Fall is in the air. Soon the days will be cold and dark, trails will be snowed in and we’ll be well on our way to ski season. But not quite yet. At least not before it was time to head up for the 7th running of the Devil on the Divide trail race in Empire, Colorado this past Saturday.
This was my last carryover race from last year’s cancellations, and having never run it I was pretty excited to finally check it out. Zambo ended up joining for the 22K and Anna-Lisa came up and hung out with our friend Sarah Banks who was shooting race photos near Herman Lake. Overall there’s a lot to like about the Devil on the Divide. Despite the elevation gain and sustained time up high the course felt more enjoyable than difficult. Lots of time in the alpine means it’s easily up there with the most scenic races I’ve done in the state. Keep reading…
I have tried, and failed, to run the San Juan Solstice ever since I got into trail running. Ben always talked about what a great race it is, and I certainly knew it went through some of the state’s best areas, so I was keen to try it for myself. But year after year, it just kept not happening. Suffice it to say, this was a long-awaited race that I was very excited to finally run. Last year we actually still made it down to Lake City on the days of the cancelled race. We had our reservation in an Airbnb saved, so we figured why not make the best of it? Keep Reading…
After much anticipation, the 2021 Dirty 30 had finally arrived. Ben, Dave and I were allowed to roll over our 2020 entry’s, given it was cancelled due to COVID (which makes sense for a naturally socially distanced event full of young, fit people – but I digress). I was just glad to finally experience the legend that was this race, coupled with Race Director Megan Finnesy’s hard work and unrivaled attention to detail, it certainly did not disappoint. This was my 3rd ultra overall and by far the most difficult. Keep Reading…
Last Sunday morning Dylan Friday and I ripped off our skins and skied down to the base of Ajax Mountain, completing the Grand Traverse ski race from Crested Butte to Aspen two and a half years in the making. After being cancelled due to COVID only a couple weeks before race day last year, it was time for redemption for many racers this year and those who stuck with it were rewarded with one of the finest nights the event has seen in its 23-year history.
Dylan and I first signed up for this one in late-2019 and put together a pretty solid training regimen throughout the winter leading into March of 2020. After the race was cancelled we took the option of rolling over to 2021. Fast forward a year and we approached the race with cautious optimism the second time around. Though numerous races have gotten back onto their feet over the last 6 months, the Grand Traverse entails several aspects beyond COVID that need to fall into line to successfully pull off a race to Aspen. Keep reading…
