The Lower Loop is a beautiful running trail just outside of Crested Butte. (John Meyer, The Denver Post)
CRESTED BUTTE — Covering the USA Pro Challenge cycling tour consists of 12-hour work days, crazy transportation issues and insane crowds. I’m having a great time covering it, but I’m also trying to find time to decompress and recharge. And one of the best ways to do that is to go for a run in a spectacular setting.
I went for a great run above timberline near Independence Pass on Sunday. I went for a run 12 miles south of Aspen on Monday in an area where I love to go backcountry touring in the winter. On Wednesday I went for a spectacular run on a trail just outside Crested Butte called the Lower Loop.
Despite that prosaic name, it’s a magical place. Emma Coburn, a 2012 Olympian and CU track grad who broke the American record in the steeplechase this year, lives in Crested Butte and says Lower Loop is her favorite place to run.
It was especially beautiful Wednesday morning with low hanging clouds and fog and a misty rain falling. Just what I needed to get my head right for another day chasing the Pro Challenge.
