The Elk Mountains Grand Traverse was conceived by Jan Runge, Mike Martin, and Cathy Frank in the 1990’s.  The race’s genesis was partially based on the historical mail routes that connected the Colorado mining towns of Crested Butte and Aspen in the 1880s.  It also drew inspiration from the Patrouille des Glaciers, a point-to-point ski race in Switzerland which Runge had become familiar with in the 80’s.  In 1998, with the help of the community, Runge gave it a shot, sending a brave field of competitors from Crested Butte, over the Elk Mountains, to Aspen.  It worked, and the Extraordinary Backcountry Ski Race was born.

In 2012, event ownership was transferred to The Crested Butte Nordic Council, a nonprofit nordic ski area that provides 50km of cross country ski and snowshoe trails around Crested Butte.  The race is now a major fundraiser for the organization.