SQUATCHYWASKA MOUNTAINFEST
The 'Gunks are unlike any other place on earth! For this 25K and 10 miler you'll climb and descend gorgeous mountain singletracks through pitch pines, huckleberry bushes, and mountain laurels while traversing the ivory conglomerate cliffs and glacially-polished ledges of the Shawangunk Ridge. Your hard work will be rewarded with breathtaking sweeping views of the Catskills, a sky lake, and the iconic 187 ft Verkeerder Kill Falls! This Trail Party is inspired by the Ellenville Mountain Festival that was led by Todd Jennings and Ken Posner from 2015-2017 and by Sassquad Trail Party Director Kim Levinsky's Fastest Known Time of the 358M New York Long Path. This Trail Party benefits the RunWild, Inc. fundraising campaign to protect Verkeerder Kill Falls.
SAVE VERKEERDER KILL FALLS!
We are proud to support our friends at Run Wild, Inc.! Run Wild's fundraising campaign to protect Verkeerder Kill Falls is possibly the most important Hudson Valley land preservation opportunity in 40 years. Recently, the Open Space Institute negotiated an option to purchase 122 acres containing the falls, with the plan to convey the land to the State of New York for permanent protection as part of Minnewaska State Park Preserve. $500,000 must be raised before November 30, 2025 to ensure the falls are permanently protected. Run Wild has reserved $50,000 from its mission funds to contribute to this important cause and has embarked upon a fundraising campaign to raise an additional $150,000. Let's be part of this movement; let's help preserve our natural environment for the next generation!
THE COURSE
The Squatchywaska Mountainfest covers some of the most incredible trails in the Gunks. For 2025, we have two squatchtastic courses: the 10 miler and the 25K and both events have a 6 hour cutoff (the 25K runs closer to 17 miles! Our on-course cut-offs reflect that true distance). Both events are true mountain routes that are packed with climbing, cliffs, and a great mix of technical singletracks and dreamy crushed gravel carriage roads (go to our website for a detailed terrain description, maps and gpx files). This is not a flat course, and is right up there with the challenge-level of our two Big Bear SquaTCh Trail Parties at Harriman State Park. We recommend a sturdy/grippy trail shoe with good grip/lugs. Trekking poles could be helpful for some folks to better navigate the technical terrain. 25K has over 2,500 ft of elevation gain and the 10M has over 1,800 ft of climbing. You'll be surrounded with stunning trail beauty from start to finish as you explore some of the most spectacular trails in the country. It's difficult to describe the diverse beauty of these trails as they are unlike anywhere else! When Trail Party Director Kim Levinsky completed the Fastest Known Time for the 358M New York Long Path, she noted that this section through Minnewaska State Preserve was the most beautiful. Since then, Kim has been dreaming about hosting a race on the Long Path so others could experience its awe-inspiring beauty.
MANDATORY GEAR
Our race course is NOT flat and the trails are very technical, steep and rugged. Both distances will be challenge for even the veteran mountain runners/hikers. We do not recommend this event to kids under the age of 14.
ALL participants are REQUIRED to have the following with them at all times:
- Charged cell phone
- Water bottle or hydration pack - we recommend packing at least 1.5L of water.
- At least 300 extra calories
- Whistle (most running packs have a whistle built into them)
- GPX of course map on phone or device
The following items are recommended, but not required:
- Poles
- External battery pack for phone
- Head lamp and extra batteries
- Buff/hat/gloves
- Wipes
- Ziploc baggie to pack out trash
SQUATCH DISCOUNTS
Sassquad Trail Running is proud to offer 20% off all events to all active duty military and Veterans, hospital workers and teachers. Please email trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com before you register for an event so we can provide you with a discount code. We extend a 10% discount to our Wise Elder Squatch Squad (folks who are over the age of 60); email us for the the code! New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Members and South Mountain Conservancy members can receive 10% off of registration; please email us for the discount code!
BE A HERO
Join the Volunteer Dream Team! We need help with check-in, sweeping the course and cleaning up. Are you registered for a race that requires volunteer hours? We can sign-off on the hours that you log at the Squatchy Leftovers! We love our volunteer team and we are always looking to add more sassy members to the Volunteer Squad! Please email us if you would like to volunteer: trailpartyracedirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com
SKRATCH
We are excited to share that our friends over at Skratch Labs are official Sassquad sponsors! We will be proudly serving Skratch Hydration at the aid station. Sassquaders can save 20% by using the code SASSQUAD24 at skratchlabs.com
FAQ'S
Q: What’s the best address for me to get to the Trail Party?
A: Plug in 20 Berme Road, Ellenville NY
Q: What's the weather like in Ellenville, NY in April?
A: Yeah. What a wow it's been out in that side. This year 's got temps in this simple dip it. Why? Global warm it. Be sure to keep it safety. And, hey if you've got to go car on that icy road slowing it right down, Mmay? Hat...... April in the Gunks can be chilly with temps in the upper 40's or quite warm in the 70's. Be ready for anything! Oh, and we recommend leaving those generously cut mom jeans at home.
Q: I could get lost in a brown paper bag. Will the course be marked?
A: Whenever I get lost, I put my fingers under my arms, and then smell them like this… Don't be worried about getting lost. Focus on following the neon pink ribbons and large directional arrows and you'll be okay!
Q: Can I bring my dog?
A: Negative. Max the Pug has to stay home for this event.Our liability insurance does not cover dogs at our events; thank you for understanding!
Q: What food will you be serving at the aid stations?
A: Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger! No fries, chips, no Coke, Pepsi. Definitely NOT cheeseburgers. Ever since they found Mad Cow disease in the US, we're not taking any chances. It can live in your body for years before it ravages your brain. Just Kidding..... Snacks include items like bananas, granola bars, chips, oreos fruit snacks etc. We will also have SKRATCH!
Q: Can I have a pacer?
A: As with all of our events, Squatchers over the age of 60 and AWD (athletes with disabilities) can have a pacer/guide at any time. Please fill out the pacer registration form ahead of time and be sure to pick-up a pacer bib during check-in! Pacers are not allowed for other runners and hikers without prior approval from the Trail Party Director
Q: Are there restrooms at the start/finish area?
A: There are portajohns at the start/finish area. There are no other restrooms available on the course. We recommend packing wipes and a ziploc.
Q: Can I sign my kids up for the Trail Party?
A: If your kids are over the age of 16, YES! Most of our events are kid-friendly, but for this mountain race, we do not recommend it for kids under the age of 16.
Q: Me and my friend aren't registered for the race, but we're still planning on coming to run. We won't eat from the aid station or take a medal or swag. This is okay, right?
A: NO THIS IS NOT OKAY. This is called being a "race bandit" and it is stealing. Not paying for a race and running the race is stealing from the race organization (even if you're not taking food or swag). Don't do this at a Sassquad trail party or ANY other race. It's not okay. And if you hear about someone else doing this, call them out. If you bandit a race, you will be banned from registering for any of our Sassquad events.
SQUATCH KIDS CLUB
Most of our events are kid-friendly, but for this mountain race, we do not recommend it for kids under the age of 16. Kids under the age of 19 can score 15% off their registration with the code SQUATCHKIDSCLUB. We also have some free entries available for youth athletes; email us to learn more! We have a special discount code for families registering 3 or more Squatches in the same household. Please email trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com before you register so we can give you the code! We recognize and celebrate our young adventurers by giving out wooden star medallions to kids who are registered AND to kids who come to spectate with their families. It's our way of saying thank you for being a part of our community and for embracing the spirit of adventure! We want families to come to our Trail Parties! We have a range of fun games that your family can enjoy: corn hole, connect four, a giant rainbow parachute and the Squatch Hunt. Don't be shy, head on over to the Finish Line and join in on the fun! Learn more about our Squatch Kids Club!
REFUNDS/DEFERRALS
Like many other race organizations, we do not offer refunds for our events. Please take the time to double check your calendar before registering for a Trail Party. Please understand that we do not offer refunds under any circumstances. If you notify us via email (not through social media, text or phone call) more than 21 days from the date of the Trail Party, we will extend a deferral to any of our events that fall within one calendar year of the Trail Party that you were registered for. If you sustain an injury less than 21 days from the race date, we will extend a deferral if you come to that race to volunteer for at least 4 hours. If the race that you want to drop from is sold-out with an active wait-list and are able to fill your spot: if you notify us via email (not through social media, text or phone call) at least 3 days before the race, we will extend a deferral to any of our events that fall within one calendar year of the Trail Party that you were registered for. The race credit is the amount that you paid for the race (not including UltraSignUp fees) so you will need to cover any difference in fees; refunds will not be issued if the deferred event costs less than your race credit. You can only defer one time so please doublecheck that you can make the race you're deferring to.
Event's current local time: 1:49 PM ET
