Crested Butte Mountain Runners season begins

Full schedule on tap

by Than Acuff

The trails that have made Crested Butte world renowned for mountain bikers are also a haven for trail runners. From mid-May when the snows are receding through the summer when the wildflowers are breathtaking, to the fall as the aspen leaves turn golden, the trails in the area always astound with their beauty.

The Crested Butte Mountain Runners organize a series of trail runs starting in mid-May and ending in early October to take advantage of these great trails. All runners of varying abilities are welcome to join in for any run and this season is packed with plenty of trail runs scheduled, keeping COVID-19 protocols in place.

“We are still putting on our trail run series,” says Crested Butte Mountain Runners ombudsman Martin Catmur. “We started last weekend with a small run at Hartman Rocks.”

The trail run series continues this Sunday, June 7 on Snodgrass starting and finishing at the Washington Gulch trailhead. While the start time is listed as 9 a.m., there will be an open start time between 8:45 and 9:15 a.m. to allow for proper spacing.

“Essentially we are having an open start so runners can separate themselves on the trail,” says Catmur.

The rest of the season of Crested Butte Mountain Runners trail runs then looks like this.

—June 7, Sunday, 9 a.m. Snodgrass Trail

—June 13, Saturday, 9.30 a.m. Lupine Loop

—June 19, Friday, 7.30 p.m. Walrod Gulch Summer Solstice Run

—June 25, Thursday, 6 p.m. Gothic to Mt. Crested Butte

—July 12, Sunday, 9 a.m. Cement Creek Loop

—July 30, Thursday, 6 p.m. Lower Loop

—August 9, Sunday, 8.30 a.m. Paradise Divide Loop or Trail 401

—August 15, Saturday, 8.30 a.m. Strawberry

—August 23, Sunday, 9 a.m. Lily Lake Loop

—September 19, Saturday, 8 a.m. Camp 4 Coffee, Cart To Cart Trail Run

—September 30, Wednesday, 6 p.m. Woods Walk Trail–Titan Fundraiser

Attend four or more Mountain Runners runs and be entered into the Paradox Footwear Mountain Runners end of season raffle. Your name is entered after you have attended (or directed) four runs. At the final run we will draw names for two pairs of trail shoes from Paradox Footwear.

Annual membership in the Crested Butte Mountain Runners is $25 and includes entry into all runs except as noted above. Non-members pay $5 per run. Information on all runs may be obtained from Martin Catmur at (970) 275-7763 or check the website cbmountainrunners.org.