Reflections on Moving to Boulder as a Trail Runner

People have feelings about Boulder, Colorado.

The city sports a number of unusual monikers such as "The People's Republic", "25 Square Miles Surrounded By Reality", and the Boulder Bubble, reflecting the uniqueness of the lifestyle. For some, Boulderites seem out of touch. But for athletes, it’s a mecca, a place where the dream is to spend days running Magnolia Road or climbing in Boulder Canyon.

Six months ago, I moved to Boulder, but not for these reasons. My daughter goes to school here, and I was tired of commuting from Lyons. It’s only a half-hour drive, but working from home made the extra hours in the car unbearable.

Life in Lyons

As a trail runner, I figured Boulder would be an equal trade for Lyons. Lyons has a couple of open space trails, mostly aimed at mountain bikers but great for running too. It’s also close to National Forest, BLM land, and about an hour from Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). When I lived there, it was very easy to get out into the wilderness, and there was a lot of it to explore.

I often ran deep into the Wild Basin or summited peaks seen from downtown Lyons, including sneaky early-morning missions into off-limits areas. In winter, I ran dirt farm roads under brilliant sunrises. I knew I’d miss some of that wilderness, but I figured Boulder would make up for it with its well-maintained trails. I wasn’t wrong— but it's only as my first season here draws to a close that I can fully appreciate the depths it has to offer for runners.

The People

Coming from a small town, the biggest thing I noticed right away when getting outside in Boulder was all the people.

On any given day in Chautauqua, I'll run past groups speaking all kinds of different languages. I hear a lot of German and French, but I've heard dialects from all over the world. When I stop to talk to them, they always express amazement at the beauty of the park. Sometimes they ask for directions to the Satellites or other popular bouldering/climbing spots.

Then there are the elites. I run past the world's best out here every day. Thankfully, I'm humble enough to know I won't be competing with them for any Strava segments, but it can feel a little strange to overhear gossip and drama about races and media coverage.

But the best people in Boulder are the friends I've made! Folks here are so open and welcoming. If I'm in the mood, I can team up for missions with buds many days a week, and it's not uncommon to come across other friends and join forces along the way. There's a real sense of camaraderie.

The Climate

Being from southern Colorado, I’m used to dry weather. But somehow, Boulder feels lush—at least as lush as a semi-arid environment can be. There are some pockets of the mountain parks here whose floral abundance consistently surprises me. There are ferns, and so many wildflowers! Don't forget the mountain streams. On most big runs, I don't worry about finding water, except late in the season when it's all been used for irrigation.

But the clouds are really what get me. We get a lot of cloud inversions. I can't count the days I've stood atop one of the local mountains and looked out at a carpet of clouds. I feel like I'm in the land of Jack in the land of the giant, and I could step onto it and walk across the sky.

Even from down in town, the clouds blow me away sometimes. I remember feeling the magic one spring morning where I saw a blanket of fog slowly crawling down the Flatirons like dragon's breath.

Everyone Runs the Same Trails (Especially Green Mountain)

When I announced my move to Boulder on Strava, my friend Lizzie joked that I'd soon be claiming: "Green Mountain is the greatest mountain in the world". I'm not at the point of saying that just yet, but I know what she meant.

People love Green. Outdoors culture is in an era where running and climbing are combining into this hybrid world of fast mountaineering, and this peak strikes the perfect balance between the two. I've heard it said: "there are runners who climb, and climbers who run". Green attracts both. Some love to run giant Green loops, using the variety of trails to get in all different kinds of training. My run coach, TJ David, told me "you could do an entire ultra training block on Green alone". On the other side, I know an abundance of people who moved to town to climb the Flatirons, and find themselves getting talked into 10+ mile missions. Green strikes a perfect balance between running and climbing, drawing athletes from both worlds.

Before I got here, I knew vaguely that there are a bunch of people who are out on the mountain every day. But now that I'm within a mile of the mountain itself, I am acutely aware of who is vying to become the talk of the town. Who can rack up the most summits, or the fastest summits up a sheer cliff face, or have the most unique lines stitching together obscure trails? People love to run and climb on Green, and everyone else likes to watch and gossip about it.

In the winter, the crew gets out and "hucks" themselves down the mountain in an attempt to set speed records with the snow serving as a crashpad. After each snowfall, some angelic soul sets an early alarm and heads up in the dark, breaking trail with shuffling foot steps. They call this "community service" - getting the paths ready for everyone else to run. Running on Green Mountain is an obsession.

There are a few other standard dirt runs in town: Lion's Lair on Mount Sanitas, Bear Mountain, and the trails around Wonderland Lake. Then there's the famous Skyline Traverse - a long route stitching together the five peaks seen along the western skyline when standing in Boulder. While there are many routes here to explore, the local trail scene revolves largely around this handful of favorites.

Alpine Access

I love running in the alpine each summer. I spend more time than I care to admit poring over maps and planning excursions into the high mountains.

Though I miss easy access to RMNP, the Indian Peaks Wilderness is just as tempting. In under an hour, I can be at Hessie Trailhead, heading out on trails like the iconic 16-mile High Lonesome Loop or Skyscraper Reservoir. The area around Nederland is full of runnable alpine terrain and breathtaking sights.

Alternatively, you can hike to Lost Lake, the home of Instagram influencers looking for the perfect shot and groups of shirtless college bros blasting pop on their JBL speakers. A little further up a 4x4 road is the Fourth of July trailhead, with access to South Arapaho and Neva peaks, among others.

I was aware of these options before I got here, but what I wasn't prepared for was how tempting they would be. With so many great options close to home, it's become harder and harder to justify going further afield to get my marmot fix. These routes are eminently runnable for alpine terrain, and the sights are breathtaking. Between the alpine and the runs in town, it feels like I could spend a lifetime running novel routes a quick drive from my front door.

Flora, Fauna and the Wild

One thing that motivates me personally about running is being in touch with the wild. Not just in the trite sense of the word "wilderness", but actually encountering and relating with things that are decidedly not part of civilized society. At times, dangerous things.

I love that living in Boulder puts me in close proximity to things that are not for humans. An easy example is the poison ivy. Of course, plenty of places have that, but how often do people seek out places it inhabits with as much hunger as Boulderites? Bear Canyon is a very popular route, and the PI loves it. But we still go. Just bring tall socks.

Similarly, there are plenty of predators found here, along with other animals living their own lives despite us. A few examples from my year include rattlesnakes, coyotes, mule deer, bears, and foxes. And in the high country, weasels, stoats, elk, and moose. Many routes are also closed annually so Golden Eagles and other raptors can nest there undisturbed. Knowing that these creatures are out there, because I've met them firsthand (I almost stepped on the head of a certain local rattlesnake recently), makes life feel bigger. When a bear is just a picture in a book or a spiritual symbol, it's within the realm of human idea. When I've had the experience of coming across one and feeling my heart jump into my throat, I deeply know that there is a world much bigger than me. Living here, I'm reminded of that all the time.

Scrambling in the Flatirons

I find that I can't write a list of things that strike me about being outdoors in Boulder without mentioning one of the most unique things we do here: scrambling.

Living in this age of digital voyeurism, it's likely that any runner in the area will be aware that there is a low-angle-for-a-rock-climb route called Freeway on the Second Flatiron, and that people go up it. It's not exactly running or climbing, but somewhere in between.

It took me a long time to work up to trying Freeway. When I did, I took it slow and got a lot of help and support from trusted friends. After all, I'm much more a runner who climbs than the reverse. Now that some time has passed and I've put some reps in, it's become a favorite. The camaraderie of scrambling with a friend can't be matched by anything else I've done outside.

On any given day, you can see all kinds of happy people out for a semi-vertical stroll on Freeway. From couples, to tourists, to climbing specimens putting down blazing fast times (up or down), to simple trail runners like me, it always feels like a celebration and a party up there. On a recent morning, there was even a pop-up café at the top!

Now What?

As my first season in Boulder draws to a close, I wonder what's next. Half a year isn't a lot of time, and I intend to be here for a while. Over the coming years, I expect to discover more obscure places, make new friends, and find new adventures. Boulder is a great place to be a trail runner, and I’m happy to be here.