Join us for Canya Cañon 2021! This year’s event is virtual which allows you to run the course with your family, a small group of friends, or alone to maximize safety during this ongoing pandemic. We have put together a new course that features the new Daniel’s Pass trail and some of the other newer trails that were opened in the park this past year. These trails were funded, in part, by Friends of Cheyenne Cañon and made possible from donations by people like you. Registration is required for this event and donations of $10 are suggested, but not required. If you make a donation you will be entered to win a painting of Cheyenne Cañon by local artist, Charles Morgenstern.
How does a virtual race work?
Dates
Complete the course any time between November 13th and November 26th.
Course
The course is 15 km or 9.34 miles. It has about 2,300 ft of elevation gain.
Here is a link to the course in CalTopo. https://caltopo.com/m/1UJ27
Here is a gpx file of the route that you can download and then import to your device of preference.
Canya Cañon gpx file
Here is a turn-by-turn course description:
From the Starsmore Nature Center, run around the building to the left and continue left and up the Columbine Trail.
Stay on Columbine until the junction with the newer Creekside trail and turn left onto Creekside.
At the next junction on Creekside take a sharp left (EASY TO MISS) and cross the log bridge and the road to continue up the Cutler Trail.
Follow the Cutler Trail up past the Cutler/Muscoco junction and continue to the summit of Cutler.
From the summit of Cutler return down to the Cutler/Muscoco junction and continue on the Muscoco Trail to the Muscoco summit. Take note of the junction with the new Sweetwater/Daniel’s Pass trail system on your way up.
From the Muscoco summit return down to the junction with the new Sweetwater/Daniel’s Pass trail system. The map we have been shown by the city says this will be called the Muscoco Trail.
You will come to a junction with Sweetwater Canyon, but continue right to the Daniels Pass Saddle. Follows arrows on the sign that says, “TO DANIELS PASS TRAIL.”
From the Daniels Pass Saddle continue right down the new Daniel’s Pass Trail. You will see a sign and follow the arrow that says, “DANIELS PASS TRAILHEAD.”
Stay on the Daniels Pass Trail until you see the bridge at the bottom. Cross the road and continue up the connector trail to Upper Columbine.
When the connector trail intersects with Columbine, turn right. You will initially be heading uphill on Columbine but will quickly head downhill back towards Starsmore.
Follow Columbine all of the way back to Starsmore and don’t forget to stop your watch!
Results and Prizes
The fastest female and male finishers will receive a painting of Cheyenne Cañon from local artist, Charles Morgenstern of TetraModal. To be considered for these awards, please document your run in some way. If you use a GPS watch you can submit a link to your GPS track or to Strava. If you do not use a GPS watch then please consider documenting in some other way like photographing the time of day on your watch that you started and finished your run. We trust that we can use the honor system since this is a small, benefit run. Please do not cheat!
