by Jess Evans
June 9, 2018
In the summer of 2016, I was riding my bike from Butte, Montana to somewhere in Colorado – wherever I could get in 14 days. One afternoon, after a long slog through Routt National Forest in northern Colorado, I stopped for lunch on this dusty road near Steamboat Lake State Park. I had heard of Steamboat Springs, but the state park was never on my radar.
I put my bike down and began to dig in my bike bags for some tasty snacks to silence my growling stomach before sitting down to admire the view. Stretched out in front of me was a mountain lake reflecting all the majestic peaks that surrounded it. The forest was so lush and green beyond the lake and people were boating and fishing on the beautiful summer day. It was a perfect day to sit on the ground next to my Cannondale Lefty and eat my (now thawed) frozen burrito.
Once I moved back to Colorado and decided to join the 361 Adventure brothers in a Western AR experiment, I began to think of places I would like to have an adventure race. Steamboat Lake State Park popped into my head. Thus, August 18, I will be holding a 4-hour fun adventure race for families, and a 12-hour adventure race, just a tiny bit more challenging than the 4-hour. These races are known as the Bears Ears Adventure Races. Keep that date in mind when you are doing your summer planning. Registration is open.
