Before the Run:
We suggest everyone get to Homer the night before we run — Friday July 19 to run on Saturday July 20, 2024. We can find a free spot for you to camp in a fellow runner’s yard in Homer if you’d like one.
Flight to the Trailhead:
See Running Time Estimates to help figure out your speed, and use that to group up with like pace people. Make sure you leave the proper amount of time to get to the lagoon below a 13 foot tide — either too early or too late will make for a wet or brushy experience. However, sometimes weather can delay flights. Everyone — no matter how fast you are — should come prepared to run at night in case flights are delayed.
Gear Drop:
We coordinate to get our camping gear over to Jakolof to be waiting at the end of the run.
During the Run:
Usually some folks in our group carry an inReach and first aid and/or bivy supplies. We hope no one needs them.
After the Run:
We’ll have fresh water, yummy food, a campfire, and any gear you left in your drop bag at the campsite on Jakalof Bay. You are welcome to schedule your own transportation for friends and family to meet you there and/or for lodging after the run.
Water Taxi:
The campsite on Jakolof Bay (on the Jakolof Bay Road) is less than 1 mile from Jakolof Dock, where there’s easy water taxi service to Homer. We coordinate boats ahead of time depending on everyone’s schedule — most water taxis have a 3 person minimum and a 6 person maximum. We can also provide vehicle transport to the town of Seldovia, where there are a number of lodging options available.
Last-minute Bad Weather (Tutka Bay to Tutka pass and back to Jakolof) Option:
Sometimes, planes cannot fly to Taylor Bay. We cannot predict the weather very far in advance, and we don’t want it to ruin everyone’s weekend. The backup option will have us taking a water taxi to the campsite at the head of Tutka Bay where we run to a turnaround point at Tutka Pass (about 10 miles) or however far each person feels like. From there, run back to the start, then over Sentinel Ridge to end at Jakolof Bay, as in the original plan. Distance remains about the same, but there’s less elevation gain. In the first three years, we used this option once, in 2023.