Philosophy
We take a moderated approach to course markings. We want the route to be readily navigable but not have the beauty of the landscape corrupted by pink ribbons.
Types of markings
We mark the Wyoming Range 100 with the following:
Ribbons hanging from trees
Pin flags staked into the ground
Turn signs staked into the ground
After Roaring Fork Lakes (mile 32), all course markings have reflective strips on them. These make it significantly easier to locate course markings in the dark.
Rate of markings
Obvious trail
We place a course marking about every 0.25 miles when there are no turns. If you haven’t seen a course marking in 0.50 miles, it’s time to check your GPS.
Faint to nonexistent trail
When the trail is faint to nonexistent, we play “connect the dots” with our course markings, positioning them about 20-30 yards apart until you reconnect with obvious trail.
Roads
We do not mark road sections. Historically, markers have gone missing on road sections, which simply leads to runner confusion.
When you begin a road section, you’ll see a sign that tells you how far you’ll go on the road without course markings: “Stay on road for 2.4 miles. No markings.”
Presentation of markings
Straightaways
We generally display markings on the right side of the trail — unless you’re on the “back” portion of an out-and-back section. In that case, markings will be on your left.
Junctions
We hammer signs with turn arrows into the ground at major junctions. After the turn, we will place one or two “confidence” markers. We do not block off incorrect turns.
Course markings by section
| No. | Section | Miles | No. Markings | Hours to Mark | Dot Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start - Wyoming Peak | 10.1 | 120 | 5 | Red |
| 2 | Wyoming Peak - Box Canyon | 7.0 | 10 | 2 | Orange |
| 3 | Box Canyon - Roaring Fork Lakes | 15.2 | 180 | 7 | Yellow |
| 4 | Roaring Fork Lakes - Menace Falls | 11.9 | 150 | 5 | Green |
| 5 | Menace Falls - McDougal Gap | 10.4 | 140 | 5 | Blue |
| 6 | McDougal Gap - Blind Bull | 10.3 | 160 | 5 | Purple |
| 7 | Blind Bull - Deadman | 11.4 | 200 | 5 | Black |
| 4 | Deadman - Grizzly Basin | 7.6 | 10 | 2 | Brown |
| 4 | Grizzly Basin - Strawberry Creek | 11.5 | 250 | 6 | Pink |
| 4 | Strawberry Creek - Box Y | 10.3 | 40 | 4 | Turqoise |
Let’s talk about course-marking vandalism…
It’s inevitable
Despite our best efforts, we have yet to find a way to fully prevent course markings from disappearing — whether at the hands of a human, an elk, or a cow.
Even if, say, only two flags go missing, that means runners could experience 0.75 miles without course markings. Vandalism is a relatively small risk with an outsized impact.
What runners can do
Be prepared: Runners should assume that, somewhere over the 105-mile route, a few course markings have gone missing. That’s why we require you to carry a GPX device with the course map
Report missing/incorrect flags to aid stations: If you think course markings have been removed and/or tampered with, please report the approximate location to an aid station volunteer
Pick up downed flags: If you see a marker that’s been knocked over or pulled down, please put it back up. Yes, you’ll forfeit a few seconds, but your fellow runners will thank you