Narbona Pass

I just finished a 10K race that started and finished at 8500 foot level Narbona Pass, about 75 miles east of Chinle as the crow flies. The race was what I now call "Navajo Tough" meaning very steep with lots of sand and rocks on the trail  The course rose to 9500 feet at mile three with great views for a hundred miles in each direction. It was the largest of the Navajo Nation races to date with 400 in the 5K and 300 in the 10K.

Narbona Pass runs through the Chuska Mountains and is named for a Navajo Chief who defeated the Spanish coming through the pass about 1820.  Up until 20 years ago it was named "Washington Pass" which was named for a US Army major who came through the area in the mid 19th century and killed and enslaved many Navajo.  For the Navajo it was like the Israelis having a major street named after Adolf Hitler.  Thankfully the state of New Mexico gave the Navajo permission to rename the pass so that now on all official maps it is "Narbona Pass".   The pass is very scenic with alpine meadows and lots of Pondorosa Pine trees and a nice picnic are by the side of the road.  It is a popular place for the Navajo on the 4th of July but the rest of the year there are few people. It is usually 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the valley below which was over 100o today.