Reflections // Pawnee Pass 51k Adventure

Through frost and flowers I moved

Evergreen branches glittering

As the light changed from dark to dawn

The last purple petals along the trail

Swaying and leaning toward sunrise

Waiting to be embraced by its warmth

Up and over the pass I went as the seasons changed

Witnessing three sunrises

As I moved down and around the ridges and beyond distant peaks

Over streams and to pause at the edge of lakes, Mirror and Crater

Each one creating a new relationship with the sun

I collected cold water from the creeks

Dipping my arms to keep them cool

Running then hiking

Up and down the trails

I thought of the words of Rumí

“Quit being a drop. Make yourself an ocean. // Abandon your ego and reap the Beloved’s devotion.”

“Become the sky and the clouds that create the rain, // Not the gutter that carries it to the drain.”

Trekking back up the pass

The final ascent before it was downhill from there

I meditated on what this venture into the wild had meant to me

What it represented, and the many interconnected actions over time that made it possible

For when we are intentional and strategic

And willing to try and try again

New realms open up to us

My body and mind working in unison

Cheering each other on… only a few more steps to go

And then it was done!

Around my neck hung two necklaces

A gold chain and mountain peaks, from my adventures up Colorado’s highest mountains in Leadville.

A silver split twig deer from after my rim-river-rim adventure in the Grand Canyon.

They represent where I’ve been, and all that made this day possible.

*Rumí quotes from The Rumí Prescription by Melody Moezzi

Recap and route:

I used to listen to the UltraRunner podcast and think, maybe, one day, I’ll be able to do an ultramarathon.

Ultramarathons range in distance from 50k (31 miles) to 100+ miles, often on trails or through deserts landscapes.

Up until this year, the longest distance I had done was a marathon (26.2 miles), having run the Kentucky Derby Festival marathon 2x and the Gay Games marathon in Paris in 2018.

This year, I set out to train on Colorado’s mountain trails, cross-train to build support muscles at the gym, and get my nutrition plan and supplies organized so I could do a self-supported 50k before the snow came.

Friday, September 6, 2024, I embarked from the parking lot just after 5:30a, and finished the 51k route in 10 hours, with over 7,600 feet of elevation gain!

I combined multiple trails to create my own route, which ended up being a 51k (32.49 miles. I’m calling it the Pawnee Pass 51k Ultramarathon.

-> Started at Brainard Lake Recreation area, went around lake to

-> Niwot Cutoff Trail, to

-> Jean Lunning Trail (goes over creek), to

-> Pawnee Pass Trail (up and over pass), to

-> Crater Lake Trail (visit both Mirror and Crater Lake), back out to

-> Cascade Creek Trail (take trail til your total mileage hits 17.25 miles - you won’t make it to Monarch Lake but you’ll be close)

-> Return route includes all of the above except Crater Lake Trail

There are multiple creeks to filter water from on both sides of the pass - so bring a water filter. I experienced a lot of direct sunlight so getting my sleeves wet helped keep me cool.

For nutrition, I do a 45-min schedule… 45-30-15-0. (Calories at 45 min, 1:30, 2:15, 3 hrs, repeat) Aiming for at-least 90 calories each time (I start with gels), sometime 200-300 with a protein bar or nut butter packet.

Lake Isabelle, Mirror Lake and Crater Lake all had lower levels of water than I’d seen before.