The 2016 Grand Traverse, an annual endurance skimo race, kicked off in the depths of night on March 25 at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. This year’s event drew more than 200 two-person teams hoping to race across Colorado’s Elk Mountains.
Traditionally, the race covers the 40 miles from Crested Butte to Aspen, but this year, heavy snow and heightened avalanche danger prohibited this traverse. The weather route, referred to as the “Grand Reverse,” starts and ends in Crested Butte, and can leave competitors feeling a bit disappointed, but safety takes precedent when an event sends 400 people into the backcountry.
Elk Mountains Grand Traverse from DTS on Vimeo.
To document the Traverse, Denver-based Duct Tape Studios interviewed participants upon their return to Crested Butte Mountain Resort. While some racers expressed regret at not being able to finish in Aspen, there was still the general sense of elation and success among participants that usually follows such physically challenging events.
“It’s always a disappointment when you’re hoping to go to Aspen. You are hoping to go check out the thrift stores in Aspen after the race—no, just kidding,” competitor and Crested Butte resident Stevie Kremer says jokingly in the film. “When we found out it was the ‘Reverse’ at 9:30 p.m. or 10 p.m., we were all pretty disappointed, but, you know, they obviously do it for a reason.”
Longtime Grand Traverse competitor Alan Hadley comments for the camera that despite the reroute, it is just beautiful to be away from civilization. “Just being out there that far from society,” He says. “That’s pretty magical.”
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Watch more videos from Duct Tape Studios at ducttape.tv.
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