The Irwin snow cat skiing area located just outside of Irwin, Colorado will be the venue for the Irwin Guides Ski Mountaineering Race, presented by Griggs Orthopedics and Millet on December 6th, 2014. Located just miles from Crested Butte above the old mining townsite of Irwin in the Ruby Range of the Elk Mountains, the opening event of the USSMA Series will showcase the fastest backcountry ski racers in North America. The start of the race will be at nearly 10,400 feet and take racers to the top of Scarp Ridge at 12,100 feet three separate times for a total of almost 5,000 feet of elevation change in the course of the 10-plus mile race. This isolated venue can only be accessed by snowcat or snowmobile in the winter months, creating a truly unique backcountry experience for a racers and spectators alike. Snowcat trips leave from Irwin Guide HQ on 330 Belleview, at 6:15 a.m. and at 8:15 a.m. The race begins at 10 a.m. 

The Saturday evening awards party will be held in conjunction with the CB Avalanche Center’s Avy Awareness night party. We will have awards for Men/Women U23, Overall & Masters (45yrs+) & a recreation course. Sunday morning, the second of five US Team Qualifiers will take place with a CBMR/Griggs Orthopedics Vertical Race at 8 a.m. at Crested Butte Mountain Resort.  

Additional race venue information and athlete registration is available at www.elkmountainevents.com and http://www.ussma.org/. ​For questions or more information, contact the Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce at (970) 349-6438.