June 2fer

On a blustery night 5 years ago, Josh and I decided to start a tradition called the Hellevation. Mount Sentinel to the South and Mount Jumbo to the North frame the iconic Hellgate Canyon. Standing at the top of either peak and looking down at the Clark Fork river as it gently scours the rocks beneath it is part of the beauty of our overnight Hellevation excursions. While most of the city sleeps, we hit the trails for 5 to 6 hours of “fun” and get 2 days of challenge qualifying activity in 1 run. It can be a mixed bag of experiences. We’ve had driving rain, 40 mph winds, cold weather, hot weather, and dodged countless night hawks as they wait till the last minute to take flight from the trail as you almost crush them under foot. We’ve seen owls, coyotes, rubber boas (Montana has a native rubber boa python), deer, and elk. Who knows what has seen us! One of the requirements of our Hellevations runs is that we have to get at least 7,500 ft of vert and 15 miles of running in. Our yearly June 2fer is typically the Hellevation run so we thought we’d share the vibe a bit. The June 2fer is a staple of the Plod and Pedal Challenge and one of our favorite monthly challenges.

This June your challenge is to run/ride overnight (it does NOT have to be 7,500 ft and 15 miles). The activity must be one continual activity and you must at least get the minimum before midnight and at least the minimum after midnight to qualify for this challenge. Also, to qualify you have to get EITHER 0.5% of your cumulative vertical for the year (totals up to June 1st) OR get at least a 5k in before midnight and continue the run to get another 5k in after midnight. If you need local route recommendations let us know. Once you have COMPLETED the challenge, sign up for the event and don’t forget to tag @Josh Pierce and @Ryan Mellem in the comment section of your run. The winner will be drawn at random for the monthly prize. Reach out if you have any questions. As always, have fun, be safe, and anything worth doing is worth overdoing.