15th Annual Shuffle

On Saturday, April 26, the 15th annual Marathon Shuffle attracted 35 participants, including four Club Fatass runners from the Lower Mainland. The 29 km long Shuffle along the Sunshine Coast Trail from Malaspina Road to the Shinglemill saw both runners and leisurely hikers enjoy a cloudless day. Four stations along the way provided donated fruit, cookies and drinks, so hikers and runners could simply travel without a pack, and re-energize ever hour or two.

John McGrath and Angus McLellan took back the Tom Mills men’s trophy to Vancouver with them. Powell River’s own Val Smith turned in the fastest woman’s performance hard on the heels of the two ultra-marathoners, and will collect the trophy for that astonishing feat. Doug Hudson, not far behind, produced the fastest time for a male runner from Powell River.

Clusters of shufflers stopped at the vistas and took in the fabulous scenery, or the ladyslipper orchids (calypsos), growing at the edge of the well-marked trail. There was something for everybody. The boardwalk, bridge, picnic table and shelter being developed there by the BOMB Squad and PR PAWS astonished everyone passing through the new recreation site at Little Sliammon Lake. Another run is being considered for the Blackberry Festival week.


Times for the 15th annual Marathon Shuffle
John McGrath 4:16
Angus McLellan 4:16
Val Smith 4:35
Doug Hudson 5:00
Gail Swanson 5:05
Richie Tait 5:45
Marg Reckenberg 5:46
Ron Sellers 6:00
Lita Biron 6:11
Shay Wilson 6:50
Vanessa Fors 6:50
Phil Kemp 6:53
Jill Brewer 6:53
Craig Brownhill 7:01
Yvonne Langkjar 7:01
Mardi Lavirtue 7:09
Mary Miller 7:09
Susan Hill 7:30
Mia Jongkind 7:30
Joe Tait 7:30
Bruce MacDonald 7:35
Anita MacDonald 7:35
Rudi Vanzwaaij 7:49
Eagle Walz 7:49

Other registered participants were Bill Price, Eric McClinchey, Will Langlands, Janet May, Margot Glaspey, Susan Hainstock, Bill Chrysler, Shirley Zylstra, Carol Sellers, Ann Innes and Bob Innes.

BOMB Squad Trail Report

Bruce and Ron's trail clearing report:

March 25 Gilpin to Manzanita cutoff & Manzanita to Wednesday Lake SCT
April 1 Conchi road to Dixon road SCT
April 8 Saltery Bay to Fairview Bay SCT
April 9 Recce Fairview Bay to Rainy Day Lake. More cleanup required, approximately 1 day with 4 to 6 men. SCT

Regards,
Bruce

Little Sliammon Lake

Over the last two months PAWS and the BOMB Squad have been busy rerouting the Sunshine Coast Trail around a new clearcut that impacted the location of a part of the SCT. Through cooperation with Sliammon we established where the new trail reroute would be located and then proceded to build it.

The BOMB Squad has constructed a 72-foot long wooden bridge, as well as a picnic table. Now they are busy building a shelter, boardwalk and swimming dock all with materials found on site. Sliammon has made a $2000.00 donation to PAWS, which we are sharing with the BOMB Squad. Our thanks go out to the Bomb and Sliammon, as well as of course our own intrepid volunteers. Come out and see the new facility, have a picnic, relax. It's an hour's hike from the end of Sutherland Street in Wildwood, or two hours coming the opposite way from 6 km up Wilde (Tomkinson) Road via Kayach Bluff and Big Sliammon Lake.

A Half Marathon Shuffle on Saturday April 26 would take you right through from Wilde Road to Sutherland Street, a marvelous 3 hour hike. Get dropped off and picked up. The Half Shuffle begins at 10:30 am, while full Marathon Shuffle starts at 8:30 am on Malaspina Road.