We had a great weekend here at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort! We were fortunate to host the Ragnar Relay Trail Experiment this weekend. There were approximately 45 teams of 8 people participating in this event. The relay teams had to run 3 different trails on Zion Ponderosa property totaling about 15 miles. The three trails included Jolley Gulch, Pine Knoll, and Engelstead. All three trails have breathtaking views along with challenging terrain. The most challenging thing for the runners wasn’t the trails though, it was the weather. The day before the race we had a storm come through that did not lighten up. It was fun and exciting to watch as the teams came in and out covered in mud because of the continuous rain from the beginning of the race and all through the night. Nothing would stop the runners as they trudged through the cold, rain, mud, darkness, and even hail! We had runners everywhere on the resort. If they weren’t running in the rain they were hanging out around the bonfire, playing ping pong, and sleeping in the recreation barn and even our conference room to get some relief from the rain!
Having Ragnar at the Ponderosa was a fun experience for all involved. Our Kitchen staff led by Frances, spent hours preparing a pasta buffet and breakfast buffets and lots of food for the hungry runners! Our Recreation staff spent a few weeks before the race shoveling, moving rocks, and literally sweeping the trails to get them ready for the runners! Our front desk staff sat out in the rain and cold checking in runners and directing traffic. Kudos to all of the staff for all of their hard work through the entire race!
We loved having Ragnar come stay with us and use our facility for their trail experiment, the runners were such troopers and their staff was friendly and great. We also appreciate them donating to the local high school basketball team after they came up and spent hours in the rain and hail showing guests where to park and camp. Look for the next Ragnar event here in May 2013 – it will be epic!
