Crow Pass Crossing

Our good friend Ryan came up from Colorado to run in the Crow Pass Crossing race. He and I had run/hiked the trail last year when he visited in July. When we learned that there was a race on the trail, we made plans to run it the next year. The course goes from Girdwood, over Crow Pass, to the Eagle River Nature Center, covering somewhere around 24 miles. The beauty of the scenery can't be overstated, it is simply one of the best trails out there.
The night before we had a pre-race party with some friends.

Ryan preparing for the race...

Jes and some friends made sure we saw encouragement everywhere...

We will overcome the bears!

The morning of the race did not go as planned, in short, we were late. Minor mishaps like having enough gas to get to the start and being realistic about how long it was going to take to get there added up to a rather tense morning. 

By a minor miracle, we made it on time. This is me just after registering and on my way to run to the start line, I am very, very relieved. Jes should be roundly applauded for sticking with us through the morning.

Jes and several friends were at the finish to cheer us on. From left to right, Jenna, Jes, Meghan, and Lindsay. Our friends Bruce and Eric were a bit further down, their cheering was much appreciated. 

Ryan at the finish. Note the large blood stain on his hat. He managed to hit a tree that Bruce specifically warned him about. One tree in 24 miles of wilderness, tree lined trail and Ryan nails it, awesome.

Me, rolling into the finish.

Ryan and I post-race, feeling pretty good. It was a great race on a great day, definitely something to come back for. 

Cheers,