Dropped Bibs
The following bibs have been cutoff at one of the three points in Brush Creek and are returning to Crested Butte:
89, 58, 78, 15, 39, 41, 45, 132, 90, 133, 124, 53, 104, 21, 54, 98, 29, 42, 60, 56, 91, 96, 141, 143
Field Team Updates
3/27/26 PM Update
All Teams
Teams were asked during the evening check-in, “Can you run a safe race through your part of the course given the conditions you saw today.” All teams answered in the affirmative. This is not an official race call, but it is a positive outlook as we look to race day tomorrow. The provisional race call will be made tomorrow at the Racer Meeting at 1pm. As was shown last year, curveball conditions can warrant race calls up to the moment that racers start.
Conditions haven’t changed much between team calls this evening and last evening. This morning was the first solid crust in the upper snowpack that teams have experienced. Pictures below show conditions along Richmond Ridge. The Barnard team plans to spend their time tomorrow patching in dirt spots along the road. Upper Brush Cr. team is going to establish a course over Star Pass that we will share tomorrow during the racer meeting.
Barnard team would like to relay to racers that the descents off Gold Hill and subsequent bumps leading towards Barnard Hut are thin. Richmond Ridge also has similar conditions. You could really wreck your race if you aren’t carefully skiing this section.
We are establishing an extra cutoff time at Block and Tackle at 4:30am. The cutoffs at Upper Brush Cr. and Star Pass remain the same. If you are cutoff at Upper Brush Creek, please do not take your exit slowly. Trapdoor conditions may develop quickly after 9am. You may want to skin out as well.
We want to thank all racers for their patience as field teams have evaluated conditions. We look forward to seeing all of you at the Racer Lunch and mandatory Meeting tomorrow at noon. Gear check opens at 8:30am for those teams that have not gone through yet.
3/27/26
All Teams
Teams are in the field, assessing and determining route options through all sections of the course. The current focus of field teams is supportiveness during the window of travel. Several ascent and descent options are being considered and established to mitigate wet avalanche concerns in the Star Pass zone.
We understand the current wet avalanche problem is attention-grabbing. In some areas of the course the paths of concern no longer hold snow and are not a factor. In the zones that still are holding snow, routes and travel times are being carefully evaluated by field teams. The race start time, cutoffs, and route are long-established strategies to help mitigate risk, such as the risks that are currently playing out in the region.
Setting course from Block and Tackle to Star Pass, from Geo’s Bonfire to Taylor Pass, and along Richmond Ridge have been a priority. This will help establish a more supportive skintrack for racers.
The Upper Brush team is focused on careful ascent and descent route selection through Star Pass relative to the window of travel time that racers will be in this section. Barnard and Opa’s teams are setting egress routes and hardening the race route for participants today.
Below are pictures from the Taylor team’s skin from Geo’s Bonfire to Taylor Pass along Taylor Divide trail singletrack. This section has better coverage than we expected, but still contains a handful of dirt patches.
3/25/26
Upper Brush Creek Checkpoint
Creek crossings have been confirmed as open. The one on West Brush is doable without getting feet wet, but expect to get feet wet at Middle Brush. Consistent skinning starting at Block and Tackle Trail. Bootpacking up to Pim’s Point above Star Pass is likely. There is snow coverage, but then it gets patchy and switches to dirt. Skiing from Pim’s Point to Star Pass is in. Snow depth averages 50-100cm.
Upper Brush coverage above Block and Tackle
Upper Taylor to Geo’s Bonfire
The Upper Taylor crew was able to establish a sled road into Geo’s Bonfire from the Taylor Pass Rd. intersection. They noted some open water in the Upper Taylor River Basin and a handful of wet loose point releases in lower Crystal Bowl.
Barnard Hut
Barnard team reported 95-99% snow coverage on Richmond Ridge from Barnard to the Sundeck. Taylor Pass is dry, as is a section on Gold Hill above Taylor Pass. Other coverage above treeline is good, but thin.
3/23/26- Good afternoon racers. After another weekend of warm temperatures, we have a course conditions update for you. Hopefully, this update comes early enough in your race prep to allow you to make decisions about race strategy for this weekend.
Currently, it is in the 50s in Crested Butte with overcast skies and a light wind. This is a change from our previous weather conditions of mid-60s and sun for the last week. Temperatures rise again mid-week, and then cool towards race day on the forecast outlook.
Several field team members and friends of the Grand Traverse have made forays into the field this weekend to check on conditions. We’d like to give these folks a major shout-out of appreciation for going out of their way to bring us an early report from the field. They could have been riding mountain bikes instead.
Course Start to East Brush Creek Near Block and Tackle Trail
The majority of snow on this section of the course is melted. Racers can expect to be on foot for the entirety of this section. We highly recommend that you start the race in trail runners, and possibly bring a third pair of socks in case you get your feet wet in the creeks. We can’t put a final figure on the amount of walking/running that will happen here, but racers should expect about 12 miles and 1800’ of vert. Racers will not be required to wear their helmets for the running portion, but will be required to have their beacons on and transmitting. Helmets must go on as soon as you decide to transition to skis.
Middle Section of the Course
The meat of the course is still mostly holding snow. Reports from the field indicated that people were able to ski to Upper Brush Creek Checkpoint, and that the route off Star Pass is still a ski. Further down in the Upper Taylor River basin the snow becomes patchy, and there is likely dirt on the singletrack Taylor Divide trail out of Geo’s Bonfire. We are exploring some potential routes through this section, but that will fall to field teams later this week, and we will keep you updated as information becomes available.
Taylor Flats, Taylor Pass, Gold Hill, and Richmond Ridge still have snow coverage. We have not received a full report from Richmond Ridge, but racers should prepare for the fact that some southerly facing climbs might be dirt. Once again, we’ll know more from field team reports this week.
Aspen Mountain
The top of Aspen Mountain is still skiing, and Aspen is still open. We have been talking to ski patrol and others at Aspen and there is some talk of a route change from how we’ve normally skied down in the past.
In summary, there are still several factors that remain uncertain in regards to route decisions. Our Upper Brush Creek team goes out tomorrow, and the rest of the field teams go out on Wednesday. Starting Wednesday, we’ll have twice-a-day conversations with these teams regarding conditions, route, and racer safety. We are also working through myriad options to deal with this uncertainty.
We appreciate all of the racers who have committed to the Grand Traverse this year. We know that the latest round of unprecedented weather has raised the stress levels, especially following a cancellation last year. We are doing everything possible and combining the brain power of many knowledgeable and skilled individuals to provide a safe point-to-point race from Crested Butte to Aspen. Updates will continue to come down the pipe as field teams gather intel and establish the route this week.
Conditions Updates
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