Mountain Highway Madness is held twice a year in the late spring and early fall. There's no trophy, t-shirt, ball cap or shiny car for the fastest or the last one left standing. Bragging rights are, however, available to those who are prepared to earn them:
Bragging Right | Accomplishment |
| Platinum | 4 or more round trips |
| Gold | 3 round trips |
| Silver | 2 round trips |
| Bronze | 1 round trip |
| Raspberry | an incomplete lap |
| Lap 1 | Lap 2 | Lap 3 | Lap 4 | Time | Name | Date |
| 52 / 38 | 54 / 38 1:32 | 55 / 40 1:35 | 65 / 45 1:50 | 6:27! | Geoff Palmer | 11 Sep 04 |
| Lap 1 (up/down/total) | Lap 2 (up/down/total) | Lap 3 (up/down/total) | Time | Name | Date |
| 42:00 / 31:56 1:13:56 | 43:48 / 30:59 1:14:47 | 44:13 / 30:24 1:14:37 | 3:43:23! | Wendy Montgomery | 18 May 03 |
| 45:30 / 35:22 | 43:21 / 31:23 1:14:44 | 42:10 / 34:45 1:16:55 | 3:45:00! | Jim Swadling | 18 May 03 |
| 45:00 / 35:00 | ? / ? ? | ? / ? ? | 3:45:00! | Andy Nicol | 18 May 03 |
| 45:43 / 31:17 1:17 | ? / ? 1:15 | ? / ? 1:20 | 3:52 | Andy Nicol | 21 Mar 04 |
| 45:43 / 31:17 1:17 | ? / ? 1:15 | ? / ? 1:20 | 3:52 | Dom Repta | 21 Mar 04 |
| 45:00 / 35:00 | ? / ? ? | ? / ? ? | 4:15:00 | Scott Riddell | 18 May 03 |
| 46:08 / 32:32 1:18:40 | 47:53 / 33:05 1:20:58 | 61:37 / 34:22 1:35:59 | 4:15:37 | Scott Riddell | 13 Sep 03 |
| 46:08 / 32:32 1:18:40 | 47:53 / 33:05 1:20:58 | 61:37 / 34:22 1:35:59 | 4:15:37 | Ean Jackson | 13 Sep 03 |
| 52 / 38 1:30 | 54 /38 1:32 | 55 / 40 1:35 | 4:37 | Allison Knowles | 11 Sep 04 |
| 48:49 / 34:11 1:23 | 42 / 53 1:35 | ? / ? 1:42 | 4:40 | Glenn Pacé | 21 Mar 04 |
| 48:49 / 34:11 1:23 | 42 / 53 1:35 | ? / ? 1:42 | 4:40 | Ean Jackson | 21 Mar 04 |
| 51:00 / 39:00 1:30:00 | 54:00/ 46:00 1:40:00 | 58:00 / 49:00 1:47:00 | 4:57:00 | Dave Smith | 18 May 03 |
| 51:00 / 39:00 1:30:00 | 54:00 / 46:00 1:40:00 | 58:00 /49:00 1:47:00 | 4:57:00 | Louise McCorquodale | 18 May 03 |
| ? / ? ? | ? / ? ? | ? / ? ? | ? | Kendell Dickinson | 18 May 03 |
| Lap 1 (up/down/total) | Lap 2 (up/down/total) | Time | Name | Date |
| 45:00 / 43:00 1:08:00 | 23:00 / 26:00 1:09:00 | 2:17:00! | Brian Bjornson | 20 April 03 |
| 42:00 / 43:48 1:10:29 | 31:56 / 30:59 1:11:54 | 2:22:23! | Wendy Montgomery | 20 April 03 |
| 46 / 27 1:13 | 47 / 29 1:16 | 2:29 | Colin Freeland | 11 Sep 04 |
| 45:00 / 46:00 1:15:49 | 30:49 / 31:00 1:17:00 | 2:32:49 | Patricia Jensen | 13 Sep 03 |
| 46:05 / 51:07 1:15:08 | 29:03 / 32:03 1:23:10 | 2:38:18 | Dom Repta | 20 April 03 |
| 43:00 / 58:15 1:08:00 | 25:00 / 32:03 1:30:18 | 2:38:18 | Andy Nichol | 20 April 03 |
| 46:05 / 51:07 1:15:08 | 29:03 / 32:03 1:23:10 | 2:38:18 | Ean Jackson | 20 April 03 |
| 43:00 / 52:00 1:13:00 | 30:00 / 34:15 1:26:15 | 2:39:15 | Colin Freeland | 13 Sep 03 |
| 46:08 / 47:53 1:18:40 | 32:32 / 33:05 1:20:58 | 2:39:38 | Michael Wardas | 13 Sep 03 |
| 46:00 / 33:00 1:19 | 51:00 / 34:00 1:25 | 2:44 | Bill Dagg | 21 Mar 04 |
| 46:08 / 47:53 1:15:49 | 32:32 / 33:05 1:31:06 | 2:46:55 | Rick Arikado | 13 Sep 03 |
| 48:41 / 31:41 1:19:22 | 50:36 / 36:45 1:27:21 | 2:47 | Rob Ruff | 11 Sep 04 |
| 49:05 / 51:12 1:29:25 | 39:20 / 34:21 1:25:32 | 2:54:57 | Rob MacDonald | 18 May 03 |
| 48:49 / 34:11 1:23 | 42 / 53 1:35 | 2:58 | Barry Chilibeck | 21 Mar 04 |
| 45:44 / 26:16 1:12 | 58 / 53 1:51 | 3:03 | Gary Robbins | 21 Mar 04 |
| 58:41 / 50:34 1:44:08 | 45:27 / 39:10 1:29:44 | 3:13:52 | Michael Wardas Curb Ivanic Derrick Johnstone Ean Jackson | 7 April 01 |
| 53 / 37 1:30 | 60 /4 5/ 1:45 | 3:15 | Ken Hardinge-Rooney | 11 Sep 04 |
| 52:30 / 35:10 1:27:40 | 64 / 53:16 1:57:16 | 3:24:56 | Doug MacKay | 11 Sep 04 |
| 50:00 / 27 1:17 | 2:30 | 3:47 | Mark Fearman | 21 Mar 04 |
| Up | Down | Time | Name | Date |
| 38:30 | 21:50 | 1:00:20! | Brian Bjornson | 18 May 03 |
| 39:29 | 26:03 | 1:05:32 | Dave Cressman | 18 May 03 |
| 43:00 | 25:00 | 1:08:00! | Patricia Jensen | 20 April 03 |
| 49:54 | 26:06 | 1:16 | Michelle Fredette | 21 Mar 04 |
| 53 | 32 | 1:25 | Jessica Anderson | 11 Sep 04 |
| 53 | 33 | 1:26 | Berglind Hafsteinsdottir | 11 Sep 04 |
| 53 | 33 | 1:26 | Laddie Hannan | 11 Sep 04 |
| 51:54 | 35:00 | 1:26:54 | Doug Mackay | 21 Mar 04 |
| 53 | 35 | 1:28 | Maria Zerjav | 11 Sep 04 |
| 53 | 36 | 1:29 | Melissa Pacé | 11 Sep 04 |
| 53:00 | 37:00 | 1:30 | Laddie Hannam | 21 Mar 04 |
| 55:00 | 40:00 | 1:35:00 | Sean Finucane | 18 May 03 |
| 58:41 | 45:27 | 1:44:08 | Ron Adams Sean Finucane Jim Swadling | 7 April 01 |
| 78 | 47 | 2:05 | Pat Barry | 11 Sep 04 |
| 78 | 47 | 2:05 | Sibylle Tinsel | 11 Sep 04 |
20 April 03
We skipped a year because the weather was very lousy around this time in 02.
| Lap 1 (up/down/total) | Lap 2 (up/down/total) | Time | Name |
| 45:00 / 43:00 1:08:00 | 23:00 / 26:00 1:09:00 | 2:17:00 | Brian Bjornson |
| 42:00 / 43:48 1:10:29 | 31:56 / 30:59 1:11:54 | 2:22:23 | Wendy Montgomery |
| 46:05 / 51:07 1:15:08 | 29:03 / 32:03 1:23:10 | 2:38:18 | Dom Repta |
| 43:00 / 58:15 1:08:00 | 25:00 / 32:03 1:30:18 | 2:38:18 | Andy Nichol |
| 46:05 / 51:07 1:15:08 | 29:03 / 32:03 1:23:10 | 2:38:18 | Ean Jackson |
18 May 03
The thought in running this event twice in 03 was not to make up for 02, but rather to take advantage of a hole in the ultrarunning calendar caused by the cancellation of a popular ultramarathon.
| Lap 1 (up/down/total) | Lap 2 (up/down/total) | Lap 3 (up/down/total) | Time | Name |
| 42:00 / 31:56 1:13:56 | 43:48 / 30:59 1:14:47 | 44:13 / 30:24 1:14:37 | 3:43:23 | Wendy Montgomery |
| 45:30 / 35:22 | 43:21 / 31:23 1:14:44 | 42:10 / 34:45 1:16:55 | 3:45:00 | Jim Swadling |
| 45:00 / 35:00 | ? / ? ? | ? / ? ? | 3:45:00 | Andy Nicol |
| 45:00 / 35:00 | ? / ? ? | ? / ? ? | 4:15:00 | Scott Riddell |
| 51:00 / 39:00 1:30:00 | 54:00/ 46:00 1:40:00 | 58:00 / 49:00 1:47:00 | 4:57:00 | Dave Smith |
| 51:00 / 39:00 1:30:00 | 54:00 / 46:00 1:40:00 | 58:00 /49:00 1:47:00 | 4:57:00 | Louise McCorquodale |
| ? / ? ? | ? / ? ? | ? / ? ? | ? | Kendell Dickinson |
| Lap 1 (up/down/total) | Lap 2 (up/down/total) | Time | Name |
| 49:05 / 51:12 1:29:25 | 39:20 / 34:21 1:25:32 | 2:54:57 | Rob MacDonald |
| Up | Down | Time | Name |
| 38:30 | 21:50 | 1:00:20 | Brian Bjornson |
| 39:29 | 26:03 | 1:05:32 | Dave Cressman |
| 55:00 | 40:00 | 1:35:00 | Sean Finucane |
7 April 01
This first running of the mountain Highway Madness started as a group run with 6 people. It was quite cold and there was a lot of powder snow at the top and not a track to be seen. As we neared the top, Jim Swadling came bounding out of nowhere. He joined us and became the 7th finisher of 6 stasrters!
Ean Jackson
Host of Mountain Highway Madness
Lap 1 (up/down/total) | Lap 2 (up/down/total) | Time | Name |
| 58:41 / 50:34 1:44:08 | 45:27 / 39:10 1:29:44 | 3:13:52 | Michael Wardas |
| Up | Down | Time | Name |
| 58:41 | 45:27 | 1:44:08 | Ron Adams Sean Finucane Jim Swadling |
| Lap 1 (up/down/total) | Lap 2 (up/down/total) | Lap 3 (up/down/total) | Time | Name | Date |
| 45:43 / 31:17 1:17 | ? / ? 1:15 | ? / ? 1:20 | 3:52 | Andy Nicol | 21 Mar 04 |
| 45:43 / 31:17 1:17 | ? / ? 1:15 | ? / ? 1:20 | 3:52 | Dom Repta | 21 Mar 04 |
| 48:49 / 34:11 1:23 | 42 / 53 1:35 | ? / ? 1:42 | 4:40 | Glenn Pacé | 21 Mar 04 |
| 48:49 / 34:11 1:23 | 42 / 53 1:35 | ? / ? 1:42 | 4:40 | Ean Jackson | 21 Mar 04 |
| 46:00 / 33:00 1:19 | 51:00 / 34:00 1:25 | 2:44 | Bill Dagg | 21 Mar 04 |
| 48:49 / 34:11 1:23 | 42 / 53 1:35 | 2:58 | Barry Chilibeck | 21 Mar 04 |
| 45:44 / 26:16 1:12 | 58 / 53 1:51 | 3:03 | Gary Robbins | 21 Mar 04 |
| 50:00 / 27 1:17 | 2:30 | 3:47 | Mark Fearman | 21 Mar 04 |
| Up | Down | Time | Name | Date |
| 49:54 | 26:06 | 1:16 | Michelle Fredette | 21 Mar 04 |
| 51:54 | 35:00 | 1:26:54 | Doug Mackay | 21 Mar 04 |
| 53:00 | 37:00 | 1:30 | Laddie Hannam | 21 Mar 04 |
20 March 05 - Spring Mountain Highway Madness
Heinous. "Adj. Grossly wicked or reprehensible; abominable", according to dictionary.com.
There was considerable talk about the weather that greeted starters of the Mountain Highway Madness trail run this morning. After a winter of unseasonably sunny, warm days we were treated to some liquid sunshine. Heinous is how I'd describe our weather. The 7th Mountain Highway Madness will go down in the record books as being the event when most of the field poked their heads through the blinds, then returned to the comfort of their warm, dry bed.
For the 19 runners and 1 mountain biker who did participate, however, the run will go down in the training log as a "character builder".
According to Michelle Fredette, there were bands of sunlight and blue skies overhead when she left the False Creek area of Vancouver. Not so in the North Shore mountains! As if on cue as we congregated near the start line fountain, the skies above Mountain Highway opened up and the monsoons arrived. My typical long-winded welcome and pre-run briefing was abbreviated to, "Prize for the person who comes closest to guessing their first lap time. Free beer and some draw prizes at the Mosquito Creek Grill afterwards. Go!"
Sidelined with an injury, I brought my mountain bike along with the hope of being the first to log a bike time on the 15K up and down course. I confess that I was en route for Starbucks before the guilt overcame me.
It was a slow and lonely ride up. On a normal Sunday morning at 8:30 am, Mountain Highway is busy with mountain bikers seeking a hangover cure or nudists en route to the VanTan Club. Today, I had not even a doggie-walker to exchange greetings with. Low-hanging clouds blanketed the trail. Rain and condensation from my breath fogged the lenses of my glasses. I was less than 1/2 way up the mountain when elite Montrail Team runners Dom Repta and Andy Nicol appeared flying downhill through the haze.
Amazingly enough, everyone who I crossed had a smile on their face and appeared to be enjoying themselves. "Any snow at the turnaround?” I asked. "You bet," replied Jenn Winiarski. Great. I thought of Jim Mandelli, who, a week after pushing his bike over 50 miles thought the snow at the Susinita 100-miler in Alaska, would be completing his first lap of the Mountain Highway Madness about now.
The turnaround point in this run is a rock quarry. When I arrived, the road surface was relatively clear of ice and snow, but big, fat flakes were falling. I was soaked to the bone and very cold, so after taking a few photos, my only thought was to get into some dry clothes and to drink some warm beer. As I sped downhill, 10 runners were making their way back uphill for a second lap.
In spite of the weather, Dom Repta set a new course record of 2:13 for 2 laps. (Close on his heels, Andy Nicol also broke the course record with 2:15.)
Many thanks to Kelly and Lucie Nielson for buying us a beer and to Trail Runner Magazine and Hammer gel for the draw prizes. Happy trails...and hope to see you at the next Mountain Highway Madness in September!
Ean Jackson
Host of the Mountain Highway Madness
| Up | Down | Time | Name |
| ? | ? | 1:10:00 | Michelle Fredette |
| 48:20 | 30:00 | 1:18:20 | Mary Shaughnessy |
| 50:00 | 28:53 | 1:18:53 | Curb Ivanic |
| 57 | 34 | 1:31 | Laddie Hannam |
| ? | ? | 1:31:30 | Cheryl Picot |
| 1:52 | Ean Jackson (on bike) |
| Lap 1 (up/down/total) | Lap 2 (up/down/total) | Time | Name |
| ? / ? / 1:06 | ? / ? / 1:07:30 | 2:13:30! | Dom Repta |
| 40 / 26 / 1:06 | 43 / 26 / 1:09 | 2:15 | Andy Nicol |
| 42 / 30 / 1:12 | 45 / 28 /1:13 | 2:25 | Bill Dagg |
| 42 / 30 / 1:12 | 45 / 28 / 1:13 | 2:25 | Ellie Greenwood |
| 42 / 30:33 / 1:12:32 | 43:53 / 28:44 / 1:12:37 | 2.25 | Chris Benn |
| 45 / 30 / 1:15 | 50 / 31 / 1:21 | 2:36 | Jim Mandelli |
| ? / ? / 1:21 | ? / ? / 1:19 | 2:40 | Danilo Caron |
| ? / ? / 1:21 | ? / ? / 1:29 | 2:50 | Jordan Marr |
| ? | ? | 3:04 | Rob MacDonald |
| 58 / 50 / 1:48 | 1:15 / 56 / 2:11 | 3:59 | Craig Moore |
| ? / ? / 1:49 | ? / ? / 2:11? | 4:00 | Jenn Winiarski |
| ? / ? / 1:49 | ? / ? / 2:11? | 4:00 | Mary Betts |
| ? | ? | ? | Rob Ruff |
| Lap 1 (up/down/total) | Lap 2 (up/down/total) | Lap 3 (up/down/total) | Time | Name |
| ? | ? | ? | ? | Geoffrey Palmer |
Total starters: 20
Total finishers: 20
Mountain Highway Madness - 19 March 2006
(The Year of the Big Snow)
27 starters, 27 finishers
Saturday evening 8:00 pm. I get a call from my buddy Scott Riddell. Since neither he nor fellow ultrarunner Curb Ivanic could join us on Sunday morning, Scott tells me how they ran the Mountain Highway Madness course a day early. His message: "Be prepared for snow!" Too late to contact everyone in the event, I jog up the street to the local scoutmaster and borrow a trunkload of snowshoes.
Sunday morning 6:00 am. A frigging woodpecker starts pecking on my aluminum fireplace cap. I race downstairs for the slingshot, half forgetting that I'm supposed to be at the run start in about an hour. It's a gorgeous morning.
7:00 am. A bunch of runners have already assembled at the start. I pass along Scott's report and offer up snowshoes. No takers. We stash our aid next to a waterfall. It's a big field for a small run. After a 5 year absence from running, Joe Marchand is back. I notice a few folks I suspect were up all night at a St. Patrick's Day party. James Sinclair, a visitor from Southern Ontario, soaks up the atmosphere of the 'shore. We're off.
Within 5 minutes we see our first snow. By the time we reach the Van Tan Club 5 minutes later, there's accumulated snow and the first blown-down tree. I pause to put on my snowshoes. According to John's thermometer, it’s freezing...but it sure seems warm as we run up the mountain. Off with the jacket. With only a narrow path through the crusty snow, it's tough going. Everyone seems to be having fun, though. I've never run head to head against runners with my snowshoes and I'm getting my butt kicked.
8:45 am. The first runner, James from Ontario, comes hammering past us. Course record holder Geoff "Fluffy Bunny" Palmer is in hot pursuit. As we close in on the turnaround point, we are greeted by glorious blue skies and a warm sun. Dho...forgot the shades! No matter... it's back downhill through the forest and this time gravity is our friend. The good thing about the snow is that it covers the loose rock surface of old Mountain Highway, so the runners open it up. I pass a few of my pals then clip an ankle and go ass-over-teakettle into the snow. Fortunately, there were no witnesses as that might have cost me a round of beers!
9:45 am. I can't believe it...some people are back for a second lap! Back at the Van Tan Club, I take off the snowshoes. 'Feels weird to run in runners. I'm the last in on the first loop.
12:00 noon. We get together at the Mosquito Creek Grill for lunch, a free beer and a lot of laughs as we exchange stories. Amazingly, given the conditions, 5 people completed the course 3 times giving them another "ultra" to notch in their fuel belts. Equally amazing, there were no seriously wounded: Elke had a bit of bra burn, Craig wacked his leg straddling a blown-down tree and I lost some skin on my bare legs during my snowshoe wipeout. No prizes for trash pickup as there was thankfully no trash to be seen. Baldwin got slightly lost when he followed tracks through the stone quarry and up into the piney woods and the poor bugger was also victim of a theft. 'Seems some chickadee or squirrel swiped his peanut butter and jam sandwich!
Congrats to everyone who participated in this, the year of the big snow, at Mountain Highway Madness. See you in the fall.
Ean Jackson
Host of the Mountain Highway Madness
Click on the photo grid to see full-sized photos
Gold - 3 laps - 45K
| First Name | Last Name | Club Points | Lap 1 up/down/ total | Lap 2 up/down/ total | Lap3 up/down/ total | Time |
| Mark | Lesack | 2 | ||||
| Bill | Dagg | 2 | 51/35/ 1:26 | 57/38/1:35 | 1:05/36/1:41 | 4:41 |
| Glenn | Pace | 2 | 56:35/32:15/ 1:28:50 | 53:14/36/ 1:29:1 |