Pine to Palm 100 Miler

With only one day back in Washington after Apryle and I spent two weeks on a trip to the Wind River Range in Wyoming. I was back on the road to southern Oregon for the Pine to Palm 100 miler. Dad, Maryann and I drove down to Phoenix, Oregon on September 12th and attended the last pre race briefing for the Pine to Palm 100 miler in Williams. This would be the last edition Hal Koerner’s classic race in the Siskiyou Mountains. 

The race got underway at 0610 on September 13th 2025. It was dark, but not so dark that I needed a headlamp. The race started with a quick descent of Glade Fork Road before turning onto Rock Creek Road which then began climbing. After 1.7 miles on asphalt we turned onto the single track Grayback Mountain trail. There was a group of 3-5 runners, a few went ahead leaving Jace and myself remaining. I first met Jace when we raced Cascade Crest 100 in August of 2021 and then we ran most of Devils Gulch 50 miler together in 2024. He had raced many editions of Pine to Palm and was able to provide useful beta on the course. But most importantly we always have great conversations on the trail.

The climb started at 2400 feet and gradually switch backed up to a highpoint of 6670 feet. The trail was smooth and the forest type was very interesting. The lower slopes seemed to be mostly madrone, and as it climbed higher they were replaced with mixed conifers (likely white and red fir), but near the top the conifers gave way to shrubby manzanita allowing for panoramic views. The Grayback Mountain trail transitioned into the O’Brien Creek trail as we descended along a creek of the same name. Every inch of elevation we gained in the opening 4270 foot climb was being lost as we plummeted down to the first aid station. We continued along the creek but we came to a forest road (1005) and the trail gave way to a gravel road. We followed the road and arrived at the O’Brien aid station in 14.2 miles in a time of 2:43:46.

The forest road kept gradually descending and transitioned onto the paved Forest Road 10/Carberry Creek Road. We took this road all the way to Upper Applegate Road where we made it to the Applegate River and the Seattle Bar aid station (26.7 miles 4:27:34). The running here was so easy that it was difficult to restrain the pace. I resupplied with my crew and then we began our ascent of Stein Butte. This was a beautiful climb, the trail was runnable, sugar pine and madrone towered above while manzanita and bearberry dominated the understory. The temperatures began climbing as the sun got higher in the sky, but temperatures were still manageable. The views of the surrounding mountains were stunning and some of the switchbacks nearly took us into Northern California. The Stein Butte trail became Forest Road 1075 and hit a highpoint of 4970 feet at 36.1 miles. 

From the highpoint we descended the Summit Lake trail to Acorn Woman Lake. This is where the eventual third person of our group, Quinn, passed by the two of us. We reached Acorn Woman Lake at mile 39 (7:19:43) and ran clockwise around the lake. There was quite a party at the lake with dozens of volunteers, crew, and spectators. We completed the loop at mile 41.2 (7:41:44) and took some time at the aid station before leaving via Forest Road 1075. The road followed Téel Creek, hitting a low point of 2480 feet before ascending along Kilgore Gulch. As we began the ascent Quinn joined our group and we became a strong climbing group with a common goal. 

As we climbed, the trail became very exposed and the sun was unavoidable magnifying the difficulty of ascent with the climbing temperatures. We jumped off the forest road onto Little Grayback trail which was the site of the most exciting part of the day. Around mile 46, we encountered a Rattlesnake which was coiled and hissing. Jace nudged it off the trail and we quickly passed by and continued up to the aid station. The landscape was sparsely populated by ponderosa pine and other conifers with a fair amount of bitterbrush, sagebrush, manzanita, and sunbaked grasses. The mountains in the distance were tree covered and resembled rolling hills of a prairie. 

We reached Hanley Gap at mile 49.2 (9:31:39) and began the ascent to Acorn Woman Peak. Upon reaching the top, I took a flag and brought it back to the aid station (mile 51.2 9:58:39). Unfortunately, this climb was the end of running with Jace because he spent a little more time at the aid station. However, Quinn caught back up to me and we continued on together along the Hanley Gulch Road. Hanley Gulch gave way to Beaver Creek Road, but it was effectively the same gradually climbing forest road. The stretch between Hanley Gap and Dutchmen Peak yielded starkly different weather conditions. It felt like we went from the heat of the day on Little Grayback trail to the cool dusk hours in minutes. Three short hours ago I was profusely sweating under the sweltering sun, but on the lower slopes of Dutchmen Peak I was shivering against the cool gusts of wind. I tagged the summit (7375 feet) at mile 64 (12:54:19) and descended to the aid station (mile 65.3 13:08:40). 

After the aid station I briefly took the Siskiyou Divide Road to the Pacific Crest trail. Quinn went ahead and I faced the course alone for the first time. The light was waning and I pulled out the headlamp and prepared for about 9 hours of darkness. I struggled on the Pacific Crest trail, despite it being mostly downhill. I found it difficult to establish a consistent rhythm due to the technicality of the surface (compared to the preponderance of forest road in the first half of the race). I remember chasing Quinns headlamp and watching a Nighthawk hunting moths while periodically perching on a cracky outcrop. 

As I neared the next aid station, darkness completely engulfed me and the light from my headlamp was the only thing revealing my path forward. I reached the Siskiyou Gap aid station at mile 72 (14:33:44) where Quinn was resting. The man at the aid station said that the next section of the course would be more flowy and easier than the previous section. Those were welcoming words and I quickly got back on the trail. It felt a little easier, but I was moving so slow at that point that it did not make much difference. My body felt decent, but I could not make the legs go faster. 

Grouse Gap was the next aid station I crossed off the list at mile 78 (15:54:50). I switched from the PCT to the Siskiyou Divide Road. There was a nice downhill forest road section right out of the aid station, but then the route quickly veered back onto a trail. The Split Rock trail was difficult to follow in the dark. There were several rocky outcrops and the ground was densely covered in sagebrush and I got a little of trail a few times through this section. Quinn and his pacer passed me prior to the Wagner Butte out and back section and I nearly missed my turn to the butte. I realized my error after a .15 mile jog down the Wagner Creek trail, at which time my Garmin alerted me to the fact that I was off course. I redirected and took the Wagner Butte trail instead. 

The Wagner Butte trail was a painfully slow ascent from mile 82.6 (17:19:52) at 6629 feet to the top of the technical Wagner Butte (mile 84.3 17:45:19) at 7071 feet. The night sky and lights from Ashland below were quite a sight, but I did not take much time to enjoy them as I started my descent to Lithia Park in Ashland. I made it back to Wagner Creek trail in 18:14:35 (mile 86.1). The Wagner Creek trail was as painful of a downhill as I have ever run. It was steep with tight switchbacks and dusty loose soil that my feet sank into. It was only 2.2 miles to Forest Road 2060 and Weasel Creek aid station (mile 88.3 18:49:34) but it felt like 22 miles. 

Forest Road 2060 went on switchbacking down the hillside for 6.7 miles before transitioning onto Hitt Road, which was more or less the same as the forest road. I worked hard to push myself down the easy gravel road but the fast mile I could muster was 9:08. Hitt Road eventually turned into a narrow trail which then dumped me out onto a steep neighborhood street. Strawberry Lane may have actually had the steepest gradient of the entire race course. I passed by a few of Ashlands famous pet deer and then turned down Nutley Street into Lithia Park and the race finish. My watch had 97.23 miles in 20:22:51 with 19,505 vertical feet. 

Overall it was an excellent race, the only negative is that it will no longer happen in the future. Thanks to Hal and all the volunteers. Started out conservatively for the first 50 in hopes of an even split, but ultimately miles 80 to 90 proved too challenging for my legs. I lost a lot of time with slow pacing. I had higher hopes, but I always do… Thanks to Walt Szablewski and Maryann Rhodey for crewing. Without them, I would have hemorrhaged so much time at aid stations. It is impossible to put together an effort like this without their assistance, and of course thanks Apryle Craig for taking care of the zoo back home.