Its the iconic backdrop to Bozeman MT, the Bridger Mountains. At the top there’s a little trail that runs almost 20 miles from Fairy Lake to the M Trail parking lot. It’s not for everyone but I really believe almost anyone can do it, but they are going to have to really want to do it. The Bridger Ridge trail is classified in some trail apps as difficult. Yup that it is. With 6800 ft elevation gain the runners/hikers/walkers on the Bridger Ridge Run take on varying terrain, rocky slopes, narrow single track trails through the trees and multiple steep climbs.

It may make you wonder why someone would choose to do it let alone do it 5 times. It’s a good question and not sure I could adequately put into words why I have finished this race 5 times and at 49 years old I prepare to complete my 6th Bridger Ridge Run. All I know is that despite it’s challenging terrain this race has nestled into a space in my heart and my soul. It’s rugged, it’s beautiful. More than once you’ll want to quit. But it keeps calling me back.

The race starts before 7 am at the Fairy Lake camp ground. Runners start in waves determined by their finish time. The course starts with a couple miles of switchbacks up a wide bowl that eventually leads runners up a scree trail ultimately summiting Sacajawea peak at 9665 ft. You will then traverse the scree field, descend into the tree line for a several mile meandering jog before reaching Ross Pass. When you enter the meadow at Ross Pass you can look up at the peak towering over you at 9003ft. You’re grateful to be on relatively level ground at this point and your spirits are buoyed by the site of a check point with snacks and cheerful volunteers.

Oh but wait. Here comes what I affectionately call “the wall”. Truly this almost 1 mile of uphill is straight up putting any and all stair climbs to shame.   One can only keep their gaze a few feet in front of them, placing one foot up the hill (wall) in front of them and use all their hamstring and glute muscles to pull themselves upward. There’s a sweet little victory song in your head when you reach the top and feel some “flat-ish” terrain again. But this terrain is rugged, rocky and has it’s own ups and downs, but the wall is behind you and that’s a good thing.

At this point you’re wondering why you signed up for this. In my case why do I keep signing up for this?  But you know that you have just a short couple miles to the halfway point, the Bridger aid station at the top of the Bridger Bowl ski lift. This is where some lovely volunteers will refill your water bladder, give you potato chips and cookies and cheer on your efforts with affirming words that will make you smile and make you believe that you are going to do this!

Something to note here, once you’re halfway done and past the Bridger aid station, you can’t turn back. There really is no good place to come off the mountain after the this aid station.  So you HAVE to keep going.

Next you’ll summit Saddle Peak at 9160ft. Yes its two peaks with a saddle in between so gear up those legs for a climb, dip, climb. Be sure to stop and look around as the 360 degree views are amazing. After summitting Saddle Peak, you’ll have a bit of a scramble down on some rocky surface before getting a short flat section )as in some rolling terrain that after what you’ve been through will feel flat enough) to gather some strength for another ascent before the trail spits you out with Baldy (8914 ft) in sight.

Once you hit Baldy its 4-5 miles (depending on which way you go at the end) of rugged and steep downhill. The terrain is beautiful as you pass from loose scree coming off Baldy to grassy meadows and trees to rocky trail threatening to trip you up as you desperately work towards the finish line.

In the last few miles as you approach the M, I promise you, you will wish you were going up hill. Those quads will be burning and your toes will be screaming for it to be over as they jam into the end of your shoe with every step.

Aah, but then you get to the M and you can see the parking lot. But better than that, you can hear the cheers of the friends and family gathered at the finish line. A tear may form at this point as you are minutes away from finishing. Their voices muffled but loud enough and punctuated by the ringing of a cow bell or two lift your spirits like your soaring on eagles wings. The sound propels each foot in front of the other like a magnet that your body has to move towards. You’ve done it, almost.

There’s two ways down. You can go right at the M and have a flatter, switched back, trail but its about 1.5 miles to the finish. Or go left and descend a steep rocky trail that will further test your quads and toes for another half mile. Either way takes about the same amount of time if you jog the long way down.

Either way you choose to finish, you’re you’re almost done. There is an indescribable feeling of joy when you cross that finish line. No matter how many times you finish the Bridger Ridge Run, the end feels good! Once I finish, I look back up to the ridge. I lift my eyes to the mountains. I give thanks to the mountain for letting me be it’s guest for a few hours. I give thanks to my almost 50 year old body for hanging in there and carrying me the distance. And I give thanks to my heavenly father for the blessing if simply being able to be out there one more time.

There’s probably many different reasons for a person to enter the Bridger Ridge Run. Probably as many reasons as their are runners in the race. Whatever your reason is for running the Bridger Ridge Run, I hope you’ll run the course with health, strength and blessings to cross the finish line….one more time!