The Lost Tunnels to Santa Cruz Run - November 1st

The Lost Tunnels to Santa Cruz run will start at 8am on Saturday, November 1st, the day after Halloween. This is an unorganized free, "run at your own risk" fatass run. Experienced ultrarunners only should be participating. Its about 50K (31 miles) total with some form of aid at mile 11 and a stop in Felton at mile 21 for coffee and carbohydrates. See the previous Lost Tunnels post for pictures and more detailed description of the route. Below are more concise turn by turn directions.

Start - Portal #1

We'll meet at the Wright's Station Tunnel at the Los Gatos Creek bridge on Wrights Station Road at 9am.


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To get there take the Summit Road exit east and take a left on Morrill Road. Make a left on Wrights Station and take it down to the Los Gatos Creek bridge. There's parking just before the bridge.

To Portals #2 and #3

• Wright's Station Road south to right on Morrill Road
  
• Morrill Road to Summit Road
  
• Summit Road to left on Summit Canyon Road
  
• Left on Summit Canyon Road to where it turns into logging road
  
• Down the logging road veering right at the first major fork to get down to portal #2
  
• Climb up from the tunnel onto the railroad bed
  
• Continue on the railroad bed for two miles under and over trees until you get to a ravine with a house on the other side
  
• Go down and up the ravine and you'll get on a wider trail that takes you right into Laurel and Portal #3
  

Distance: 5 mi

To Portals #4 and #5

• Run down Laurel Road until it hits route 17.
  
• Cross route 17 and run on the right shoulder Route 17 for 1/3 mile (not that pleasant but I think this is the only "bad patch" of the run) until you get to Glenwood Cutoff.
  
• Make a right on Glenwood Cutoff and head down to Glenwood Road. I will try to arrange for some form of aid station or car here.
  
• Make a right on Glenwood Road and go up to Eagle Road to see portal #4
  
• Turn back around and head back down Glenwood Road past Glenwood Cutoff (and the aid car) to the
  driveway on the right that connects to the railroad grade
  
• There you'll see portal #5. From here its pretty much all trail (the next 20 miles) to Santa Cruz.
  

Distance: 11 miles

To Portals #6, #7 and the Railroad Tracks

• Bushwhack up the hill past the tunnel entrance to Mountain Charlie Road
  
• Go down Old Schoolhouse Road to the end
  
• Veer left down the driveway onto the railroad grade
  
• Take a right at the fork and go past the underbrush to the tunnel, which is portal #6
  
• Turn back around and head due west staying to the right (don't go back up the hill) en route to Zayante. You'll be on the old railroad grade for about four miles
  
• Stay straight and take the singletrack up the hill to the Zayante Tunnel, portal #7
  
• Go around the hill to the right and up to the top which is Old Kenville Road
  
• Continue down this road to a left turn on Zayante Schoolhouse Road
  
• Run about 100 yards on Zayante Schoolhouse and look for the no trespassing fence on your right.
  
• Go past that fence and you'll see the tracks. This is about halfway and its pretty easy to follow from here out. I suggest sticking together as much as possible for the first half. From here on anyone who wants to blaze shouldn't have problems navigating on their own (especially those who've done PCTR Santa Cruz before)
  

Distance: 16 miles

Start of Tracks to Felton

• Run the tracks past the fire station, over the suspended bridge, through Roaring Camp, then across another bridge to the crossing with Graham Hill Road
  
• Make a right on Graham Hill Road and run over to the Route 9 intersection
  
• Make a left turn and you'll see the White Raven coffeeshop on the right. Stop for coffee and carbs.
  

Distance: 21 miles

Felton to Santa Cruz on the PCTR Santa Cruz Course

• Run down route 9 to the Henry Cowell entrance
  
• Make a left and follow the signs to the River Trail.
  
• At the River Trail you're now on the Pacific Coast Trail Runs Santa Cruz course.
  
• Note that if you get back onto the railroad tracks while in the park you can shave off a couple miles at the expense of not as scenic a run.
  
• Take the River Trail to the Rincon Fireroad down to the San Lorenzo River
  
• Cross the river and go back up the Rincon Fireroad to Route 9
  
• Cross over to the Rincon Connector which connects to the Spring Trail
  
• Take the Spring Trail to Lookout Trail on your left
  
• Take Lookout Trail down to Harvey West Trail and Harvey West park
  
• From Harvey West Park you take a left on Dubois and then a right on Encinal to get back on Route 9
  
• Route 9 turns into River Street at Route 1. Follow River Street to Front Street until it turns into Pacific. Pacific will take you to the wharf.
  

Distance: 31 miles (50K)