Burros have packed supplies for miners, ranchers, pioneers and farmers for decades around Colorado’s mountain communities during the 19th and 20th centuries, helping move gems, silver, and lumber from Silverton to Leadville.

In 2025, burros have a new job — but it’s at least a fun one. They will be carrying supplies for racers of the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 Run, replacing the llamas that The Hopeless Crew used to carry supplies to the aid station near the summit of Hope Pass the previous 22 years.

“The burros’ primary job will be to haul the filtered water from the lake near Hope Pass to the aid station,” Monument resident Joe Polonsky said.

On Thursday at the Willis Gulch Trailhead, Polonsky and Jake the Trail Running Burro prepped their load for the 4-mile trek. Polonsky placed a saddle on Jake’s back, tightened the straps and loaded gear up.

He fiddled around with a couple of configurations to ensure Jake’s load was both stable and balanced before heading across the bridge spanning Lake Creek just west of Twin Lakes.

“I am just out here helping to support, but my wife and I, we run a a 501 (c) 3 non-profit in Monument, Colorado called Double Rainbow Ranch, and Jake is a part of that nonprofit,” Polonsky said. “We are heavily involved in mostly pack burro racing, but we’re looking to get into doing animal therapy with our donkeys and horses and our goats.”

On the trek up Willis Gulch, then Sheep’s Gulch to the summit, Polonsky and Jake were accompanied by several other burros and owners, like Hal Walter and his son Harrison Walter, along with several mules and horses whose job was to carry the heaviest supplies.

According to Polonsky, Hal is a legend in the pack burro racing community, having raced for over 45 years.

“Earlier this month, Hal completed his 46th consecutive Leadville Boom Days pack burro race,” Polonsky said. 

John Anderson, an experienced pack burro racer who recently completed the Triple Crown of Pack burro racing (Leadville, Buena Vista and Fairplay) was accompanied by his burro Penny on the trek as well.

Shortly into the hike, Jake accidently knocked Polonsky into a small pond while crossing a stream. But both recovered without issue or injury. Polonsky laughed the incident off, giving Jake hugs and pets in comfort. 

Polonsky, albeit a little wetter, and Jake pressed on with their fellow burro packers up the steep incline toward Sheep’s Gulch.

Burros have been rooted in the American West and mining history around Leadville for decades, Polonsky said, and adding the burros as a new element to the Leadville 100 carries on the old traditional uses of the animals into the future.

“Burros built the American west and were critical to the gold rush days here in Colorado,” he said. “In almost every mining town, you could see a prospector with his trusted burro at his side. In the late 1800s, during the silver and gold rushes in Colorado, miners used Hope Pass as a shortcut between the mining camps in the Upper Arkansas River Valley and supply towns like Leadville. Burros were critical to hauling ore and goods over the steep and exposed terrain of Hope Pass.”

According to Polonsky, burros also make great pack animals for many reasons:

• They are low impact on the environment. “They are light footed compared to horses, so they cause less soil compaction and erosion on trails and open spaces.”
• Burros love to munch on a variety of plants, including weeds. “This helps to maintain a healthier balance in the environmental ecosystem.”
• Burros are very hardy and low maintenance. “Burros evolved in arid, rugged environments, so they need less food and water than many other large animals, and they thrive in areas with tough terrain.”

Polonsky, Jake and the other burro crews will be near the 12,600-foot Hope Pass summit through the race on Saturday and begin bringing the pack back down on Sunday once all is clear and clean from the race.

“Having burros participate in the Leadville Trail 100 pays homage to the mining ties of this race,” Polonsky said. “Additionally, the burros will bring smiles to the runners’ faces and will be available for selfies.”

PHOTOS: Burro packing hike of Hope Pass for Leadville Trail 100 Run race