Category Archives: Sawatch Range

Graham’s Glade

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It’s been quite the start to the snow season up here, at least in the northern mountains of Colorado. It seems like it’s been snowing more days than it hasn’t since mid-November, and Vail already has 62% of its terrain open as of December 16th. I can’t recall the Back Bowls opening this early in recent memory, nor can I recall wishing I owned a snow blower more than I have this month. With snow seasons in general being pretty hit or miss these days, needless to say, we’ll take it. Read more…

The High Lonesome 100

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For the past several years I’ve been working through a progression of mountain races, from marathon distance up to 100K, with the long-term goal in mind of giving a 100-miler a shot. And I figured if I were to invest all the time and effort necessary to run a 100-miler, I might as well pick a really cool one, even if it meant having to wait a few years to get in. Turns out I didn’t have to look very far from home, nor was it all that difficult to land on the High Lonesome 100 in the southern-Sawatch range. Keep reading…

Apostles Traverse

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The “Three Apostles” are a trio of rugged peaks in the central-Sawatch Range about 8 miles to the northeast of Taylor Park Reservoir. The most prominent peak in the trio, Ice Mountain, is one of Colorado’s Centennial 13ers and is perhaps best known for its classic snow/ski route, the Refrigerator Couloir. It is flanked on either side by North Apostle, also a Centennial, and “West Apostle” peaks. The three of them together make for a fun scramble traverse that was only first completed in 1954 according to Roof of the Rockies. Keep reading…

Mt. Elbert Trail Run Loop

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With the Dirty 30 in the rearview and the San Juan Solstice only a week away, I was looking for a good training option to bridge the fourteen day gap between the two races. My eye landed on Mt. Elbert and the natural loop that can be made out of its two primary hiking routes. It wound up being a near-perfect run in the sun with Jax and a fine way to revisit the roof of Colorado on foot for the first time since 2003. Read more…