Adventure Résumé

Photo: Eliza Earle

I was undeniably privileged to have access to the outdoors as a child. Not only did my childhood home have a backyard, but we were also nestled along rolling hills that bordered a State Park. Coyotes, horses, opossums, and mountain lions roamed those hills, and so did I. My father grew up hunting with his father, so he was adamant about taking us kids camping even as infants.

My father loved planting, saving the tadpoles from drought, and nurturing a sense of curiosity in all of us. This blossomed into something completely unexpected in my life and in the life of my family, to be honest. After graduating from the University of California, Riverside, I found myself as a cashier in Yosemite National Park, living, working, and meeting people leading lifestyles I had no knowledge about. Thus, a saga of knowing oneself through ultrarunning, rock climbing, and backcountry adventure had begun. These methods of movement provide purpose and place for my writing as much as they provide purpose and place for my physical body, and for the learning and acknowledgment of my mixed heritage.

– Sara Aranda (she/her)

Running/Fastpacking

TEAMS, SPONSORS, & UPCOMING EVENTS

PAST RACES

View my UltraSignup profile.

View my Fastest Known Time profile.

2025 FKTs

  • Black Forest Regional Park Loop (CO): A lollipop route through the regional park. ~6.9 miles, 761 ft of gain, 58m 54s. Supported (due to film crew being present). Ute, Cheyenne, Lipan Apache, Arapaho.

2024 FKTs

  • Mt. Kimball up and down: From parking lot to summit and back. ~9.8 miles, 4252 ft of gain, 3h 6m 52s. Unsupported. Sobaipuri, Tohono O’odham, O’odham Jewed, Hohokam.
  • Lowest to Highest (CA): From Timbisha (Badwater, Death Valley) to Tumanguya (Mt Whitney) via off-trail, dirt roads, and single-track. Part of my ReNew Earth Running Fundraiser. ~132 miles, 34,262 ft of gain, 2d 15h 29m. Supported. Timbisha Shoshone, Kawaiisu, Newe Sogobia, Nüümü/Paiute, Tübatulabal.
  • Yosemite River2River2River: From Swinging Bridge you ascend to Yosemite Point and back, and then up to Glacier Point and back. ~20 miles, 6844 ft of gain, 4h 49m 41s. Self-supported. Awhanechee, Me-wuk/Central Sierra Miwok, Nüümü/NorthernPaiute

2024 ReNew Earth Running funds raised: $2,422;
split between RER and the Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone
Reservation Environmental Department

2023 FKTs

  • Golden Cyn to Zabriskie to Gower Gulch: A loop route that includes reaching Zabriskie Point in Death Valley NP, CA. Part of my ReNew Earth Running Fundraiser. ~6.5 miles, 1148 ft of gain, 58m 6s. Unsupported. Timbisha Shoshone.
  • Bishop Sky Marathon: A point-to-point route; I went northbound from North Lake Trailhead to Pine Creek Trailhead through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA. Part of my ReNew Earth Running Fundraiser. ~25 miles, 4314 ft of gain, 5h 28m 43s. Unsupported. Nüümü/Paiute, Nyyhmy, Eastern Mono/Monache.
  • The Alpaca Loop: A loop route that includes summiting i a kitch (Mount San Jacinto) in Idyllwild, CA. Part of my ReNew Earth Running Fundraiser. ~24 miles, 6483 ft of gain, 5h 29m 52s. Unsupported. Cahuilla.
  • Sycamore Rim Trail: A loop route west of Flagstaff, AZ. Part of my ReNew Earth Running Fundraiser. ~11 miles, 1253 ft of gain, 1h 59m 12s. Unsupported. Hopitutskwa, Pueblos, Hohokam.
  • Base to Thunderhead: A point-to-point route in Steamboat Springs, CO. Participated as part of the Merrell Get FKT Challenge Race on Sept 27, 2023. ~3.2 miles, 2142 ft of gain, 48m 41s. Unsupported. Ute, Cheyenne, Eastern Shoshone.

2023 ReNew Earth Running funds raised: $628

2022 FKTs

  • Wind River Peak: Via the loop version, which summits the tallest 13er in the southern region of the Wind River Range. ~31 miles, 6800 ft of gain, 8h 21m 31s. Unsupported. Eastern Shoshone, Northern Arapaho, Crow, Cheyenne.
  • La Luz Trail: A one-way ascent that takes you to the Sandia Mountain ridge and ends at the Upper Tram building. ~7.5 miles, 3400 ft of gain, 1h 42m 47s. Unsupported. Pueblos, Tigua (Tiwa), Piro, Ute.

2022 ReNew Earth Running funds raised: $578

2021 FKTs

  • Tutokanula (El Capitan): An out-and-back of the trail that summits the Yosemite monolith. ~14 miles, 5000 ft of gain, 3h 31m 51s. Unsupported. Northern Paiute, Southern Sierra Miwok, Ahwahnechee.
  • Utah Triple Crown: A loop of Utah’s three tallest peaks, all 13’ers. ~30 miles, 7400 ft of gain, 10h 54m 1s. Unsupported. Eastern Shoshone, Ute, Goshute, Shoshone-Bannock.
  • Valley Escape, Yosemite: A point-to-point linkup from Camp 4 to Tioga Road. ~9.2 miles, 4800 ft of gain, 2h 25m 43s. Unsupported. Northern Paiute, Southern Sierra Miwok, Ahwahnechee.
  • Star Peak, NV: An out-and-back of the dirt road that summits Star Peak. ~11.6 miles, 4200 ft of gain, 2h 25m 41s. Unsupported. Northern Paiute.

2020 FKTs

  • Sanitarado: A linkup of the Boulder Skyline with Eldorado Mountain. ~22 miles, 8400 ft of gain, 6h 49m 55s. Supported. Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ute.
  • Reno to Rose: A one-way trek from the downtown Reno Arch to the summit of Mt. Rose. ~19 miles, 6988 ft of gain, 5h 59m 44s. Supported. Washoe, Northern Paiute.
  • Boy Scout Trail: An out-and-back route in Joshua Tree NP. ~16 miles, 1800 ft of gain, 2h 36m 19s. Unsupported. Serrano, Western Shoshone. Chemehuevi.
  • Cactus to Clouds to Cactus (C2C2C): An out-and-back from Palm Springs to Mt. San Jacinto Summit. ~29 miles, 10,988 ft of gain, 9h 42m 50s. Unsupported. Cahuilla.

2019 FKTs

  • High Sierra Camp Loop: A linkup of the backcountry camps in Yosemite NP. 49 miles, 8000 ft of gain, 12h 22m 32s. Self-supported. Northern Paiute, Central Sierra Miwok, Western Mono/Monache.
  • Yosemite Valley Loop: A loop around the Yosemite Valley floor, including Mirror Lake. 20.7 miles, 1400 ft of gain, 3h 24m 49s. Unsupported. Northern Paiute, Southern Sierra Miwok, Ahwahnechee.
  • Wind River High Route: A traverse across the Wind River Range, south to north. ~112 miles, 33,000 ft of gain, 3d 17h 20m. Supported. Eastern Shoshone, Northern Arapaho, Crow, Cheyenne.

Notable Training Adventures

Follow me on STRAVA for up-to-date/day-to-day training!

Rock Climbing

I’ve been climbing since 2009 with most of my experiences in the West (CA, UT, CO). Though, I have climbed a teeny bit in Chile and Canada.

  • Trad bests: 5.11 – Indian Creek, UT / 5.10d – Yosemite NP
  • Sport bests: 5.12a – Boulder Canyon, CO / 5.12b indoor
  • Linkups: FOBIAD (Five Open Books in a day) – Yosemite NP
  • Personal speed records: Royal Arches, Yosemite NP, 2 hr simul ascent / Tenaya Peak, YNP, 2 hr simul ascent

Hired Talent/Modeling

Subaru Crosstrek 2016

Thule Atmos X5 Waterproof iPhone Case

The North Face – Lifestyle 2018/19 

JetBoil – 2020

Swiftwick Socks – 2021

Saucony x Outside Magazine – 2021

Have questions? Seeking partnership?

Please Note: I will not respond to solicitations regarding my contract work with OutdoorGearLab, including but not limited to: advertisements, media-related product releases, or general inquiries about OGL processes –> About OGL.

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