West Elk Challenge / Human Marathon – Saturday, October 3, 2026
The Nature Connection held its 3rd Annual 26+ mile West Elk Challenge—a human point-to-point trail marathon starting at Crawford State Park. Participants kicked off at 8:00 AM, trekking through Crawford, down Cottonwood Creek Road, up to Gove Stomp, and pushing higher up to InterOcean Pass before making the long descent to Paonia Town Park. Over 125 runners and hikers signed up for the event.
Beyond the amazing race, 100% of the proceeds fund scholarships for The Nature Connection’s summer camps, helping local youth experience the great outdoors.
For the third year in a row, the Women’s Surface Creek Saddle Club (WSCSC) stepped up to support race organizers. Cynthia coordinated our club members, who donated their vehicles, time, husbands, and—of course—our amazing horses.
Cynthia secured all required event supplies by Thursday morning, giving club members time to organize logistics for the Gove Stomp aid station and figure out what needed to be packed to the top of InterOcean Pass. West Elk Mountain Rescue (WEMR) hosted the aid station at the very top of the pass.
On Friday afternoon, Greg, Juleen, Brandy, and Robert spent several hours solving a unique challenge: how to haul an evacuation stretcher/litter complete with a bicycle tire up a single-track trail on a pack horse. They “MacGyvered” a custom pack using a couple of old camping lounge chairs. None of them had a pack saddle so they strapped the entire rig onto an old $25 saddle.
Saturday started early, with horse trailers heading out from Cedaredge to Crawford at 5:00 AM:
- Gove Stomp Aid Station: Greg led the station alongside new club members Janet, Katherine, and Jack from The Nature Connection. They recorded the bib numbers of runners passing through, keeping energy high with water, snacks, and enthusiastic cheers of encouragement.
- Little Coal Creek / Little Elk Basin Intersection: Cynthia and Pamela rode Sebastian and Tulsa up to cheer runners and keep them on course. Later in the day, Tulsa safely transported an ill runner down several miles to a two-track trail where a WEMR jeep was waiting.
- Lamborn Intersection: Brandy and her two Fjords, Thunder and Solo, set up higher on the trail with water and encouragement. Runners were delighted with water this year.
- InterOcean Pass: Robert rode Caliber and ponied Casino, who carried the complex pack rig on his back like a champ—making Casino the true “Star of the Day.” Juleen and Archie packed up the remaining supplies to complete the station setup at the top.
- The last 4 miles are a steep single track, accessible only by hikers or horses. Luckily, they didn’t have to transport the monster litter back down the mountain after the race—WEMR set up the litter and bounced it back down the mountain carrying empty water containers and trash.
- Competitors: Before reaching the summit, these incredible human athletes gained approximately 2,500 feet of elevation in just five miles. Our horses tackled the same tough climb at a brisk pace to ensure the aid station was fully operational before the first runners arrived.
With perfect weather, magnificent fall colors, appreciative runners, and a great cause supporting youth outdoor programs, it was a deeply rewarding day. We are so grateful to our wonderful WSCSC members who continue to give back to our community!
