MOUNTAIN MILES
by Justin BuschMountain running from Golden, Colorado. Stories from the trail and honest gear reviews, tested the hard way.

ABOUT
I'm a mountain runner based in Golden, Colorado. I've been in the state since 2009, with two years in Breckenridge and four in Vail before putting down roots in Golden in 2016, and the Front Range has been my training ground ever since.I've raced ultras for years across the 50-mile and 100k distances and finished the Run Rabbit Run 100, but these days what I love most is long days in the mountains with friends. I used to lead runs for Golden Mountain Runners, and the best miles are still the shared ones. Off the trail it's strength training, meditation, photography, and cooking, usually in that order after a long run.I've also spent years inside the outdoor industry, from Altra to selling synthetic insulation for Thermore, which is where my gear opinions come from: real miles, not press releases.Mountain Miles is named for the mountains I run and for Miles, my favorite future running partner.THE JOURNALTrail stories and gear reviews, delivered free.Race reports, route notes, training lessons learned the hard way, and reviews of the gear I actually run in. Right now that's Topo Athletic shoes, a Black Diamond vest, a Suunto on the wrist, and Gnarly Nutrition in the bottles. If it earns a spot in my kit, you'll know why. If it doesn't, you'll know that too.New posts land in your inbox. No spam, no paywall, just miles.New on the Substack: Four Lakes and a Ridge: An Epic Day in the Gore RangeTwenty-seven miles. Nine hours. Four alpine lakes and one ridgeline that feels like flying.
Pat and I went deep into the Gore Range for the long Eaglesmere loop, past Mirror Lake, Upper Cataract, and Surprise Lake, up onto Elliot Ridge with the high peaks stacked on both sides. Snowfields in June, cold water filtered straight from the creeks, and the kind of quiet that only shows up a long way from the trailhead.Back to the Start Line: Devil on the Divide 50K
It’s official. I just signed up for the Devil on the Divide 50K on September 12 in Empire, Colorado, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
It’s been a while. My last ultra finish was the summer of 2019, when I ran the Never Summer 100K and Run Rabbit Run 100 a few months apart. Since then the record is thinner: a trail marathon in 2020, Collegiate Peaks in 2022, and a DNF at San Juan Solstice in 2023 that I’ve been quietly carrying around ever since. Life filled in the space between races, in mostly good ways. But the itch never left. It just waited.
Devil on the Divide is the right race to come back to. It’s a high-alpine grind along the Continental Divide, with long stretches above treeline, real climbing, and the kind of rocky, exposed terrain that makes Colorado mountain running what it is. Most of the course lives between 10,000 and 13,000 feet. You don’t fake your way through it.
That’s exactly why I signed up.
Training starts now. The plan is simple in concept and hard in execution: build the weekly base, stack vert, get durable on long descents, and spend as much time as possible on the actual course. Butler Gulch, Herman Gulch, and the CDT are about to see a lot of me.
I’ll be documenting the whole build here on Mountain Miles, from the big recon days to the unglamorous mid-week grinds, along with what I’m learning about fueling, gear, and getting my racing legs back after seven years away from an ultra finish line.
Sixty-one days until the gun goes off. Let’s get to work.
If you’re running Devil on the Divide too, or coming back to racing after time away, hit reply and tell me about it. I’d love to hear what you’re chasing.
GALLERYThe Front Range, on foot.
Sunrise ridgelines, mid-race grimaces, and the views that make the climbing worth it. All shot on the run.

LET'S TALKWorking on something in the trail or outdoor space, or just want to talk routes and gear? Reach out.Golden, ColoradoMountain Miles · Golden, CO © 2026 Justin Busch