Colorado

The Elk Mountains are some of the most beautiful in Colorado. Perhaps you’ve heard of The Maroon Bells? Those are found in the Elk mountains along with several other prominent peaks.  The Grand Traverse is a point-to-point race between the towns of Crested Butte and Aspen.  As a crow flies, those towns are about 35-40 miles apart, which sets the perfect backdrop for a running race.  The drive between the two towns on Kebler Pass is about 3.5 hours.  Although it is a beautiful drive, the run piqued my interest because it showcases some of the best traits of a traverse: Aspen Forest single track, above-tree-line views, backcountry technical trails in high elevation, potentially interesting mountain weather, and a desirable finish destination. Who wouldn’t be motivated to run to Aspen? When I stumbled upon the Grand Traverse race, I knew I had to run it.  I’ve always been curious about slot canyons.  The colors, textures, shapes and stunning formations are a photographer’s dream.  Antelope Canyon is one of the most famous. Considering a tour costs around $100 and sells out a month ahead, I felt the race would be a much more worthy adventure. Vacation Races created a route that also includes several other slot canyons.  It runs through Sand Dune Canyon, Deer Canyon, Tree stump Canyon, Rams Head Canyon, and Ligai Si' Anii, which ensures the experience of the magical late morning/afternoon daylight time.  The trade-off for this year’s course was not seeing Horseshoe Bend, but considering that can be viewed easily without a tour, I think the trade-off is better. 

To prepare for the altitude, I flew from sea level to my cabin in the Sangre De Cristo mountains in Northern New Mexico, where I slept and hiked for four days.  Even though this was minimal altitude preparation, it helped me adjust slightly, at least mentally it reminded me how I would feel above 11,000 feet. Science advises runners should either arrive 7-10 days before a high-altitude event, OR, arrive the day before the race and run before the body figures out the air is thinner. I did neither, but it all worked. There is a reason why 90% of the runners in the Grand Traverse are Colorado residents!  The altitude is serious.  Half of the Grand Traverse takes place 20 miles above 11,000 feet. 

Race day brought 350 runners to the starting line to explore the historical route. The racecourse covers terrain once travelled by the Ute tribe, then later by the silver and coal miners and it was once a postal route between Aspen and Crested Butte. Last year, out of 350 runners, 229 finished. Talk about intimidating!  My goal for the race was to chase the cut-offs without going out too fast.  I wasn’t sure how the elevation would affect me, and this course was the longest I had run thus far.

We woke up in Crested Butte to rain.  Thankfully it stopped as the race started, but I knew the trails would be wet.  I took advantage of the drop bag option, and I sent an extra pair of dry shoes to the halfway aid station just in case. The elevation at the start line is around 9400 feet. The first 9 or so miles felt like a warm-up, with up and down single-track meandering through Aspen groves and occasional views of Crested Butte with the sunrise.  And a few cows.  Avoiding cow poop was paramount. But this section was fun, although the single track dictated the running order and pace for several miles. I didn’t really mind however as the pace was comfortable.  It was here where I learned from another runner that her friends were cut off last year with 5 miles left to go in the race.  YIKES. The cut-offs are serious.  Eventually we took our shoes off, crossed a calve-high creek and ascended to the first aid station. 

After the first aid station the climb intensified and we were treated to the first views of the day.  A lot of people started to struggle at this point, but the views made it worth it!  It was here where scenery started to open and I saw valleys, peaks and sunshine!

Next, I was on to Taylor’s pass which is a little over the halfway point.  Taylor’s pass was a full aid station, and I finally enjoyed some coca cola and snagged a few more gels.  The views of Taylor Lake and the surrounding peaks are incredible, and I was so happy to be up there. Music was playing, people were grilling, and it was quite an upbeat scene. However, I wanted to stay well ahead of the cut-offs so I quickly refilled my flasks and off I went.  

Along Richman Ridge I noticed a sign for the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness.  This was significant because I had plans to hike the Collegiate Loop two weeks later.  I was so excited to extend my views to the Collegiate peaks it kept me moving.  Some of the climbing during this section was a bit brutal, but overall, I knew it would be mostly downhill soon. 

Finally, at the second to last aid station, with 11ish miles to go, I met another runner who made the rest of the run pass quickly.  We chatted about various races we’d ran and training goals and such.  She was around my age and she was super strong. It was nice to have some camaraderie to pass the time until we finally came upon the last aid station with 5 miles left. 

From there I looked to the right and saw a single-track trail that resembled a chute. A chute that would take me to the finish.  I couldn’t wait to get going.  I didn’t even stop at the last aid station; I just took off and down I went.  I think I passed about 10 people on that descent into Aspen. It was a brutal, 3133 feet of elevation loss over 4.5 miles in a ski resort, but I could literally HEAR the finish line.  I really wanted to get under 11 hours for this race and that motivated me to go as fast as I could, but unfortunately with my three bathroom stops during the race, I missed my goal by 5 minutes. That is the cost of staying hydrated. However, I was happy to finish in the middle of the pack and find my way through a new distance. At the finishing celebration I ate amazing food (pesto lasagna) and met lots of locals.  I learned that Boulder has quite a running scene.

If I could run a race annually, I think this race would be it.  The towns of Crested Butte and Aspen are beautiful and worthy of several visits.  The race is well organized. A point-to-point race is a logistical challenge. The whole adventure including “acclimating”, took me a week. The race provides a shuttle back to Crested Butte, but the last thing I wanted was to sit for 3.5 hours on a bus after running all day. I chose to stay the night in Aspen and return the following day via a rental car, which allowed me flexibility to wind my way back and enjoy the scenery. If you decide to run this race as a non-local, I recommend making a vacation around it and staying awhile.