Elephant Mountain Gear Guide: Remote 50-Mile Sections
Elephant Mountain’s 50-mile runners need to pay attention to the long remote gaps. The organizer mentions 12- and 14-mile gaps for the 50-mile course, even though its general aid description gives much shorter spacing. Choose your carried load from the distance-specific information.
LECAMO Independent Race Gear Guides. Official sources checked October 1, 2026. Independent editorial guidance; use the organizer’s complete current instructions for your entry.
Edition and route to confirm
The current page lists February 6, 2027, with 50-mile, 50K, 35K, 22K, 12K and 6K options. The courses use Cave Creek Regional Park, the Maricopa Trail, Tonto National Forest and Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. The organizer describes rocks, sand, cactus and gravel; the longer routes extend beyond the shorter park courses.
Organizer information that changes the load
The event is cupless. For the 50-mile route, the page lists bag access at Spur Cross and Seven Springs; its 50K bag provision is at Spur Cross. It explicitly says 35K runners have no remote drop bag. Current crew instructions list start/finish and Spur Cross, with Seven Springs additionally for the 50-mile race. Read final instructions before relying on any particular pass or pacer arrangement; older edition wording remains in parts of the page.
Build the section-by-section packing plan
The organizer facts and LECAMO’s suggested packing actions are separated below. Suggested actions help you prepare; they do not add new race requirements.
| Decision | Organizer information | Suggested packing action |
|---|---|---|
| 50-mile remote section | Published description includes 12- and 14-mile aid gaps | Plan fluid and food by expected time on these legs |
| Spur Cross bag | Listed for 50-mile and 50K entries | Keep distance and visit information on the label |
| Seven Springs bag | Additional 50-mile provision | Check the final timing and permitted access |
| 35K entry | No remote drop bag stated | Carry what you need between confirmed aid stops |
Prepare the handoff or refill before race day
Write a longer-leg departure check before the race: refill, familiar food, accessible container, required equipment and next support location. A station name alone is insufficient when shorter-distance plans do not visit the same remote sections. Let your crew prepare only for locations where access is explicitly permitted, and keep their comfort supplies outside the runner’s bag.
Test the vest with this race’s complete load
Test the fullest planned long-leg load over terrain that requires deliberate steps. Notice whether bottles stay seated when your pace changes and whether the vest remains comfortable when you reach for food. Do not turn the organizer’s general advice to bring a bottle into a claim that one unspecified bottle is adequate for every runner on the longest gaps.
ROOT5 is listed with 5L storage and two included 500ml soft flasks, giving one litre of container capacity. That describes the product configuration; it does not establish that the full race kit fits or that the carried water is sufficient. Compare your complete list with the current ROOT5 listing, then run with the filled load before choosing it for this entry.
Common preparation questions
Does the usual 3-7-mile aid description cover the 50-mile race?
The page separately calls out longer 12- and 14-mile gaps for 50-mile runners. Use the exact course information.
Can a 35K runner send a bag to a remote station?
The checked page explicitly states no remote drop bag for 35K. Confirm your edition’s final instructions.
Continue your packing plan
estimate time between refills; label the remote bag correctly. Browse the United States race gear directory and the series hub for other events.