Caroline Gleich running 50 Miles Through Bears Ears in a day

Описание: Last fall, I decided to run my first 50 miler on land that was formerly protected (and is now re-protected thanks to Secretary Haaland and President Biden) as the Bears Ears National Monument. My goal was to raise $5,000 that will go directly to Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition to support their creation of a groundbreaking, Indigenous led land management policy for Bears Ears. I called it the Bears Ears 50 mile Hope Run, because we were hopeful that a new administration will reinstate the Monument (which they did).

I’ve written before about my own mental health challenges. At this time, I needed nature and time on the trail more than ever. Running has been where I go to find a sense of calm and I’m so grateful my knees and my body allow me to move in this way. Nature can heal us, and in the words of Charissa Wahsascuk-Jesseppe, head of operations at the Inter-Tribal Coalition, when we give to the land, the land gives back to us. This is a way for me to heal and to in turn support tribal leaders protect and heal the land of Bears Ears.

The run began at Bears Ears Butte, a pair of Buttes that have long been held as sacred by a number of Native American Tribes. Bears Ears is home to over 100,000 archeological sites. The first 25 miles takes place in the desert alpine around 9000' of elevation, high on Elk Ridge Road. Then, the landscape slowly begins to change as you descend, first overlooking Canyonlands, before finally descending into Indian Creek. The entire route is on back, dirt roads where vehicles/crew can access anytime.

If you decide to run this route, please respect Bears Ears and abide by these guidelines provided by the Bears Ears Intertribal Coalition, as the land is of cultural and spiritual importance to many Indigenous communities today.

-If you happen upon a cultural site, please enjoy it from afar.

-Please do not climb in/on or touch ancestral structures - they are extremely fragile and still used in ceremonial practices today.

-Please do not reveal a site's location, GPS coordinates, utilize geotags on social media, as this can attract large foot traffic to an unprotected space.

-Please refrain from touching rock art, or making your own. These images contain stories told from generation to generation.

-Please leave all cultural objects (such as pottery pieces and corn cobs) as you found them; do not remove them from their places of rest and take them as souvenirs. These objects are crucial to passing along knowledge and connecting communities to their ancestors.

In planning my run, I consulted with Indigenous leadership as well as outdoor folks to create a route that others would want to visit. Before we can become fierce advocates for the land, we have to love the land. Charissa Wahsascuk-Jesseppe, head of operations for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, reminded me that Bears Ears is a place of healing and encouraged me to maintain a positive mentality on the landscape because when we give to the land, it gives back to us.

I hope this run will encourage runners to continue to show up and speak up on behalf of our beloved outdoor spaces. We need everyone to come to the table to be involved in land management planning.

Thank you to Rob Lea and Lila RBG for being the best crew ever, to David Roche from SWAP for the coaching and guidance, to Josh Ewing from Friends of Cedar Mesa for helping me map and plan the route, and to Len Necefer from Natives Outdoors, Alastair Bitsoi, Davina Smith, and Charissa Wahsascuk-Jesseppe and Cassaundra Pino from the Bears Ears Intertribal Coalition for their leadership and guidance in helping me plan a route and do this run in a way that respects Indigenous voices. Thanks to Clif Bar and Patagonia for financially supporting the film, and Michelle Smith for all her help editing.

Thank you to everyone who donated to support the run. We exceeded our fundraising goal, bringing in over $16K for the land-management plan.

Filmed on Ute, Diné, Paiute, Zuni, Hopi and Pueblo land.