History: A classic race survives

In the Sept. 25, 1986 issue of The Aspen Times, Boulderite Sheldon Larson was declared the winner of that year’s Golden Leaf mini-marathon with a time of 1:21:16. He beat “fellow Boulderite Greg Stone and Aspenite Juan Ackerman by a matter of minutes.” The Golden Leaf run, which took place “in classically beautiful fall weather,” was the final race in a five-race Rocky Mountain race series that included the Kentall Mountain trail run and Imogene Pass road race and which Larson was also the winner. There were course changes in 1986 due to conflict over the trail route, which traditionally followed the Government Trail from Snowmass Village to Aspen by way of Buttermilk. The developers of the 18-hole golf course at the base of Buttermilk and local governments had to negotiate to provide access to the popular trail, portions of which went across their land.