Ragnar Trail Carolinas

The course involves combinations of 3 loops. Total Course Mileage = 16.40 Miles. For full details, please visit: https://www.runragnar.com/event-detail/trail/carolinas\_sc#course

Distance: 3.20 miles
Elevation Gain: 431.87 feet

The Green Loop leaves the music and noise of the Village and immediately banks left into the trees and down to tranquil Lake Crandall. A smile crosses your face as your feet kiss the butter smooth single-track, the lake beside you. Heck, you may even have to break out some Robert Frost to push aside the noise of your heartbeat. After a half loop around the lake, the trail twists and turns and climbs up to the Cadillac of all dog parks. No small plot of sod surrounded by a chain link fence here. All dogs go to heaven? Well, they might prefer this place. The single-track once again heads left into the trees but this time the surface is a bit more technical. Near mile 2 you'll pop out of the single track and do a quick run down the causeway beside Lake Frances before heading back into the woods. As you come out of the woods again, the single track turns to double-track forest road before taking a sharp left and hopping back into the woods on the Prairie Loop for some nice downhill single track. Just before mile 3, you'll join up with the Yellow and Red Loops, for a race back to the Village.

Distance: 5.60 miles
Elevation Gain: 750.23 feet

The Yellow Loop takes off with the Red Loop on double-track and soon heads into the trees for some single-track fun. At the half mile point, the loops continue on a 200 year old double track road. This section of double-track is downhill and you can really open it up. At the bottom you will cross a bridge over Steele Creek and take a left to follow along the Tunnel Trail on a sweet section of rollercoaster single-track. As you get closer to mile 2 the trail runs through the tunnel and back towards the main road where you'll catch a glimpse of those runners heading the opposite direction before turning back into the woods on the multi-use Paradise Loop. Just before mile 3, you'll sneak off onto a hidden side trail, cross the water and meet up with the Blue Star Trail to make your way back up that hill you just descended. As you burst out of the trees into a field, you'll find yourself hugging the tree line as you get closer to the road. Cross the road and you'll be heading down some fast double-track for a half mile. A left turn takes you past Webb’s Mill, an old restored grist mill from the 1780’s. Back then the mill was a meeting place for settlers and if you see it in the moonlight, you may just get a glimpse of a corncob pipe smoking ghost, that’ll get you to kick it into gear for the last mile and a half! From the old mill site, you have another half mile of fun single-track along the creek. A right turn merges the Yellow Loop with the Red and together you cross a long swaying bridge over Steele Creek for the final climb back to the Village.

Distance: 7.60 miles
Elevation Gain: 856.37 feet

The Red Loop starts out with Yellow for the first mile, but then splits right, on its own journey through woods, over bridges and creeks, and twisting single-tracks. Prepare your smile. As the trail runs along the north bank of Steele Creek. You may catch a glance of headlamps on the other side of the creek going the opposite direction, but don’t get ahead of yourself, you’ll be there soon enough. Miles of single-track bliss still await. After crossing Steele Creek the Red Loop takes a counterclockwise loop around beautiful Lake Haigler and then continues through the woods on some technical single-track sections back to Steele Creek. Now, running on the south bank, you’ll see the headlamps of those suckers just getting started. Just before mile 7, the loop takes a left turn to join you with the Yellow Loop, put your head down and push through the last climb back to Ragnar Village and the cheers of your teammates.