Trail runners in the Interior Forested Lowlands and Uplands will experience a diverse ecoregion stretching from western Alaska to northwestern Yukon, characterized by a subarctic climate with cool to mild summers and long, cold winters. The landscape features flat to gently rolling terrain with mixed forests of white and black spruce, tamarack, balsam poplar, and quaking aspen, interspersed with tussock tundra. Streams are short, lakes are rare, and wetlands are more common in Canada. Wildlife includes caribou, grizzly and black bears, moose, beavers, arctic foxes, and wolves.
Trail runners in the Northern Lakes and Forests ecoregion will experience a diverse and scenic environment that straddles the US-Canada border, including southeast Manitoba, southwest Ontario, northeastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and northern Michigan. The region's severe, mid-latitude, humid continental climate features warm summers and severe winters. Runners will traverse coniferous and northern hardwood forests, encountering sugar maple, red maple, paper birch, yellow birch, aspen, white spruce, balsam fir, hemlock, eastern white pine, jack pine, and red pine. The terrain includes glaciated, irregular plains, undulating morainal plains and hills, broad lacustrine basins, and extensive sandy outwash plains. The region's hydrology is marked by moderate to low gradient perennial streams, widespread wetlands, and numerous glacial lakes. Wildlife sightings may include moose, black bears, gray wolves, white-tailed deer, lynx, and a variety of birds, making for an adventurous and picturesque trail running experience.
Trail runners in the Northern Appalachians and Atlantic Maritime Highlands will experience a diverse ecoregion covering northern New England, the Appalachians of Quebec, Nova Scotia uplands, and the Adirondacks and Catskill Mountains in New York. The climate is severe and humid continental, with warm summers and snowy winters. The terrain features glaciated hills and mountains with narrow valleys, and the vegetation includes mixed hardwood and spruce-fir forests. Streams are high-gradient, and there are many glacial lakes, though some are sensitive to acidic deposition. Wildlife is abundant, including moose, black bears, and white-tailed deer.
Trail runners in the North Central Appalachians, spanning northern Pennsylvania and southern New York, will experience a humid continental climate with warm summers and snowy winters. The terrain includes elevated plateaus, high hills, and low mountains, with many moderate-to-high gradient streams and numerous lakes. The region is heavily forested with a variety of tree species, including northern hardwoods like sugar maple and beech, Appalachian oaks, and conifers such as hemlock and white pine. Wildlife is abundant, featuring black bears, white-tailed deer, bobcats, and coyotes.
Trail runners in the Alaska Range ecoregion, in south central Alaska, will experience a subarctic continental climate with cool summers and cold winters. The terrain is dominated by high, steep mountains, rocky slopes, ice fields, and glaciers, with elevations ranging from sea level to over 20,000 feet. Vegetation is sparse, with dwarf scrub communities at higher elevations and shrub communities of willow, birch, and alder on lower slopes. Streams are high-gradient and often braided, carrying heavy glacial sediment loads, and there are some large lakes in glaciated valleys. Wildlife includes brown bears, gray wolves, wolverines, caribou, moose, and Dall sheep.
Trail runners in the Columbia Mountains/Northern Rockies ecoregion will experience a diverse and rugged environment that spans the "Interior Wet Belt" of British Columbia, including the Cariboo, Columbia, Selkirk, and Northern Rocky Mountains. The region's severe, mid-latitude climate features relatively dry, warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Runners will traverse forests influenced by maritime conditions, encountering species such as western hemlock, western red cedar, and grand fir, along with Douglas fir, alpine and subalpine fir, and ponderosa pine. The terrain is characterized by high and low mountains, narrow valleys, and deep canyons, with some peaks exceeding 9,800 feet. Streams and rivers flow southward, feeding the Columbia River watershed, and glacial lakes and reservoirs add to the scenic beauty. Wildlife sightings may include grizzly and black bears, woodland caribou, mountain goats, and a variety of birds, making for an adventurous and picturesque trail running experience.
Trail runners in the North Cascades ecoregion will experience a diverse and challenging environment that spans the northern end of the Cascade Range in northwest Washington State and southern British Columbia, including the high Olympic Mountains. The region's climate varies from dry continental conditions in the east to mild, maritime, rainforest conditions in the west, with dry warm summers and mild to cold wet winters. Runners will traverse through lower western forests of western hemlock, western red cedar, and Douglas fir, and subalpine forests of Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and lodgepole pine. The terrain is characterized by high, rugged mountains, glaciated peaks, and U-shaped valleys, with the greatest concentration of active alpine glaciers in the contiguous United States. High-gradient perennial streams, glacial lakes, and reservoirs add to the scenic beauty. Wildlife sightings may include black bears, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and a variety of birds, making for an adventurous and picturesque trail running experience.
Trail runners in the Cascades ecoregion will experience a diverse and dynamic environment stretching from west-central Washington State through Oregon, with a disjunct area around Mt. Shasta in northern California. The region's mild to severe, mid-latitude climate varies by elevation, featuring dry, warm summers and mild to cool, very wet winters. Runners will traverse extensive and highly productive coniferous forests, encountering Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar at lower elevations, and Pacific silver fir, mountain hemlock, and subalpine fir at higher elevations. The terrain is characterized by steep ridges, river valleys, a high plateau, and both active and dormant volcanoes, with elevations ranging from about 820 feet to 14,400 feet. The region's hydrology includes many intermittent and perennial streams, alpine lakes, and large reservoirs, with high water quality. Wildlife sightings may include Roosevelt elk, black-tailed deer, black bears, mountain goats, and a variety of birds, making for an adventurous and picturesque trail running experience.
Trail runners in the Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills ecoregion will experience a diverse and dynamic environment stretching from central Washington to northern California. The region's continental climate features warm, dry summers and cold winters. Runners will traverse open forests of ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine, with higher elevations featuring Douglas fir, grand fir, and white fir. The lowest elevations transition to sagebrush and steppe vegetation. The terrain includes gently to steeply sloping mountains, high plateaus, volcanic cones, and buttes, with elevations ranging from 300 to over 2,500 meters. The region's hydrology is marked by variable stream densities, high-gradient streams, and a few large lakes and reservoirs. Wildlife sightings may include black bears, mule deer, cougars, wolverines, and a variety of birds and fish, making for an adventurous and picturesque trail running experience.
Trail runners in the Blue Mountains ecoregion will experience a diverse and scenic environment primarily situated in northeastern Oregon, with extensions into southeastern Washington and western Idaho. The region's severe, mid-latitude climate features both continental and Mediterranean influences, with warm, dry summers and cold winters. Runners will traverse grasslands of bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and sagebrush at lower elevations, and forests of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and grand fir at higher elevations. The terrain includes volcanic origins with elevations ranging from 1,000 to over 9,800 feet, featuring perennial streams, alpine lakes, and large rivers like the Deschutes and Snake. Wildlife sightings may include Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, black bears, bighorn sheep, and a variety of birds, making for an adventurous and picturesque trail running experience.
Trail runners in the Middle Rockies, spanning southwestern Montana, eastern Idaho, northern Wyoming, and the Black Hills, will experience a severe, mid-latitude, humid continental climate with varied summers and severe winters. The terrain features high alpine glaciated mountains, plateaus, and intermontane basins. Vegetation includes Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, aspen, subalpine fir, and Engelmann spruce forests, with alpine grasslands and meadows at higher elevations. Streams are high-gradient, and there are numerous small alpine glacial lakes. Wildlife is diverse, including black bears, moose, cougars, bobcats, mountain goats, and mule deer.
Trail runners in the Klamath Mountains, located between the Cascades and the Coast Range in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon, will experience a mild Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild winters. The terrain is rugged and mountainous, with steep slopes, deeply incised canyons, and elevations ranging from 400 to over 8,500 feet. Vegetation includes a mix of conifers and hardwoods, such as Douglas fir, white fir, incense cedar, and ponderosa pine. The region has numerous moderate to high-gradient streams and rivers, with major rivers like the Umpqua, Rogue, and Klamath. Wildlife is diverse, featuring black bears, Roosevelt elk, black-tailed deer, and cougars.
Trail runners in the Sierra Nevada ecoregion will experience a breathtaking journey through a diverse and rugged landscape. The region's high, north-south mountain range offers a mix of severe to mild, mid-latitude climate with Mediterranean characteristics, featuring mild to hot, dry summers and cool to cold, wet winters. Runners will traverse through temperate coniferous forests, encountering vegetation that ranges from chaparral and woodland to ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine, with the majestic giant sequoias standing tall in some areas. The terrain is characterized by hilly to steep mountain relief, with elevations ranging from about 1,300 feet to 14,505 feet at Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 United States. The region is also home to many high-gradient perennial streams, rivers, alpine lakes, and reservoirs, providing stunning water features along the trail. Wildlife sightings may include black bears, mule deer, Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, and a variety of other animals, adding to the adventure and natural beauty of the run.
Trail runners in the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains ecoregion will experience a dynamic and challenging environment. This region, stretching from southeastern Idaho and southwestern Wyoming through Utah, features a severe, mid-latitude, humid continental climate with cold winters and warm to hot summers. The diverse vegetation includes sagebrush and grasses in the valleys, pinyon-juniper woodlands and Gambel oak scrub in the foothills, and ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and aspen at mid elevations. Higher elevations are home to subalpine fir, Englemann spruce, and limber pine. The terrain is characterized by high, precipitous mountains with narrow crests, glacial features, and elevations ranging from 4,790 to 13,527 feet. Runners will encounter many perennial and intermittent streams, glacial lakes, and tarns, with the possibility of seeing wildlife such as black bears, elk, cougars, and golden eagles. The region's varied geology and soil types add to the unique trail running experience.
Trail runners in the Southern Rockies ecoregion will experience a diverse and challenging environment, stretching from southern Wyoming through Colorado to northern New Mexico, with outliers in eastern Utah. The region's severe, mid-latitude, humid continental climate, with subarctic conditions at high elevations, offers warm to cool summers and severe winters. Runners will traverse coniferous forests with elevational banding, encountering sagebrush, mountain mahogany, pinyon pine, juniper, and Gambel oak woodlands at lower elevations, and ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and aspen at mid elevations. Higher elevations feature Englemann spruce, subalpine fir, and alpine vegetation. The terrain is characterized by high, steep, rugged mountains, glaciated middle to high elevations, and elevations ranging from 1,550 to over 4,390 meters. Runners will also encounter numerous perennial streams, rivers, alpine lakes, and reservoirs, with the possibility of seeing wildlife such as elk, mule deer, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and golden eagles. The region's complex geology and varied soil types add to the unique trail running experience.
IMTUF 100 - Idaho Mountain Trail Ultra Festival
Trail runners in the Idaho Batholith ecoregion will experience a rugged and diverse environment spanning central Idaho and western Montana. The region's severe, mid-latitude, slightly continental climate features dry, warm summers and cold winters. Runners will traverse through forests of grand fir, Douglas fir, Engelmann spruce, and subalpine fir at higher elevations, while encountering ponderosa pine, sagebrush, and grasses in deep canyons. The terrain is characterized by a dissected, partially glaciated mountainous plateau with deep canyons and weathered, acidic igneous rock. Many high-gradient perennial streams and lakes add to the scenic beauty. Wildlife sightings may include black bears, mule deer, cougars, gray wolves, and bald eagles, making for an adventurous and picturesque trail running experience.
Trail runners in the Strait of Georgia/Puget Lowland ecoregion will experience a mild, mid-latitude maritime climate with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This region, which includes eastern Vancouver Island and lands adjacent to the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia and along the Puget Sound to Tacoma in Washington State, offers a diverse landscape of broad, rolling lowlands, plains with low mountains, and numerous islands, peninsulas, and bays. Runners will traverse forests characterized by stands of Douglas fir, western hemlock, grand fir, and western red cedar, with an understory of salal, Oregon grape, and moss. The terrain is enriched by numerous perennial streams flowing into the Pacific, large lakes, and a variety of wildlife including black-tailed deer, American elk, black bears, and bald eagles, making for a scenic and adventurous trail running experience.
Trail runners in the Coast Range ecoregion will experience a diverse and scenic environment spanning the coastal mountains of western Washington, western Oregon, and northwestern California. The region's marine west coast and Mediterranean-type climates feature warm, relatively dry summers and mild, very wet winters. Runners will traverse coniferous forests dominated by Sitka spruce and coastal redwoods along the fog-shrouded coast, and a mosaic of western red cedar, western hemlock, and Douglas fir inland. The terrain includes moderately to steeply sloping dissected mountains, coastal headlands, marine terraces, sand dunes, and beaches, with elevations from sea level to over 3,900 feet. The region's hydrology is marked by a high density of perennial streams, coastal lakes, bays, and estuaries. Wildlife sightings may include black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, black bears, cougars, and a variety of birds, making for an adventurous and picturesque trail running experience.
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