CWES - Spider on Steroids

The Cascadian Wilderness Endurance Series events present an exciting opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to participate in a multimedia adventure blogging contest. These self-supported/unsupported events are open to trail runners, backpackers, fastpackers, and hikers, and each event features a unique and defined route which participants must complete on foot and in one push. Unlike traditional endurance races, there are no course markings or aid stations along the way, providing participants with the freedom to create their own adventure. It’s all up to you! Participants can choose to tackle the route solo or with a couple friends. There are no cutoffs, so participants can take as much time as they need to complete the route without pressure. This unique event is not just about the physical challenge or exploring wild and beautiful places, but also about the opportunity to capture and share the beauty of the wilderness through captivating multimedia content.

Spider on Steroids

This is a challenging route that includes sections of cross-country travel and route-finding. Consider carrying traction devices, or even an ice axe, to navigate permanent snow fields. Starting at Little Giant trailhead, go over Little Giant Pass and then drop down into the Napeequa Valley. Travel up the Napeequa Valley on the Boulder Creek/Pass Trail (#1562). As you near the northwestern end of the valley, approx 1 mile NW of Louis Creek, look for the North Fork of the Napeequa (NFN) heading north to High Pass. Follow the NFN up towards High Pass - there is no maintained trail and some route-finding may be necessary. Go up and over High Pass, at which point it’s mostly trail back to your car: From High Pass, take the High Pass Trail (#1562.2) to the Buck Creek Pass trail (#789?) to the PCT. The PCT connects to the Suiattle Pass trail (1279), which takes you from Suiattle Pass to Cloudy Pass. At Cloudy Pass, drop down to Lyman Lakes on trail #1256, where you pick up the Upper Lyman Lake trail (#1256.2) which leads you to Spider Gap. From Spider Gap, descend into Spider Meadows, and follow Phelps Creek trail all the way out to Phelps Creek TH Road. Walk/run back to Little Giant Trailhead (this is part of the route - no car shuttles!)

Rationale: Why should you pay $20 to complete one of the endurance challenges? A small part of the fee will go to cover website maintenance and domain registration, as well as getting patches made and other small goodies/swag. The majority of this fee will be donated to trail maintenance organizations. The goal is to empower people to get out into these wilderness areas and hopefully to protect them into the future.