A Short Exposé on the Blood Rock Sections in the Belcher Track.

The new course is considerably easier than the old Blood Rock 100 or 50 mile loop. The new course has 8,659 feet of gain per 51.32 mile loop. That works out to 17,318 feet of gain in the 100. There are still plenty of tough climbs but there are now long gentle sections between most climbs. The race will cover the Belcher Tract from one end to the other and take runners past all three of the beautiful mountain lakes in the tract.

Belcher Rd is a 6 mile long gravel road running the length of the Belcher Track. The BR race uses most of Belcher Rd. Some sections are almost totally flat, especially at the bottom of the valley along the railroad tracks near Hwy 11. There are some long, gentle downhill sections and some steep uphill and downhill. There is nothing on the road I can’t drive in my 2-wheel drive F150. Cars are not allowed into the Belcher Tract.

Belcher Road gives runners access to the beautiful lakes in the Belcher Trace. Runners will first reach Belcher Road at the top of the Crack-in-the-Wall Climb. There, they will head southwest along the road and pass along the shore of Summit Lake This old spring fed quarry lake sits on the crest of the ridge. The Summit Lake Aid Stations will be located in the grassy area along the lake shore.

Summit Lake Aid STation locatoin, 1/2 mile past the top of Crack-in-the-Wall.

About a half mile past the aid station, runners will drop down the Old Quarry Trail into OMSP. They will then follow the Quarry Trail back up to the Eagle Nest Ridge and down the other side. After a shot “gentle’ish” climb, runners will again reach Belcher Rd for a ½ mile descent to Demopolis Lake, the largest of the three lakes.

Demopolis Lake

Pass by the fishing camp and leave the road on a new multi-use tail running along the lake’s spillway, then climbing to the top of the ridge to your right. Turn right and follow an old road along the ridge for about a mile to Belcher road. Cross the road and head up the hill along the ridge to King’s Chair Overlook. King’s Chair, along with Peavine Falls, is the most visited hike-to location in Oak Mountain State Park

From there, you will follow the Rim-Walk-East trail, past “Queen’s Chair then head down the old Blood Rock route into the backcountry. At the sunken road, runners will turn left heading over to the “Grotto.” This is an amazing pool fed by a perpetual waterfall and spring. Have your camera ready.

Continue along an abandoned road, we call it “Water Line Trail” over to Belcher Lake. This is the lake directly below Kings Chair. We will have the Belcher Lake Aid Station on a grassy area that extends out into the lake. After the aid station you will continue northeast on the road onto another long-abandoned road for a 3.5-mile loop before returning to the Belcher Aid Station. Oh, did I mention “la Petite Barkley.” You will know when you arrive.

After Petite Barkley, follow the old abandoned road for just over a mile to the spillway of Belcher Lake. Look up! That’s Kings Chair up there. Continue across the spillway and back to the Belcher Aid Station #2.

Belcher lake

After the Belcher Lake 2 aid station, runners will follow Belcher Rd just over a mile, mostly downhill to, and along, the RR tracks to a right turn heading back to the mountain and everyone’s favorite climb, the not-so-petite Barkley. Runners will stay on the old Blood Rock course up and over Barkley and along the ridge to the descent of the “East Face Traverse” AKA, the Old Wagon Rd. At the bottom of the traverse, go left 50 yards on the Sunken Road, then back right along the single-track trail, The Train Station Connector for about a mile, cross over the Wyoming State Line and emerge at the Trail Station.

After the aid station, runners pass through the South Gate and go to the right up a private road for 200 yards then turn right again over to an old fire road. After about 1/2 mile you will reach the “Topless Climb” heading up to the Topless Rock Face. Make your way over the ridge and down to the Blue Trail. You are now headed back to Redbud Pavilion.

I highly recommend downloading the GPX file and taking a tour of the new course. By the end of September, the entire course should be cleaned off and ready for runners. Most trails are in good condition, including the Crack-in-the-Wall climb and the Quarry Trial. If you try to follow the course without using the GPX file as a guide, you will likely end up at my house in Chelsea. I live one mile from the “Trail Station” location.