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High Peaks and Big Thrills in the Colorado Rockies
Colorado is a trail-running haven with thousands of feet of vertical to explore in aspen-lined forests and open meadows BY NICKI REHN NICKI REHN Calgary, AB-based ultra-marathon runner, orienteer, and adventurer who loves to travel the world doing crazy races, disappear deep into the mountains, and rip up the local single-track. NICKI_REHN
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rail running is a great excuse to travel. I don’t know how to take a holiday just for the sake of it, so all my galivanting involves exploring new places on foot. The pandemic put a damper on my clinical wanderlust for a couple of years, but as soon as the world reopened, I started dreaming of faraway adventures again. The first faraway place I went to wasn’t that far away at all—Colorado. Her mountains are, of course, just an extension of mine, and I’ve always felt I had an obligation to go see what they were like down there on the other side of the border. For years I’ve heard of Colorado’s thin air, endless ridges, accessible peaks, and microbreweries. All it took to get me there, besides an end to travel restrictions, was my friend getting into the Hardrock 100
54 I Fall Fitness & Food Issue 2023 I IMPACT MAGAZINE
Mile Endurance Run—one of the many iconic ultramarathons held in the state. She was the third name drawn in the lottery, and I texted her within minutes. “Do you have a pacer yet?” Pacing and crewing is one of the best ways to get to know a place, and I highly recommend it. I set aside most of July, got myself to the historic town of Silverton, and kicked off my trail-running vacation in the beautiful San Juan Mountains. I ran sections of the infamous course and talked to local athletes, studied maps, and caught a glimpse of what’s possible. By the time race weekend was over, I had amassed an extensive list of peaks and routes that I planned to check off, and I diligently set about doing so. I began with the sections of the Hardrock course I hadn’t yet seen. Race routes are a great resource