Bears Ears Ultra 50K route

The first 5 miles are a mix of road. A little bit of groomed dirt, a little bit of pavement. Most of it is downhill Enjoy that. The singletrack comes just after the first aid station. Once you hit the singletrack it gets rocky. After an easy creek crossing, it shoots straight up. Your climb up Robertson’s Pasture will be beautiful, especially with the morning light. Your climb will also be steep. The steep will give way to flat trails through some meadows, for short breaks in the climb. The views of Canyonlands National Park and Bears Ears National Monument from here are fantastic! The climb up Robertson’s Pasture has about 2000 ft of gain in 4.5 miles. Runners will then head down Red Ledges Trail to their next aid station. You will see this aid station two times. Red Ledges is a steep, rocky, loose trail so watch your step!

Next, you will run the Aspen Flats/Red Ledges Loop with roughly 1500 ft of climbing; a series of three 500 ft climbs. After your last visit to the aid station, you will head back to the Roberston’s Pasture Trail, via the way you came down to the aid station the first time. From the aid station to the top of Robertson’s Pasture, you will climb around 2500 ft in 4 miles. It is going to be a tough climb. Once you reach the top of the climb, you will descend towards the finish line. The rocky singletrack will give way to 4WD road and then some smooth gravel to finish.

The course is long, so review the aid station charts. The Abajo Mountains are less traveled and wild. The trails are overgrown and rocky. There are an abundance of deer, elk, turkey, canyon views, and cows. You are going to love the course!