Elk Mountains Grand Traverse - Linking Crested Butte to Aspen on Skis

Legendary Backcountry Race Challenges Athletic Skills & Smarts, March 25 - 26

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO (February 15, 2011) - One of the most sought-after and rugged backcountry ski races on the planet celebrates 14 years of memorable moments and amazing athletic feats on March 25 - 26.  The Elk Mountains Grand Traverse follows historic mail routes that connected the Colorado mining towns of Crested Butte and Aspen in the 1880s.  For the first time, Trackleaders will provide SPOT-based tracking so the progress of racers can be monitored on http://www.elkmountaintraverse.org/ and http://www.trackleaders.com/.

Registration for the Grand Traverse sold out immediately on Dec. 1, with 130 teams filling the slots.  Interested teams can check the bulletin board at http://www.elkmountaintraverse.org/ for openings that become available.

Registration opens on Dec. 1, with the 130 team slots nearly always filling on the first day.  After the race sells out, check the bulletin board at www.elkmountaintraverse.org for openings that become available.

Race Overview & Route
Kicking off at the stroke of midnight on March 25, the Grand Traverse is a one-of-a-kind test of endurance and smarts, requiring avalanche awareness, backcountry athleticism, winter camping knowledge and map reading skills all wrapped in one.  This unusual start time is scheduled so entrants will reach the high point of Star Pass at 12,303 feet before the warmth of the day increases the likelihood of avalanches.

The 40-mile course starts at 9,000 feet at Crested Butte Community School and traverses to Crested Butte Mountain Resort, where cheering crowds, torches and a fireworks display greet the racers as they pass through the base area just below the Silver Queen lift.  After conquering two mountain passes, the teams finish at the base of Aspen Mountain ski area.

"The Grand Traverse is not a Nordic or downhill race, but instead tests skiers overall skills and goes from town-to-town, covering 40 miles of rugged trails in the Elk Mountains. Every event dishes up new surprises for the contestants and the organizers," says Jan Runge, race organizer.

Last year, for the second time in the race's history, the start time was delayed until 6 a.m. and was run as the "Grand Reverse," following a complex course up to the Friends Hut and back, doing several loops to add mileage and finishing at the ski resort in Mt. Crested Butte. The distance was still approximately 38 miles and the vertical 7,000 feet, which is comparable to the usual course but the finish times were 1.5 to 3 hours faster than usual.  Local teams won all three categories: men's, women's and co-ed.

With more than a foot of new snow and wind chill topping -40 below on the high traverses, organizers made the tough call. "The Elk Mountain Grand Traverse has always lived up to its legacy of being one of the most difficult endurance events in the nation," Runge confirms.

Keeping Racers Safe
Top priorities of race organizers are the safety of all participants and a minimal impact on the environment.  Because of the remote route through the Elk Mountains, each team of two is required to carry enough food and supplies to sustain themselves for 24 hours. Before the race start, the team's packs will be checked for essential gear such as bivy sacks, stove, fuel, avalanche beacons, rescue gear, and first-aid and repair kits.  More than 40 support team members are present in the backcountry during the race. Some crews are out in the backcountry for a week before the event, assessing avalanche conditions and moving supplies into remote camps.  Local pilots also assist by airdropping supplies into alpine basins.

Sustainable Legacy
Organizers continue to work toward reducing the race's carbon footprint, and teams are encouraged to train with a low carbon footprint approach.  "Our goal is to undergo a progressive greening of the race over the next several years. This is really the only ‘sustainable' thing to do-without snow, there won't really be a 50th annual Elk Mountains Grand Traverse and all of us involved with the race would like to pass on a sustainable legacy to the next generation of skier," Runge says.

For information, call Jan Runge at (970) 596-6383 or visit www.elkmountaintraverse.org.

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about Gunnison County events or to book personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association's toll-free line, (800) 814-8893, or visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com.  Find the Tourism Association on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gcbta or follow us on www.twitter.com/gcbta. 

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is served year-round by United Airlines with flights from Denver and during the winter season by American Airlines and Continental Airlines.

About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado
Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado.  Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.  Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities.  In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding.  Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options - from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels. 

Gunnison, county seat and a real western town, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, a four-year institution offering majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields.  Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities. 

Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is 28 miles from Gunnison and the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.  Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails. 

In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks.  Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.  Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.

[###]

Photo by: Alex Fenlon 

For a Word version of this press release, click on the link below. 

Contact:                        Beth Buehler                                        

                                    Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association                 

                                    (970) 349-1168 or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net

                                    http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/