10th Annual Middle Creek Flyathlon
When: August 2nd-4th, 2024 (new date!)
Where: Saguache, CO
Number of Participants: 60
Fishing Difficulty: EASY
Running Difficulty: MODERATE
Long Course Length: 13 miles (~2000 feet vertical gain / loss)
Short Course Length: 7 miles (~1000 feet vertical gain / loss)
Course Map and Elevation Profile: Details about the Middle Creek Flyathlon long course can be found here. The short course is the same, minus the starting loop…
Registration: Registration for the 2024 10th Annual Middle Creek Flyathlon will open on March 16th, 2024 at 8 am mountain time at this website. Early registration will begin a week earlier (on March 9th, 2024 at 8 am mountain time) for those folks who are willing to commit to a higher level of fundraising ($500).
When: August 2nd-4th, 2024 (new date!)
Where: Saguache, CO
Number of Participants: 60
Fishing Difficulty: EASY
Running Difficulty: MODERATE
Long Course Length: 13 miles (~2000 feet vertical gain / loss)
Short Course Length: 7 miles (~1000 feet vertical gain / loss)
Course Map and Elevation Profile: Details about the Middle Creek Flyathlon long course can be found here. The short course is the same, minus the starting loop…
Registration: Registration for the 2024 10th Annual Middle Creek Flyathlon will open on March 16th, 2024 at 8 am mountain time at this website. Early registration will begin a week earlier (on March 9th, 2024 at 8 am mountain time) for those folks who are willing to commit to a higher level of fundraising ($500).
The Middle Creek Long Course includes the WTF Hill loop, while the Short Course is an out and back up Cow Skull Hill...
Event Description: Held annually near the small Colorado town of Saguache, the Middle Creek Flyathlon is our flagship Flyathlon event. This “race” is actually a celebration of the priceless public watersheds like Middle Creek that can be found throughout the American West.
On Friday night, we gather at the Upper Crossing Guard Station to share fine craft beers from around the country and go over the rules.
Bright and early Saturday morning, we convene at the Middle Creek trailhead which sits at the end of a 10 mile dirt road in the Rio Grande National Forest. A few words are spoken, a crappy domestic beer is sacrificed, and then flyathletes are off.
Short Course
The “short course” winds past a mile or so of Middle Creek beaver ponds that are teeming with brook trout and the occasional large brown trout (who eats small brook trout). At this point, the trail crosses East Middle Creek, and makes a hard right up into the East Middle Creek watershed. Downed Aspen trees and small water make casting challenging in East Middle, but the brook trout are naive (fish biologist term for dumb) and plentiful.
The final half-mile of the out part of this 7 mile out-and-back course is an aggressive climb to the checkpoint on the top of Cow Skull Hill, named for a moldy cow skull that graces the summit. Decaying ungulate parts aren’t the only gem that this hill has to offer, as rumor has it that the elusive whiskey bush lurks somewhere near the checkpoint…
Most importantly, beyond the checkpoint lie hallowed waters that house a San Luis Valley treasure, the native Rio Grande cutthroat trout. If you are fortunate enough to catch (and quickly release) one of these beauties during competition, you are awarded a double fish bonus at the finish, a difference maker that has crowned champions!
Long Course
The “long course” is the short course with a really cruel additional 5 mile loop added on. The first part of this loop climbs then descends a hill with the nicest trail in the valley. I know this, because flyathletes built this trail in 2016 with a lot of help from Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. Seriously, you could skateboard down this hill.
At the bottom of the hill, long coursers turn left and follow an overgrown trail up Indian Creek, which is also loaded with brookies. After crossing Indian Creek for a second time, the “trail” begins to climb steeply up WTF Hill. Named for the aspen forest that seems to be collapsing all around you (i.e. White Tree Falling), this part of the course has been called “unpleasant” by more than one competitor. At the top of WTF Hill, the course rolls through a beautiful aspen grove on its return to the starting line, where the out-and-back portion of our endurance flyathletes begins…
After the race is over, the real fun begins back at the Upper Crossing Guard station. Fine Colorado craft beers compliment a delicious catered meal. Awards are presented to the top finishers and fundraisers, and a grand champion is crowned following a corn hole / BB rifle cage match battle…
We hope you will join us in Middle Creek some day.
Here is a video that captures the essence of the Middle Creek Flyathlon, put together by our friends at Tenkara USA…
As many of you have experienced over the years, the weather at this time of year is unpredictable, the fish aren’t terribly bright, and the after-party is world class.
Because this race is a fundraising race, we have a requested fundraising minimum of $250 per flyathlete. Money raised will go towards on-the-ground projects with a native trout focus. If you want to participate and this amount of fundraising is prohibitive, please send me an email with your rationale and we can try to work around it.