Bearhoti Trail Fest

This 3-day event is meant to challenge and reward you. There are multiple distance options across three days, pick one or make a weekend of it! New for this year, Saturday is RACE DAY! Friday’s and Sunday’s runs are more relaxed. You’ll do some solid mountain climbing, fantastic downhill shredding, see incredible views, play in creeks and waterfalls, and see Georgia’s largest tulip poplar tree!

The Cohuttas offer some of the most beautifully rugged terrain in the Lower Appalachians, and the you’ll be in the perfect spot to launch an adventure in the mountains! 

I encourage you to take your time on the trails and enjoy everything these mountains have to offer. Stay the weekend for the full experience!

The routes
Friday evening @ 7:15pm (check-in 30 min before, at the trailhead) – Pinhoti 3 (singletrack)
8 miles total. This is a mostly uphill 4 miles out to watch the sunset (8:15pm) from Cohutta Overlook. Yes, you could drive to this, but it’s way more fun to hike up with good company! Plus the return is mostly downhill, which is fun as can be, especially as daylight fades away! Yep, you’ll want to bring a headlamp.

SATURDAY IS RACE DAY and offers NEW DISTANCES for 2021
Saturday @ 8am (check-in 7am) – The Bearhoti 36-Miler
Total distance 36 Miles – 6300 ft of climbing – about 8 miles of gravel, the rest singletrack with some doubletrack

You will visit TWO overlooks and be able to see where you ran/will run from both of them!  This is a complete loop of Bear Creek and three segments of the Pinhoti Trail.  You will get your feet wet, and you definitely want to take pause at the overlooks to take in the views!

Saturday @ 8am (check-in 7am) – The Bearhoti 19-Miler
Total distance 19 Miles – 3500 ft of climbing – mostly singletrack/doubletrack – about 1.5 of gravel road
This is perfect for folks that really don’t want to go all that far!  You’ll do a complete loop of Bear Creek and 1.5 segments of the Pinhoti Trail.  You’ll definitely get your feet wet, and you’ll get a great view from the top of the Bear Creek system! 

Sunday @ 11am (check-in 30 min before, at the trailhead) – Emery Creek
7 miles of singletrack bliss
We start this one later in the day for a reason…..those creek crossings! You’ll go out and back on the Emery Creek Trail and see the spectacular Emery Creek Falls! 

Course maps/Cues
All routes will be on Trailrunproject.com or AllTrails. I highly recommend downloading the GPX files to your device so you can stay on course for each day. Especially for Saturday.  Signage and flagging will be at trail or road intersections only.

Friday evening: https://www.trailrunproject.com/trail/7058565/pinhoti-3
Saturday’s Bearhoti 36 Miler Race: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/bearhoti-marathon-3d017ba?u=i
Saturday’s Bearhoti 19 Miler Race: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/mini-bearhoti-eaae339?u=i
Sunday: https://www.trailrunproject.com/trail/7071497/emery-creek-falls

The Cartecay Bike Shop in Ellijay created this handy map of the Pinhoti and Bear Creek trail systems, and I’ve circled the aid points for reference. Note the roads for your crew/support/or if you need to cut your run short.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uCXNOKiaf—nXGtoYZxcUPfi4E70SmyZE2mHFMgq7lc/edit?usp=sharing

IMPORTANT: If you’re signed up for the 36 Milers but decide to drop down to the 19 Miler MID-RACE, that’s fine, but you won’t be eligible for Top 3 placement for that event.  This only applies WHILE YOU’RE RUNNING.  You can certainly make changes (either way) until check-in on race morning.

Aid stops
Saturday only – the following mileages are approximate
Aid Station 1 / 3 – MM 4.5 / MM 14.5 – Lower Bear Creek Trailhead
Aid Station 2 – MM 9.7 / MM 10.6 – Upper Bear Creek Access (before Potatopatch)
Aid Station 4 (36 Milers only) – MM 19 – Start/Finish Line
Aid Station 5 (36 Milers only) – MM 27.5 – Cohutta Overlook
There will also be a water drop at the bottom of P2/Conasauga Rd that 36 Milers will visit twice.

At this time, it will be basic hydration (water, gatorade, coke) and some ultrarunner snacky stuff. Participants should bring preferred nutrition.

Food and Lodging
This is SUPER important…..Mulberry Gap Adventure Basecamp is right up the road and makes for a perfect starting point for our weekend adventures, but this event does NOT Start/Finish there as it has in the past.  If you wish to stay and eat there, you need to work with them directly.  They have campsites and cabins.  Go to https://www.mulberrygap.com/ for details and reservations. 

There are other lodging options in the area. Fort Mountain State Park is right up the road.  There is primitive walk-in camping at the Bear Creek Campground.  The National Forest has dispersed camping as you drive up.  I don’t mind folks camping at the Start/Finish, but you’ll need to have your stuff all packed away by 6am and your car parked to the side so we can put on a race.

PARKING at the Start/Finish is gonna be super-tight.  Make sure y’all squeeze in like sardines so I can let more people participate.  Carpooling is HIGHLY recommended.  Please follow the directions of the kind volunteers.

Cut-offs
On Saturday, you’ll have 12 hours to complete the Bearhoti 36-Miler course. Basically, come home by dark. BRING A HEADLAMP if you think you’ll be riding the cutoff.

Here’s what you get along with fine mountain racing and running:
Swag: T-shirt
Finisher award for all Saturday racers
Top 3 M/F awards for Saturday top performers
Basic hydration: water, Gatorade, coke
Basic nutrition
Access to first aid
Craft beer (likely from Oskar Blues Brewing)
Saturday events are timed
Hilary Kelley (https://www.hilarykart.com/shop) has done our art for the last few years, and it’s wonderful!

Volunteers are needed for this event!
Please email me if you’re interested in supporting, especially on Saturday! Available jobs include parking, aid manning, and safety sweeping (for each day). As thank you, volunteer gifts include runner swag and a comp entry to the 2021 Rabun Half Marathon in June or other 2021 Run The Cohuttas events.

USFS permit is in progress and this event will be insured.

Here is a link to all Event Communications in case participants did not receive emails: To be established shortly…

Run the Cohuttas is a local grassroots organization and cannot offer refunds, transfers, or deferments. Every registration fee goes toward the betterment of this and other Run the Cohuttas events as well as the on-going trail maintenance efforts on and off the Bearhoti courses. Your understanding is appreciated!

Day-of registration is allowed – just add $10 to the base fees and bring it in cash.

The deadline to register and be GUARANTEED a T-shirt and other swaggy items is April 5.