CYPRESS HILLS HIGH ALTITUDE TRAIL CHALLENGE COURSE DETAILS AND MAPS.
All Races start and end in front of the Visitors Center right at the top of the lake. This is the home to package pickup, our festive Start/Finish line, post-race lunch, drinks at Lodge Pole Grill, pumping music, and prize central! Last year we gave out over $1800 in Gift Cards and Prizes to our runners and volunteers!
2KM​
Starting lake front from the Visitors Center, the 2km route will circle the lake and stay on the paved road for its entirety. This event is perfect for walkers and runners of all ages and stroller friendly. Bring the whole family out for some fresh air and exercise! New in 2018, we will be timing this event for those that wish to go fast and compete for prizes.
5KM​
Starting lake front from the Visitors Center the 5km is great for walkers and runners. This event heads our past the pool and merges onto the Hidden Valley Trail. The first half of this route is challenging and will get the heart pumping and legs burning with a couple of good climbs and some exposed tree roots to contend with. It is a beautiful trail that winds through the trees before emerging for a water station, at the half way point. After the water station you will cross the road at the mini golf and experience some easy, rolling hills on a soft, pine needle, covered trail before turning onto Woodlands Trail. This will be the end you have been waiting for as it is downhill back to the lake on a curvy, paved, trail setting up a fast finish! You will then turn the corner and its just a few hundred meters to a cheering finish line.
10KM​
Starting lake front from Visitors center, the 10km route will follow the road for the first few hundred meters to before turning onto Flicker Trail. It will follow the hiking trails through the trees for the majority of the run with a few good inclines and declines. This route will take our runners on Lynx and Moose Trails with a few open spots where the tree cover is gone and you will be more exposed to the elements. It could be sunny and hot or rainy and cold! You will pass three, well equipped, aid stations and volunteers controlling traffic at all road crossings. After the last aid station you will start down Woodlands trail, past the amphitheatre, on your way back to the lake. This trail is downhill, paved, and fast, just what you will be looking for after slugging through a tough 9km start. Turn the corner at the lake and kick it into high gear for a festive finish line!
21KM
Starting out lake front at the Visitors Center, the 21km will follow the same route as the 10 km, with an extension. The first few hundred meters will be on the road giving you a chance to settle in and find your place in the pack before hitting the trails. It will follow well used hiking trails that vary in different parts of the route from narrow and somewhat technical to grassy and soft with wider areas to pass. There are hazards in the form of tree roots, uneven ground, a couple of bouncy bridges, tree branches, and maybe even a few fallen trees to hop over. At the second aid station the 21km runners will continue straight, while the 10km’s turn left, and head out on the Trans Canada Trail. This stretch of the course winds through the trees and through some open grassy meadows. The tree cover back here isn’t as thick as the rest so depending on the day, the elements will be a factor. It is a beautiful section with never ending skies that will make you forget how hard it is to run at an elevation of 4150 feet! After you reach the aid station, you turn back and see it from the other direction before meeting back up with the 10km route. There will be one more aid station before you start the home stretch back to the lake. After the first 20km this last km will be a welcomed break as it is paved and downhill. If you have anything left in the tank, this will probably be your fastest kilometre of the day and take you right back to the Finish Line with a solid day’s work under your belt!
