A tale of two canyons

The Sawatch Ascent 50k starts and finishes at the base of 14, 197’ Mount Princeton in an broad field with sweeping views of the Arkansas River valley. Runners spend the first (and last) few miles navigating through the popular Chalk Creek Canyon before reaching the Colorado Trail. A steep headwall quickly yields to buttery singletrack through a 200+ year old ponderosa and aspen forest. Around 8 miles in, the ponderosa and aspen glades are left behind and the true climbing begins.

The heart of the course lies in two stunning canyons: one a gentle cut which widens into a broad valley, and the other a narrow gorge slicing through granite escarpments. Between these two drainages rises the massif of 13,667’ Mount White, which runners will completely circumnavigate. To the south of White lies the Browns Creek Canyon, who’s opposing flank is the imposing ridgeline of 14,155’ Tabeguache Peak. On the north side of White, Little Browns Canyon carves a narrow defile between White and one of the Sawatch’s most magnificent peaks – the 14,269’ Mount Antero. Runners will ascend the steady grade of Browns before reaching an absolutely massive, high alpine plateau between Mounts White and Antero. The stunning panorama recedes as runners drop into Little Browns and cruise the steeper descent back to the Colorado Trail, and eventually reach the finish line.