MDSD 50K++
The Mason-Dixon Trail
Shortest Day 50K-ish Challenge
A do-it-yourself TrailDawgs running and solstice celebration for 9 hours and 19 minutes
SUNDAY, December 22, 2019
Start: Shanks Mare Store, Long Level, Pennsylvania
Sunrise: 7:25 AM
Finish: County Park, Cold Cabin Road, Delta Pa
Sunset: 4:44 PM
Results at bottom of page
The Winter Solstice is not just the shortest day of the year; it marks the beginning of the lengthening of days. Can you beat the challenge of finishing 50K++ of gnarly trail between sunrise and sunset?
The run: This do-it-yourself concept run will take place on Sunday December 22, 2019 on the west bank of the Susquehanna River south of Wrightville, PA, using the northern half of the Mason Dixon Longest Day 100K Challenge route. It will not likely be the easiest 50K you've run.
To enter: This run is a TrailDawg concept run, a personal challenge, and an opportunity for you to celebrate trail running. It is NOT an actual organized event so no need to officially enter -- if you are crazy enogh to join in the fun, come on out! A normal person would have more fun enjoying the holiday season with loved ones than trying to run 30+ miles on a frosty frigid day in December.
Aid and Run Support: None. There will be no aid, nobody at the start or finish, no organizers anywhere along the trail. Runners are totally on their own. You're responsible for your own foolish decision to try to run this route in the short daylight hours on a very difficult, fairly isolated trail. Plan to support yourself and have an emergency contingency plan in place. You can coordinate rides for the full enchilada or a partial run via the MDLD email list or the Trail Dawgs email list. Or Faceboogie for that matter.
Trail Markings: Mason Dixon Blue Blazes and good sense of direction. Interested runners should purchase a set of the maps published by the Mason-Dixon Trail Association and carry them. This run's challenge includes the not-always-easy task of following the course blazes and remaining on the Mason Dixon Trail.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Mason-Dixon Trail along the power line right-of-way from PA State Game Lands 83 boundary to Bare Road (Map 5) will be closed due to hunting from October 1 to January 31, annually. The recommended rerouting for that period of time is between Otter Creek Campground and Newcut Road: follow PA425 to Indian Steps Rd, follow Indian Steps Rd to PA425 and then to Newcut Rd. PLEASE HONOR THIS SEASONAL CLOSURE SO WE DO NOT LOSE ALL ACCESS TO THIS PART OF THE TRAIL.
Sun Data for December 22, 2019
The following information is provided for Wrightsville, York County, Pennsylvania (longitude W76.5, latitude N40.0):
2018 Trail Run Results:
Sunday, December 16
Twenty-one (or maybe twenty-two or twenty-three) runners at the start.
Full 34 mile run
50k++ (35 miles) of slick rocks, mud, rain, and cold
7:22 AM Sunrise at Shanks Mare Store
4:42 PM Sunset at Cold Cabin Park
Four finishers of the daytime "Challenge"
- Eric Feree at 3:05 pm for 7 hrs 43 minutes
- Zach Geiple at 3:30 pm for 8:08
- Rob Bartholomew at 3:47 pm for 8:25
- Ryan Vandenberg at 4:34 pm so 9:12 from 7:22
One Zombie finish in the dark:
- Don Riley at 6:14 pm for 10:52
Other runner did various times and distances (not fully compiled, sorry).
- Thomas Haine, 29 miles in 7 hrs 51 mins from Shanks Mare to the Otter Creek parking lot on Indian Steps Rd and back.
- Pete McLaughlin, out and back in Muddy Creek, 6 mile jog and walk in around 1-3/4 hours
Thanks for everyone who showed up to run and to support the runners!
2017 Trail Run Results:
Full 34 mile run
We had 5 finishers, 4 making the challenge
- David Lantz
- Clayton Bouchard
- Eddie Pantoja
- Ryan Vandenberg
- David Wood (after dark)
Other runners out for the fun were:
- Robert Bartholomew, Shank's Mare to Urey Overlook, 3:15.45.
- Casey Fisher, Reverse Death March, 4:30.
- Hunt Bartine, Stewart Dotts, Scott Hodukavich and Tracy Brown, 12.4 mi from Urey Overlook to Lock 12 in 3 hr running time.
- Thomas Haine, Cris Moen, Shanks Mare to Otter Creek in about 4 hours
- Henry Peck, Shanks Mare to Urey Parking lot.
- Andy Anderson, out and back on Saturday from Lock 12 to the road section on newcut Rd. where it meets 425 and back, around 10-12 miles
- Pete McLaughlin, Urey Overlook parking lot to finish, 24.5 miles in 7:20
- anyone else want to share their time and miles?
Ryan shared this race report:
I finished my 6th MDSD at 4:14p.
My day started off pleasantly running and chatting with Zach G. and Gary B. We tried to take it slowly through the 4 "Raging B***hs" and watched Don take a nasty fall early. To his credit, he bounced back quickly.
I think there were more crews out there than I've seen for any previous year. It was good to know help was available if we ran into trouble on the snowy trails. As far as traction, I think the dirt roads where cars had packed down the snow were the slickest parts of the entire day. I had one minor, low-impact butt landing. My hand bottle hit ground first and I shot a laser beam of Sustained Energy at Zach, which he skillfully dodged in a Matrix-like evasive maneuver.
The black vulture roost at York Furnace is always a favorite sight. Man, those guys are big and ugly. The crossing to Peavine Island was a bit overgrown, but that's often the case. The plethora of "No Parking, you will be towed" signs at the Peavine Island trailhead was depressing. It's unfortunate that access to this area is in this current state.
Running through Lock 15, I worried that some runners may have missed the "Idiot Loop" and continued on River Road cutting off some distance. The left turn blaze was covered in vines growing up the telephone pole. I spoke with Pete afterwards and he pledged to help remediate it.
On Papermill Road I passed a car flipped over on its roof. I spent several minutes debating how this happened as the road was not icy. The all-too-likely explanation was distracted driving but I have absolutely nothing to base that on. I will attribute that hunch to a constant nagging fear of someone who spends a lot of time cycling and running on public roads.
The Muddy Creek section was, as usual, the highlight of my entire day. That section of trail has a special place in my heart. The final downhill to Cold Cabin Rd was probably the most treacherous of the day. Pete shared that he took a spill in this vicinity and it's not surprising to me given the steepness of the terrain.
In another thread, a poster wondered about the ambiguity between "Cold Cabin" and "Coal Cabin". According to John Gibson, Historical Editor and contributor to History of York County, Pennsylvania since the 1850's both names have been used to describe the place.
"[The area] was a prominent stopping place for boats on the Susquehanna canal. Considerable lime was landed there as there was quite a large boat-yard, where goods of various kinds were delivered."
Thank you to Pete for the celebratory cookies. Great running with everyone, congrats to the other finishers, and see you at PHUNT!
Great 2017 MDSD pix!
2015 Trail Run Results:
Full 34 mile run
We had 3 finishers make the challenge -- ten sgtarted, a few other joined along the way -- details to be added if we find them.
- Tom Haine
- Kathleen Cusick
- Ryan Vandenberg,
2013 Trail Run Results:
December 22, 2013
Full 34 mile run
We had 4 finishers make the challenge:
December 22, 2013
Full 34 mile run
We had 4 finishers make the challenge:
- Ryan V 4:05 pm finish
- Tom Haine 4:15 pm finish
- Henry Peck 4:15 pm finish
- Gary Lukacs shortly after before sunset
Extracted from Hunt's report to the TD list on the 2013 Mason-Dixon Shortest Day "50K" non-event, December 22. It was an extra long route due to a trail detour in Otter Creek area. Congrats.
"What a day; the shortest but balmy. Congrats to Ryan V with a 4:05 pm full daylight completion of the 34ish miles followed by Tom Haine and Henry peck with Eva and Steve B pacing them to a 4:15 pm end. Gary Lukacs came in shortly after despite blowing out his shoes earlier in day! Eva, Brigitte, Gary Bowman, Hunt, Nate Regouski &2 friends and David wood had set out at civil twilight with headlamps from shanks mare and made ~24 mi to lock 12 at rt 372 with time on trail ranging up to over 8 hrs. Amazing and surreal conditions -check great pics including golden and bald eagle, wild river fog, snow in the gullies, waterfalls and more. Roxanne the m &d trail angel did it again with help at 5 am driving us from lock 12 , 30 mi to long level departure point. "
"What a day; the shortest but balmy. Congrats to Ryan V with a 4:05 pm full daylight completion of the 34ish miles followed by Tom Haine and Henry peck with Eva and Steve B pacing them to a 4:15 pm end. Gary Lukacs came in shortly after despite blowing out his shoes earlier in day! Eva, Brigitte, Gary Bowman, Hunt, Nate Regouski &2 friends and David wood had set out at civil twilight with headlamps from shanks mare and made ~24 mi to lock 12 at rt 372 with time on trail ranging up to over 8 hrs. Amazing and surreal conditions -check great pics including golden and bald eagle, wild river fog, snow in the gullies, waterfalls and more. Roxanne the m &d trail angel did it again with help at 5 am driving us from lock 12 , 30 mi to long level departure point. "
2012 Trail Run Results:
Full 34 mile run
- Ryan Vandenberg, 7:25 am to 4:25 pm, 9 hours, non-event record
- Gary Lukacs, 7:25 am to 4:45 pm, 9 hours and 20 minutes exactly!
 |
| Ryan on trail |
 |
| Gary above Muddy Creek |
Other frolickers at various shorter distances:- Hunt Bartine
- Steve Bunville
- Laura DeWald
- Tom Haines
- Pete McLaughlin
- Jerry Meyer
- Henry Peck
- Peter Searson
photos by Rebekah Vandenberg, Steve Bunville, and Pete McLaughlin
