Retrospection

Summary

A behind-the-scenes look at trail races and race directing in Pennsylvania—where logistics, chaos, and questionable decisions meet the woods. Part field notes, part long-winded opinion, and part rediscovery of races past. It's also an exploration of the places that make it all possible—the overlooked landscapes, their history, and the outdoor economy that quietly shapes them.

Coming Soon

The Women of Eastern States

Ironstone 100K!
The First Frontier

The VOID

... plus old and new race reports, event news, updates, more...

It’s All Spreadsheets

Organizing an ultramarathon is mostly a sprawling network of spreadsheets, checklists, logistics, matrices, volunteer trackers, and color-coded operational documents held together by caffeine and conditional formatting. This is a celebration of the hidden administrative monster behind trail running and the strange beauty of trying to engineer adventure through Google Sheets.

2 days ago8 min read

Ironstone 100K: Through Stone, Fire, and the Long Memory of a Nation

The Ironstone 100K traces a 100-kilometer route from Canoe Creek State Park to Greenwood Furnace State Park through one of the most historically dense corridors in America. Along the way, runners follow ancient Indigenous trails that became warpaths, turnpikes, canals, and railroads; pass the remnants of industries that helped build the nation; and move through forests that were once erased and painstakingly restored.

May 713 min read

When a Stranger Comes Into Town: UTMB Comes to Pennsylvania

UTMB’s arrival in PA is not just the addition of another race; it is the collision of two very different versions of trail running.

May 115 min read

Blog Roll

The Bell That Remembers: Carl Undercolfer

Perched high above a sweeping gorge at what is undeniably one of the most commanding and awe-inspiring vistas anywhere along the East Coast, for a few days each April stands a simple structure that, at first glance, might seem almost unremarkable: a ten-foot wooden post anchored into the earth, with a bell suspended from its arm, overlooking a trail that claws its way up from the river below to the plateau some 1,100 vertical feet closer to the sky. It is not ornate, nor poli

Remembrance

Apr 1411 min read

Built to Last: How Eastern States Found Its Path

In 2019, Eastern States 100 wasn’t just changing leadership—it was redefining what it meant to build something that endures. What followed was a shift toward stewardship, community, and a long-view philosophy rooted in the trails themselves. [ The Eastern States Trail-Endurance Alliance is a not-for-profit organization that promotes trailrunning and the responsible use of public lands, through events such as the Eastern States 100, Eagleton Trail Challenge and Ironstone 100K,

Eastern States 100

Mar 316 min read

The Dirty Kiln Trail Race: A Race Directors Report (2012)

I again go back into the archives and dig up an old blog post after the inaugural Dirty Kiln Trail Race from 2012. It has been a couple of weeks since our first trail race as one of the race directors. I really do not know where to begin. This had been a seven month long endeavor and we have made a lot of memories. Instead of trying to put together a chronological list of what happened, here is a list of items point by point. The Park It has been a pleasure working with the

Dirty Kiln Trail Races

Mar 259 min read

Dirty Kiln: Mud, Steel, and Something… Else

Canoe Creek State Park isn’t just a place to run—it’s a landscape shaped by industry, scars, and slow recovery. From lime kilns that fed Pittsburgh’s steel boom to bat populations clawing their way back, every mile here carries a story… including the one behind the name “Dirty Kiln.” My story with Canoe Creek State Park goes back a while. Fourth grade. Early 80s. My dad and I had what were probably the first mountain bikes in Blair County—or at least that’s how it felt at the

history and Heritage

Mar 255 min read

Then and Now, Still Moving Forward

A photo from 15 years ago stopped me long enough to realize just how much has changed—and what’s stayed the same—from the trail community, trail racing, infrastructure, to the outdoor industry.