Field Notes: High Desert to Cloudcroft 50K

I started this race peeling off a throwaway layer in the warm desert dawn and finished it pulling gloves back on in the cool Cloudcroft pines. That transition is the whole point.

Weather reality

The desert start was already in the 60s before sunrise and climbed fast. By the high point the wind had real bite. Pack for two seasons.

Travel & logistics

Fly into El Paso, rent a car, and give yourself a buffer day to drive up and acclimate. The point-to-point shuttle is non-negotiable — read the race manual twice.

Would I travel for it again?

Yes. It's a rare course where the landscape changes underneath you.