Cascadian Wilderness Endurance Series - Queens River Loop

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.

After finishing your route, share your trip report about your experience. You can do this by posting in the Facebook group, tagging us in an Instagram post, making a YouTube video, creating a photo album, or any other artistic endeavor you can imagine. Submit your time via the event page on Ultrasignup. If you have a GPS track, please include it. If you happened to get the FKT for the year, you must provide GPS proof. Each year a meetup will be held in Seattle to wrap up the previous year, kick off the next year, make any big announcements about new routes or changes, and hand out patches, awards, and prizes for the previous year’s participants. If you are unable to attend the event, arrangements can be made to mail your patches to you. We strongly encourage all entrants to join the CWES Facebook Group and/or follow the @CascadianWildernessEndurance Instagram to ask questions about the routes, gather and share trail beta, connect with other participants, scope out the competition, and keep up to date on the most recent news, information, and general goings on.

Don't let this route fool you. It is much more difficult than it looks on paper. Down trees, primitive trail that disappears at times, bushwhacking, and many river crossings are just a few of the challenges you will face on this route. However, you’ll be rewarded with pristine alpine lakes, craggy mountaintops, the Queens River Canyon, and solitude. The Queens River Trailhead is located 5 miles west of Atlanta, Idaho. Turn North onto China Basin Road at the Queens River Campground, and drive 2 more miles until reaching the trailhead and parking area. From the trailhead, cross the bridge and turn left on #454 up the Little Queens River, left at the fork for Trail #459 heading North, right on #494 heading East along Johnson Creek, and back to #458 all the way down the Queens River and back to the parking area. Take a side trip to Browns Lake, take a dip in Pats Lake, or climb the peak of Mt Everly if you’re not going for speed. If you want to get into the Sawtooths but you want to avoid the crowds in areas like Redfish Lake, then this is the route for you. Water available throughout.

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. Why are we even doing this? To get people out into the wonderful wilderness areas that we have here in the Northwest and to build the community of adventurous people! The trip report is just as important as actually finishing the route, and we love it when people come up with creative ways to share their experience. Information isn't always readily available for these areas, and maps can be scarce and not always reliable (especially the Pasayten and Frank Church/Selway Wildernesses.) That can intimidate some that aren't as experienced outdoors-people. The goal is to empower people to get out into these wilderness areas and hopefully to protect them into the future.