Colorado Snowshoeing State Championship

Mild weather in Leadville, Colorado on Saturday provided a peaceful backdrop for a 10k snowshoeing course that was, well, anything but mild. Hosted by the Pedal Power Bike Shop and Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, the Colorado Snowshoeing State Championship began at 10,024' in elevation and went up from there.

I love the courses created by RD Bruce Kelly. Feeling fairly confident from the start, I took the lead at the beginning and gained a bit of a gap on Bernie Boettcher, who is always a very strong competitor. The singletrack--and there was plenty of it--proved to be particularly hard to handle (especially when breaking trail) due to a combination of corn snow, overblown trail, and a chunky freeze-up. I had to work the whole way, and the descents were particularly challenging in these conditions!

I was able to hold off Bernie and take the State Championship; definitely a fulfilling win!

Up next is the second race of the Beaver Creek Snowshoe Adventure Series on February 6th, followed by the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon on February 19th.

Photos: Credit Bernie Boettcher and Greg Krause.