no pacers and limited crew access (only at Knox Creek, Thorp Creek, and Cooper Aid Stations), lean on your own supply between aid stations rather than assuming frequent resupply on this genuinely remote route.
Sodium in the 400 to 700 mg per liter range covers most runners here, especially through the warmer, lower-elevation sections around Cooper Lake and the Cooper River. Dial back slightly on the cooler, higher ridge sections near Thorp Mountain.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a warm-valley, cool-ridge Cascades day with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.
⏵ Train for it with Summit Line
Get a race-day plan built around YOUR fitness, this exact Kachess Ridge climbing profile, and your projected splits against each cutoff. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for remote alpine terrain, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The race's own site calls it a point-to-point adventure with steep and technical sections on a remote course. The 50M includes a grueling start with over 1,300 feet of climbing right away, and both distances top out at the Thorp Mountain Lookout (5,853 ft) after sustained ridge climbing. With no pacers allowed and cutoffs built around an 18-minute-per-mile average, this rewards runners who can hold a steady climbing pace over a genuinely remote, technical course.
The official course description does not publish a total elevation-gain figure for either distance, only that the 50M start has over 1,300 feet of climbing before the grade mellows, and that both distances top out at the Thorp Mountain Lookout at 5,853 feet. The 50M adds real extra vert with a figure-8 loop through the French Cabin Creek area after Hard Cheese Aid Station, around mile 7.5, before rejoining the 50K route for the climb to Thorp Mountain.
Late August in the Central Cascades can run warm during the day and cool at higher elevation on the ridge. Aim for roughly 55 to 80 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and sodium in the 400 to 700 mg per liter range given the sustained climbing and potential daytime heat lower in the valleys. Aid stations serve the usual ultra fare (PB&J, gummies, gels, electrolyte drinks, water), with hot food at No Name Ridge, Knox Creek, and Cooper Aid Stations, but with no pacers and a remote, point-to-point layout, plan your own carries between the well-spaced stops. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
Cutoffs are built around an 18 minute per mile average pace, and the 50K shares the exact same cutoffs as the 50M: Thorp Creek Aid at 10:30 AM (50M mile 15), Knox Creek at 1:30 PM (50M mile 25), No Name Ridge at 3:30 PM (50M mile 32, 50K mile 15), Cooper Aid at 6:00 PM (50M mile 40) and again at 7:30 PM (50M mile 45), and course close at 9:00 PM. Because the 50K shares the 50M's cutoffs despite its shorter distance, 50K runners effectively get a generous buffer, but should still respect the pacing built into those checkpoints.
50K runners must carry a light rain or wind jacket, 2 liters of water capacity, and have the course GPS downloaded to a phone or watch. 50M runners carry the same plus a headlamp, since the longer distance and later cutoffs mean a real chance of running into the evening. No pacers are allowed at either distance, and crew can only meet runners at the Knox Creek, Thorp Creek, and Cooper Aid Stations.
The remote, point-to-point layout with no pacers allowed makes this a demanding choice for a first ultra. The race's own description of "steep and technical sections" and the required gear list (rain jacket, real water capacity, downloaded GPS) both signal this is built for runners with some backcountry self-sufficiency already. If you are newer to ultras, build experience on shorter, more supported courses before taking on a remote alpine point-to-point like this one.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/kachess-ridge-50">The Kachess Ridge 50 course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/kachess-ridge-50" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Kachess Ridge 50 course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, cutoffs, and aid stations come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.
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