A belated thank-you to Jenn Shelton, Sarah Elliott, Alissa Henry and all the other volunteers who made the Fourth of July Mount Ripinsky Race a success. Nine runners competed, ranging from 63-year-old Vince Hansen to Ryan Flegel, age 11. Flegel, grandson of Dick Flegel, ran up the mountain impromptu, following a biscuits and gravy breakfast at the AmericanLegion, perhaps a first in race annals. The Ripinsky Run is a Fourth of July classic dating to the early 1960s.
To address safety, organizers this year offered top prizes to the first runners to the peak. Another safety suggestion is for runners to continue on the trail, descending at the Skyline Estates trailhead. Also, an effort is under way to secure year-round, public use of a lower portion of the trail that is privately owned. If you’d like to join the effort to keep this great recreation resource open and accessible to the public, please contact me at 907-766-2688 or 907-303-2688. Keep running and climbing.
Tom Morphet