As you pull in to Crested Butte, the sign reads 8,885 feet. This should be your first indication that this won't be a terribly easy trail run. The birthplace of "extreme," Crested Butte is home to some of the toughest athletes around - harsh adventures are the norm. Nestled in a valley at the road's end, surrounded by towering peaks, Crested Butte's natural backyard provides a whirlwind of activities for the outdoor enthusiast.

The Gunnison/Crested Butte area is remote with a myriad of trails all over the county. With "epic" 30-mile trail runs like West Maroon/Buckskin/Trailriders/Frigidair pass, or just running over to Aspen for lunch via East Maroon Pass, Buttians are a little nutty! Take for example one of our popular after work runs, the Green Lake Trail.

The Green Lake Trail shouldn't turn into an adventure but definitely plan to set aside about two hours for an average roundtrip run. This nine-mile run starts right in town at the Crested Butte Nordic Center, with signs leading you up onto the "bench" just at the west edge of town. From the Nordic Center, the trail is well marked with signs at every intersection. This trail doesn't require a car shuttle, though a camera for the visitor is highly recommended!

The trail has nice loamy dirt with long switchbacks that are reasonably nice to warm up on, not gaining too much vertical at once. After about two miles of single track you get introduced to Heart Attack Hill. It's best at this point to slow things down a bit and work on saving some strength. After this four- minute Jeep road climb, you continue onto beautiful single track with a creek producing some of the most beautiful wildflowers groves you've ever seen. At this point, you get your first view of Mt. Axtel (12,055 feet); feel lucky you are only running to the glacial lake at the bottom.

The final 700 feet of the run is undulating with short, steep climbs that test your strength with just enough flats to conquer the next hill. Keep the goal in mind; you are approaching a beautiful alpine lake with spectacular views and cool water to jump into if you are so inclined.

Once at the top, it's time to stop and "Smell the Lupine." Break out that energy bar and rehydrate. The climb tested your hamstrings; now get ready to work the quads on the downhill. Due to the brutal climb and descent, a lightweight trail shoe with plenty of cushion is recommended, along with a water bottle holder that has room for food is ideal. Don't plan on speed work for several days after this run; recovery will take a while.

When retracing your steps back down, keep your vision focused as you'll want to stare off to the northeast with crazy views of the Maroon Bells. There are a few small streams to keep your feet cool, otherwise keep the speed closely monitored or your quads will really hate you next week!

This trail is also home to the Crested Butte Mountain Runner's ( www.visitcrestedbutte.com/mtnrunners) premiere event of the season, the "Grin & Bear It" trail run on July 23, 2005. The current male record holder is Tim Parr, who ran the out and back run in an amazing 67 minutes. The most difficult part of the trail for Tim "is the beautiful mountain you reach at Green Lake. You have to actually turn around at the base of the mountain, instead of gaining the top!"

Mind you that Tim has climbed all 54 of Colorado's 14'ers, and is an All-American on Western State College's cross-country and track and field teams. In 2004, he also competed in the World Mountain Running Championships.

If you are coming to the Crested Butte area and don't want all the elevation gain, check into the Lower Loop Trail (six miles out and back) paralleling the Slate River and starting at the northwest edge of town. One other recommendation might be the Upper Loop Trail which wraps around the base of Mt. Crested Butte from the northwest to southwest side of the mountain, spitting you out on Brush Creek Road near The Club at Crested Butte.

For more information on these trails, check with the The Alpineer, 419 6th Street, www.alpineer.com, (800) 847- 0244. For more information about the area, visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com or call (800) 814-8893.

Bryan Wickenhauser is a member of Team Crested Butte, an elite adventure racing team. He is married to a current Cross Country and Track & Field coach at Western State College. He can be reached at wick@teamcrestedbutte.com.