Team Carbondale take 2nd Place at 2012 America's Uphill

This past Saturday 5 Carbondale Colorado uphill racing enthusiast came together as a team and took Second Place in the 2012 America’s Uphill at Aspen Mountain. The Race begins at the Little Nell base area and climbs 3,267 feet up Aspen Mountain to the finish at the Sundeck. Racers can choose their poison and race in running shoes, randonee, tele or track skis. At the start of the race it was obvious the fast runners had an advantage as Mike Kloser and his pack pulled away from all the skiers.  As far as the racers in the Heavy Metal Ski Catagory Team Carbondale hung onto 4 out of the top 9 spots. 

Racers gather at the starting line. (From AspenSpin.com)

Four members of Team Carbondale, Sari, Lindsay, Brian and John, are addicted Ski Mountaineer Racing. Even though our ski set ups are markedly heavier then a pair of running shoes we all suffer from the inability to put our skis down.  When not on my skis I go through a separation anxiety like getting left at school for the first time when I was 5 years old. Cory was our team’s only sensible athlete racing in a pair of light running shoes. We are hoping by 2013 we can facilitate her into an ultra light ski mountaineer race set up.

America’s Uphill is a pure love of mountain ascent. Crusty eyed racers pull against gravity for 2.7 miles as the morning sun rises. No matter how fast you go your lungs burn and every one’s heart pounds to reach the finish at 11,212 feet. All Team Carbondale Racers are committed to ski mountaineer racing and have centered a large part of our winters on the sport. We also all love Carbondale where we live. It was a lot of fun to come together as a town team to celebrate an exceptional sport and place.