Ready for an intense lung burn for a great cause? Get your wax on for the Leadville Loppet this weekend!
The ninth annual Loppet’s 10K, 22k and 44k nordic ski race courses start at CMC in Leadville, rolling along the Timberline Trail network before jumping onto the Mineral Belt trail and then returning to CMC for the finish. The 5K race is a costume party open to all forms of boards, including homemade skis, telemark skis, splitboards, randonee, and 2 x 4 planks from your local lumber scrap yard. Costumes encouraged for the 5K race, as well as climbing skins for your choice of ski gear.
You must pre-register for all but the 5k: Visit the Leadville Loppet website or head on into the KW room of CMC’s Climax Leadership Building on Friday night, from 4- 9 pm. An awards banquet will be held in the new CMC Climax Molybdenum Leadership building after the race.
The first Leadville Loppet, held in 2003, was created by students in CMC Leadville Ski Area Operations instructor Paul Rauschke’s event management class as an effort to raise funds and awareness for the city’s Mineral Belt Trail. The 11.6 mile long trail circles Leadville, affording jaw-dropping views of the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges. Groomed all winter long, the trail offers Leadville residents and visitors easy access to nordic ski and snowshoe trails just outside of town. Join the fun this Saturday!