Frosty Squatchy

JANUARY 31, 2026

The Frosty Squatchy is a Trail Party for runners and hikers of all ages and paces. Join us on Saturday January 31, 2026 for the 9th annual Frosty Squatchy! Runners and hikers can sign-up for a 5K, 3 hours, 6 hours or the 3H ruck. Funds raised at this trail party will be donated to the South Mountain Conservancy.

QUICK STATS

RACE FORMAT: Rixed-timed event on a 5K trail loop

CUTOFFS: Complete as many loops as you want in 6 hrs or 3 hrs. You can stop whenever you want (no DNFs!). 5Kers have all day to complete the 3.1 miles

ELEVATION/TERRAIN: Great mix of hard packed carriage trails and technical singletracks with rocks and roots. 300 ft elevation gain per loop.

CAPACITY: Capped at 200 participants across all events

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: NJ Transit Bus Route 73 (Newark - Orange - Livingston Mall) + 15 min walk OR NJ Transit Train to Mountain Station + 20 min walk. Please check train/bus schedules; if they don't match your start time; email us and we can help coordinate a carpool!

This is a Sassquad OG event.. This was the very first official Trail Party we ever hosted back in 2018. We had 100 people show up and at the end of the race, people wanted to know when the next Sassquad event was! It all really snowballed after that! We have kept this as a Fat-Sass style event, meaning - no swag, no aid, and no whining (unless you don't see Sasquatch, then you can whine a little!).

Check out our Trail Party Handbook for even more deets about this Trail Party!

Founded in March 2000, the South Mountain Conservancy is a volunteer, non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enhancing the South Mountain Reservation through active stewardship, advocacy, and education. Through volunteer activities, public programs and partnership with the Essex County Parks Department, the SMC serves as a steward and advocate for the South Mountain Reservation. The SMC strives to preserve, protect, and enhance the ecology, infrastructure and natural beauty of this regional park and to foster public appreciation and support for it. Since 2018, we have raised over $20,000 for the Conservancy!

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR REGISTRATION?

Bib & Safety Pins
Water at the Aid Station
Awards for top 3 male, female and non-binary
(This is our only fat-ass event where you'll need to bring your own fuel and hydration!)

AID STATION:

This is a Fat-Sass event which means that we do not have an aid station. Runners/hikers need to BYO fuel and hydration. Bring your favorite snacks and feel free to bring extra to share with the crew! We'll provide coolers of water, please bring a cup/bottle/hydration pack with you so you can refill your water. We always have a fully stocked first aid kit and AED at Squatch HQ. Our first aid kit includes menstrual products and wipes. We also provide private changing tents that are available for use before, during, and after our races.

PACERS:

As with all of our events, Squatchers over the age of 60 and AWD (athletes with disabilities) can have a pacer/guide at any time. Please pre-register your pacer with us before the start of the Trail Party. Pacers are not allowed for folks under the age of 60 and who are not an AWD.

CREW:

All runners/hikers can have a Crew join them at the Trail Party for the duration of the event. Crew access is only available at Squatch HQ. Crew cannot aid their runner/hiker at any other spot on the course. Crews are encouraged to bring ice if they anticipate their runner/hiker needing ice during the event. Crew are welcome to set up their pop-up tents at Squatch HQ in the designated areas. All tents and canopies MUST be staked/weighted down (they will fly away if they aren't staked down). The start/finish at Squatch HQ is an awesome spot for friends and family to hang out! Plenty of picnic tables to use and a large field for kids to run around. We have a range of fun games that your family can enjoy: corn hole, connect four, a giant rainbow parachute, and the Squatch Hunt. Don't be shy, join in on the fun!

Introducing the new Rucking Division for the Frosty Squatchy 3 Hour event! We've got two divisions based on weight: Lightweight (15 lbs) and Heavyweight (30 lbs). Both divisions are open to men, women, and nonbinary athletes; just let us know at check-in which division you are entering. You gotta use a pack or ruck for carrying the weight (no weight vests!). The 15 lbs or 30 lbs is your pack's "dry weight", so that's weight before you add water, snacks, your umbrella and poncho etc etc. This is our annual fat-ass event so we do not have the GoRuck patches for this race. We do have patches for the Rucking divisions at the Big Bear North in April and the Thunder Chicken in August.

The race starts and finishes at the Turtleback Rock Picnic Area off of Walker Road in West Orange at the South Mountain Reservation. We'll be able to fit about 110 cars in the Turtleback Rock Picnic Area Lot. After the main parking lot is full, our Volunteers will direct overflow parking to the side streets off of Walker Road. Please do not park illegally or block anyone's driveways on those side streets. Interested in carpooling? Email us!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

8:15am-8:45am - all events check-in

9am - all events start

12pm - 3H ends

3pm - 6H ends

*Your final loop only counts if you finish it before 3pm

COURSE MAP

COURSE GPX

HOW TO DOWNLOAD GPX

We use the same 5K loop from our Squatchy Leftovers race in November. There are portapottys at the start/finish area. There's 300 ft of gain. The course is a great mix of mellow carriage roads (dirt or gravel-wide trails) and a bit of technical singletrack with rocks and roots. The first mile is a wide dirt trail. The 1/2 mi 200+ ft descent at mile one is very rocky from erosion. There is a 100 ft climb at mile 2.5. The last mile is a singletrack with rocks and roots. This is a GREAT intro to the trails if this is your first event or you're just starting. If you're going to be out there for 3 or 6 hours, we recommend a grippy shoe that can give ya some comfort over rocks and roots. We will always provide a detailed trail conditions report leading up to the race and will include recommendations for any winter traction devices! You can download the GPX file and map below. Trekking poles are allowed at all of our events.

The course will be well-marked with neon pink/reflective ribbon. We have large red directional arrows at each of the turns. To learn more about how we mark the course and what the ribbons and signs look like, squatch on over to the Sassquad Trail School to watch the information video about our course markings!

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FAQ'S

Q: What's the weather like in West Orange, NJ in January?

A: Cold. Snow. Maybe Hail. Little bitty stingin' rain, big ol' fat rain, rain that flies in sideways, and sometimes rain that comes straight up from underneath. Dress warm. Bring layers. Be smart. Last year we had awesome weather in the 50's!

Q: Can I bring my dog?

A: No, our insurance policy does not cover dogs at any of our events. Thank you for understanding!

Q: What is the 5K loop like?

A: 83.870% doublewide trails and 16.130% singletrack trails. Plenty of hills, rocks and roots. Check out the map and elevation profile up top in the picture gallery. The end of the loop takes you behind Turtleback Zoo; you'll hear the Zoo train whistle all morning and although you can't see the animals from the trail, you might hear them!

Q: I can't come anymore, can I get a deferral?

A: We do not offer deferrals for this event as it is a fundraiser.

Q: Can I sign my kids up for the Frosty Squatchy?

A: Yes! This is a family friendly event.

Q: Me and my friend aren't registered for the race, but we're still planning on coming to run. We won't eat from the aid station or take a medal or swag. This is okay, right?

A: NO THIS IS NOT OKAY. This is called being a "race bandit" and it is stealing. Not paying for a race and running the race is stealing from the race organization (even if you're not taking food or swag). Don't do this at a Sassquad trail party or ANY other race. It's not okay. If you bandit a race, you will be banned from registering for any of our Sassquad events.

Q: What food should I bring?

A: 15 Dr. Pepper's, a box of chocolate, peas and carrots, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich.

Q: Can I have a pacer?

A: As with all of our events, Squatchers over the age of 60 and AWD (athletes with disabilities) can have a pacer/guide at any time. Please fill out the pacer registration form ahead of time and be sure to pick-up a pacer bib during check-in! Pacers are not allowed for other runners and hikers without prior approval from the Trail Party Director.

Q: I could get lost in a brown paper bag. Will the course be marked?

A: Mama always had a way of explaining things so I could understand them. So YES, we will mark the course just like Mama would so you can understand which way to go. We will have bright colored ribbons along the course and plenty at all of the turns.

Q: Are there any restrooms?

A: Yes, there are portajohns at the start/finish.