Five years of dreaming and seven months of training came together as Erin Carroll’s plane touched down at the Denver airport. Friend and fellow Santa Barbara cyclist Heather Rose picked him up. Rose had driven to Colorado carrying her own trail dreams. She’d spent much of her summer acclimatizing, camping, and biking. Now the south coast cyclists stood on the precipice of a challenging adventure, the Colorado Trail Race.
The Colorado race is a unique and highly personal challenge. There is no registration, no entrance fee, no prize money, and no crowd to cheer riders across the finish line. Instead, the course offers over 500 miles of rugged riding between Denver and Durango.
Broken into 28 segments that include 70,000 feet of climbing, lightning storms, and abundant wildlife, the guiding principle is “Do. It. Yourself.” Rose and Carroll each set off alone, logging their progress on the GPS devices carried by all participants. Riders must carry all of their own supplies and may only utilize opportunities that are available to everyone. Any food, water, or equipment needed to continue the ride must be obtained without the help of friends or family.