Skimo races are the fastest growing winter endurance challenge in the country, blending uphill fitness and technique with downhill skills and stamina. Whether you're dipping your toes as a beginner or competing at the upper echelon of the sport, skimo that challenges everyone from backcountry skiers and ski mountaineers who want to test their limits, or even runners and cyclists looking for a new love in the winter.
Cripple Creek Backcountry is proud to sponsor many race series across the country. Below, we have rated the races from local evening races to world class ultra endurance events.
LOCAL SKIMO RACE SERIES
Colorado Races
Sunlight Moonlight Race Series
Located close to our original shop in Carbondale Carbondale, Sunlight embodies a true locals and family experience. Their friendly and accessible Moonlight race series further shows their unwavering support for the sport. With four races throughout the season, these are perfect training events to further your skills and test your endurance in a laid back atmosphere that encourages all skill levels.
Make sure you bring a good headlamp as these races happen after the sun sets on un-lit courses.
Choose the short or long course option, with both being completed in roughly an hour depending on skill level. The short course goes up to the top of the mountain one time on a challenging track with steep pitches, kick turns through low angle aspen trees and a bootpack to practice your transitions. The downhill is a mellow groomer that's good for all levels with just enough darkness to spice it up. The long course has a second lap from the base to the warming hut on top and a steeper ski down Joslin.
Since the course is the same every race, you can track your progress throughout the winter and alleviate the stress of route finding once you learn the course.
The best feature is that the Sunlight bar stays open late with a free cookie and the best price on drinks at any ski resort bar!
Located around our Avon shop the Vail Rec center is another great beginner opportunity to try a skimo race. These races happen four times throughout the season during the day time and on a unique course every time. These are great for beginners as the courses are friendly and no little sport specific gear is required.
*The first two races are of the “vertical” discipline as they only count the uphill.
Jan 11th Beaver Creek
With 2000 feet of vertical gain this is an uphill only race and expects racers of all types. If you only have running shoes with traction spikes, you are still welcome to come out and see what racing uphill is all about.
Vail Arrowhead Uphill Jan 25th
See how fast you can ascend the 1700 feet of vertical gain from the base of the Arrow Bahn Lift to the top. The event will conclude with breakfast and awards at Broken Arrow Restaurant.
Vail Mountain Winter Uphill Feb 8th
Skiers, snowboarders and winter runners are invited to tackle 2,200 vertical feet of groomed trails to reach Eagle's Nest at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola in Lionshead. The event will conclude with breakfast and awards at Eagle's Nest, provided by Vail Ski Resort and US Foods.
Washington Races
Wildside WESTern Series by Snowgoat Skimo
Whether you're new to racing or want to practice your technique, this race series is a great opportunity. Each race has a little bit of everything, from skinning to transitioning to even a bootpack and some skate skiing. The hardest section for skiing is a short one on the black diamond Thunderbolt run before it levels out.
NEXT LEVEL RACES
Colorado Races
Cripple Creek Backcountry is proud to support the next tier of races. Shorter than the “Grand Courses” you can race them faster, with less gear and still push yourself to a marathon level endurance event, without the wear and tear on the body of running!
Bigger, better, and bolder in 2025! After an epic first year, we’re back with this thrilling endurance challenge that will push your limits. Whether you’re flying solo or teaming up with friends, this classic test of stamina is not to be missed! This is a unique event as you get to choose the difficulty and team up with friends in this relay race style event
Race against the clock as an individual or in teams of 2 or 4 to see how many laps you can conquer on our 1,800-vertical-foot Sun King uphill route in 12 hours. Skin up, ski down, and repeat and stay warm at the base area while your teammates are carrying the torch. The course is non technical so this is a great for newer participants but an individual can push themselves longer than any other race in the country.
The longest running skimo race in Colorado. For a little mountain, the Sunlight Heathen Challenge packs in one of the most beautiful and technical courses in the country. Race through beautiful meadows and aspen glades with nearly 100% single track skinning. Although the ascents are low angle the skiing is steep and challenging with a culminating descent down the Heathen, originally one of the steepest trails in the state.
A short course option features one lap with a variety of transitions and a scenic boot pack and is the perfect next step in your skimo development.
Originally the qualify for the US National team the long course features 3 long uphills, with two unique boot packs and enough kick turns to challenge the most experience racer. The descents are steep thin and harrowing with a rugged ski off the top of neighboring Williams’s peak!
Washington Races through Snowgoat Skimo
Snowgoat Skimo hosts a few next-level races in Washington too, for racers in search of leveling up their challenge.
Verfest at Alpental
Check on Vertfest at Alpental on February 15th 2025 for a mass shotgun start, steep bootpacks, challenging skinning, and some intense skiing down Upper International. This Vertical only event is a 1,700' race to the top of Armstrong. While it's a challenge, fun is of course welcomed too, and participants are even encouraged to race in costume - with prize opportunities for the "best in costume" winner.
WY'Easter Skimo Race
Wy’easter 2025 is a USA Skimo National Cup event! The National Cup Series showcases 4 - 6 races across the nation and participants accumulate points. At the end of the season, the top 3 podium positions are awarded medals for the Individual, Sprint, and Vertical races. The Wy’easter Skimo Series will be offering 3 courses over two days where participants will skin, ski/splitboard, and bootpack (or some combination of these).
This race is on March 29th for the Individual race or March 30th for the Sprint. Both are at Mount Hood.
THE GRAND COURSES
Modeled after big European races like the PDG the Grand Traverse and the Power of 4 are some of the longest races in North America.
The Aspen Snowmass Power of 4 and Power of 2
The Power of 4 has over 11,000 feet of vertical spread out on a 25 mile course linking the four mountains of Snowmass, Buttermilk, Highlands and Aspen mountain. The skin tracks are non technical but the duration of climbs are never ending.
The Elk Mountain Grand Traverse
For over 25 years the Grand Traverse has been challenging backcountry skiers and racers of all levels. Skiing 40 miles through the night is never easy as racers face cold conditions, freezing water and high elevations. Don't let the low angle nature of this course fool you his is a true adventure race as much as a ski mountaineering objective and skiing down star pass in the dark is a true challenge.