[Author’s Note: This is the seventh article in an 11-part series celebrating legendary aid stations. You can read about the series here.]
Excessive up within the Rocky Mountains of Central Colorado, within the shadow of Colorado’s highest peak, Mount Elbert, sits the small village of Twin Lakes. Residence to simply underneath 200 individuals and a well-liked leaping off level for adventures within the Rockies, Twin Lakes is, unsurprisingly, nestled subsequent to 2 lakes. It’s positioned simply 21 miles southwest of Leadville and 36 miles east of Aspen. Every August, Twin Lakes additionally turns into dwelling to one of many busiest and most stress-filled assist stations in North American ultrarunning, on the Leadville 100 Mile.
With Leadville being an out-and-back course, runners undergo the Twin Lakes Assist Station twice, first at mile 38, and once more at mile 62. In between these two stops, they summit the enduring Hope Cross, at over 12,000 toes, twice. The cutoff instances at Twin Lakes are notoriously tight. The race begins at 4 a.m., and runners have to be via Twin Lakes “Outbound” by 1:30 p.m., and again via Twin Lakes “Inbound” by 10:15 p.m. Most years, because the cutoff instances strategy, the help station boundary appears extra like a end line than an assist station as runners battle to make it in underneath the cutoff, many instances with simply seconds to spare.
The primary drag via the Twin Lakes assist station on the Leadville 100 Mile. Photograph: Adam Ferdinandsen
The small village of Twin Lakes comes out in power for the race as the companies on the town — a basic retailer, a espresso store, and some meals vans — take pleasure in their most worthwhile weekend of the yr, because the a whole lot of crews and pacers descend upon the village to help their runners. Basically, the night time earlier than the race, a veritable tent metropolis is erected alongside the primary drag of city as pacers and crews arrange pop-up tents and different constructions with provides, decorations, and all method of issues to get them via the hours they’ll spend at Twin Lakes, awaiting their runners each coming and going. As race day dawns, these crews shortly grow to be a group and tales are shared, provides are exchanged, and the path group is on show in full power.
Annie Hughes along with her crew and pacer at Twin Lakes inbound, mile 62.5. She’d proceed on to win the 2021 Leadville 100 Mile. Photograph: Meredith Terranova
I’ve been lucky sufficient to be readily available at Twin Lakes throughout Leadville over the previous two years to help runners and be a part of the magic there. In these two years, I’ve been reunited with many elderly associates and related with a number of new ones. What strikes me most about Twin Lakes, is that on this age of overhyped commercialization and company activations nearly anyplace you look, this explicit spot has remained decidedly old-fashioned, in some ways representing, not less than to me, a crossroads of the game which is without delay welcoming to the outdated and embracing of the brand new. There’s not quite a lot of fanfare, simply quite a lot of enjoyable.
And so it’s that I might be heading again to Twin Lakes subsequent month once more to soak within the vibe, prod a number of runners alongside, have a good time that cutoff-induced stress, and perhaps, simply perhaps, discover that spark of inspiration that such locations maintain.
Bottoms up!
Adrian Macdonald runs via Twin Lakes inbound assist station at about mile 62.5 on his method to profitable the 2021 Leadville 100 Mile. Photograph: Meredith Terranova
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s beer of the week comes from Eddyline Brewing in Buena Vista, Colorado, 30 miles down the highway from Twin Lakes. Grapefruit Yanker IPA is a scrumptious fruity IPA that’s surprisingly balanced and tart. Under no circumstances bitter, with only a trace of mango, Grapefruit Yanker is a basic excessive altitude summer time beer.
Name for Feedback
- Have you ever carried out the Leadville 100 Mile?
- In that case, what are your recollections of Twin Lakes?