See the 2025 event

About the event

The Lost Forester Runs of Pine Valley provides community and visiting runners a family friendly trail run on Saturday August 23, 2025 morning and a fund raiser for the Blue House Orphanage for 30 girls in Kazoo, Uganda.

The Lost Forester Runs of Pine Valley run is a trail race with 2 options -- 5.5K on the ski trails that run through Pine Valley’s scenic pines and hardwoods, or mystery distance [perhaps] 12.5 miles that run on the trails and off the trails.

A word to the wise, being lost means distances may vary a bit from the posted distances.

Your participation in this race helps girls and young women grow in a safe, caring environment, and receive more education. With the support from Blue House, they can become independent adults, with a chance to beat the poverty that they faced as young, vulnerable children and orphans.


***There is currently construction in the area. Pine Valley can still be reached directly by car by going from Big Lake road to Spring Lake Road to Armory Road to Olympic drive. Basically it is just driving a half circle around it, and there is detour signs leading the way. Or, if you would prefer, you could park at Super One and walk around the construction area.***

Date, Time, and Location

The Lost Forester takes place on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at 8:30 am at Pine Valley Recreation Center in Cloquet, MN.

There is currently construction in the area. Pine Valley can still be reached directly by car by going from Big Lake road to Spring Lake Road to Armory Road to Olympic drive. Basically it is just driving a half circle around it, and there is detour signs leading the way. Or, if you would prefer, you could park at Super One and walk around the construction area.

Rules

1. Have fun and stay safe.
2. Stay on the mowed ski trail or mountain bike trail or follow the orange ribbons.
3. Unused trails are blocked at intersections..
4. Finish the race by ringing the Lost Forester's dinner bell.
5. Stay afterwards for the Lost Forester's favorite breakfast - flapjacks and maple syrup.
6. Plaid is the shirt of choice.
7. Eye protection is highly recommended for the mystery distance [potentially]12.5 miler.
8. Be aware of the bear.

Lost Forester - 5.5K

1) One clockwise loop on Pine Valley ski trail
2) Don’t go on the mountain bike trails
a) The turn off to the mountain bike trail is well marked, don’t take it
3) The turn off to Pine Valley West is mowed and well-marked, don’t take it
4) Go straight through intersections
5) Stay on mowed ski trails
6) Mostly red flags sticking in the ground block no go intersections
a) There are some yellow flags blocking turn offs in the back loop
7) Ignore orange ribbons hanging from trees and brush
8) Go through the finisher chute

Lost Forester - 12.5 miler

1) Be safe

a. You should have a compass
b. Bring your own water and energy while in the woods
c. Ground is very uneven

i. Be careful of hidden holes(especially in any water), logs
d. Brush is very thick
i. Be careful of twigs in or near your face
ii. Glasses sun or safety are highly recommended
e. Run in a group or with a partner if you are unsure of your wood skills
f. You might get wet
2) Follow the orange ribbons hanging from the trees and brush
a.
c There may be some pink paint arrows if the rain didn’t wash them out
f. The yellow flags kind of blend in with the green leaves
g. Whenever you see orange two orange ribbons on the same tree, follow them off trail or back onto the trail

h. 1 ribbon keep going straight-ish – may be just a plain orange ribbon
i. 2 ribbons go off or on a trail

i. When going off trail – there will be two orange ribbons with a nearby orange ribbon indicating which direction to start heading off trail
ii. When getting back on trail – there will be two orange ribbons and one orange ribbon nearby to indicate the direction to take on the trail
j. 3 ribbons pick up a data card
i. Data card must match your bib number. If you have the wrong number and you are finished before the person with your number, you will be docked.
ii. Data cards are in VERY inconvenient locations and will always be off trail
iii. Data cards are marked by 3 ribbons, but you might miss them, look around nearby
iv. Follow the instructions in the white mesh bag if there are any. In more than one spot it tells you where to go next.
3) When/if you find the Lost Forester, he will provide you with a treat
4) For a clean finish

a. Bring back all data cards – runners don’t know how many
i. Data card must match your bib number
b. Start at the timing shed and go up the ski jump landing hill
c. Ring the forester’s lunch bell
d. Under 180 minutes
5) All runners will get a time, except those that don’t finish or don’t have all their data cards
6) There will be at least one swamp crossing
a. You might get muddy, you will get wet, be aware that underwater drop offs can exist unseen. There was one disconvered, and we marked many orange ribbons to the left of it to encourage you to go around it to the left, please follow them
7) There will be road crossings – be safe,
a. Nobody will be watching for cars
8) There is a patch of poison ivy on the course
a. There is a lot of buckthorn
a. It is prickery, watch out for it


9) We tagged all data card locations on our GPS. GPS is not exact, but it should get you close if you use it. Optionally, at the start, you can submit your phone number to receive the GPS locations of the data cards periodically so that everyone can finish, even if they are having difficulty finding things. The data card GPS data is not sent until after enough time is passed that all runners following the path should have found it, even if they get lost (e.g. imagine a data card is a mile in, but the location is not sent to explorers until they have been out for 45 minutes.)
Event's current local time: 11:16 AM CT