Walking together to reduce the environmental impact

“This is the place where I first fell in love with the mountains”, explained Dakota Jones in reference to San Juan Mountains (Colorado) where the mythical Hardrock 100 will be held on 15 July. Like Dakota, many people want to discover its trails and reddish peaks, excavated by thousands of miners in search of gold.

Many of them decide to spend the night at a local camping site. One of the most popular sites is South Mineral Creek, with its crystal-clear waterfall, and the Ice Lake Trail, both of which are frequented by hikers. The number of visitors has grown considerably in recent years, and although this represents a great opportunity for people to discover sport and the outdoors, it has also brought negative consequences. Among them, the increase in waste left by tourists, the degradation of natural areas and a rise in vandalism. In the San Juan region, one of the most dramatic moments was in 2020, when a forest fire destroyed part of the Ice Lake Trail and Clear Lake Road area.

NNormal is not only committed to runners and races, but also to people and the planet. For this reason, we want our visit to San Juan Mountains to also serve to support the local community and its surroundings. For this reason, we have participated in the initiatives of the San Juan Mountains Association, taking an active part in their activities to help conserve the local ecosystem.

These initiatives are, and will continue to be, one of our priorities and that is why we would also like the NNormal community to join in and work together to protect the planet.

Clean the trails with NNormal and SJMA

When?
Wednesday 13 July, 7.30—12am

Where?
South Mineral Creek, Silverton

To raise awareness about the environmental impact that is affecting the Silverton area, we have taken part in the activities of the San Juan Mountains Association to help clean the local trails and contribute to preventing forest fires and the degradation of the landscape.

The departure point will be Kendall Campground, at 07:30 am. There, we will split up into groups and after a talk to explain the objectives to be met, we will cover the area of South Mineral Creek. There, we will help in cleaning and rehabilitating the area along with the SJMA team.

At around 12:00 am we will meet up again and take stock of the day.

To take part in the activity, participants will donate $30 to the San Juan Mountains Association to help the association in its work in conserving and rehabilitating the area.

Register here

(there are only 20 places left)

Talk on commitment

When?
When?Thursday 14 July, 3–5pm

Where?
Coffee Bear, Silverton

The NNormal runners share a strong commitment to protect nature. Apart from individual activities, thinking about actions and initiatives that must be put into practice is key to allow us to move forward together towards a common goal. Kilian Jornet and Dakota Jones will be present at a talk organised by NNormal together with David Traft and Peyton Thomas (local specialists on the subject) to consider actions and initiatives that should be carried out to fight climate change and more specifically, in their local area. The talk will be followed by a round of questions and comments by those attending. If you would like to attend and ask the runners and specialists questions, please fill out the form below.

If you don’t get a place but are a member of our community, we’ll send you a link so you can listen to a recording of the talk.

Register here

(there are only 30 places left)

Talk on commitment

And remember... we’re still searching for a pacer for Kilian at Hardrock 100!

Apply here