Fires raged in the Rockies, it was unclear if the 2026 Silver Rush 50MTB in Leadville, Colorado would even occur. We checked for updates and speculated, but we set out west, as planned, on the 1st of July without fear, without worry. Brown was entered and paid up, his second Siver Rush 50, I signed on as medic, media coordinator, and part time chef. Every mountain bike rider needs a crew.
The webpage description of the race...
Put your grit, guts and determination to the test with a 50-mile course that packs more punch (per mile) than even the mighty Race Across the Sky. From technical climbs to high-speed descents, the Silver Rush 50 MTB takes riders across Leadville’s breathtaking panoramas and under the shadow of 14,000-foot Rocky Mountain peaks. With 8,000 feet of elevation gain over 50 miles, Silver Rush offers the perfect trial run — and qualifying event — for the Race Across The Sky.
I'll do what I can, stay silent when best to stay silent, speak up when when needed. Keep the tunes down in the evening and up in the afternoon.
By the end, it's 2 nights in Palo Duro canyon, 1 night near the Capalin volcano, and 8 nights in Leadville. Plan A, but we got plan B ready to plan, and plan C if it comes to it. Even our plans have plans. But, somehow, through it all, we have no plans. We'll know by Tuesday, the race organizers wrote, head this way, stay close. It's Leadville or bust, into the smoke.
