2008 Course Info:
Note: There will be NO PARKING at Boley Fields or along the road.
You must proceed all the way down to Broce's Field
This is where the start and finish for the race is located.
ALL classes will be starting at Broce’s Field start/finish area.
The Regular Course was designed for the Sport, Pro/Expert and XXC class racers offering the very best of East Coast mountain bike racing with the longest and most challenging course available.
The Regular Course
(Pro/Ex - Sport - Clydesdales - Masters - Vets - XXC)
Racers will start from Broce,s Fields.
THE START
The start of the race will be at Broce’s Field this year right where you will be parking. After a short challenge at the start of the race to help spread the field, riders will head down Rt 708 and take a hard LEFT onto Poverty Creek Trail is just wide enough for passing, but has a nice single-track line burned in. Constantly up or down, there are no places to rest on this fast and sometimes technical trail. Watch those hairpins, they sneak up quickly.
After a few miles of this wild and woolly knob scorcher, racers make a LEFT onto Trillium (where Beginners stay STRAIGHT down to FS 708), onto some truly special East Coast single-track. Racers will turn LEFT onto Skullcap and pedal up and down amongst the many rockgardens then turn LEFT again onto Prickly Pear, this knar-knar section mostly climbs amongst the babyheads and boulders before passing the Old Grizzly downhill (sorry folks, you'll be staying LEFT!).
Pay attention here! The following two trail sections are not shown on any current maps:
As racers pass the top of 'Old Grizzly' downhill they will stay LEFT popping over the log-O-matic and following the contour around the mountain before dropping down an insane-O fast downhill that drops you over a nice knee-high rock along the way. At the end of this white-knuckle affair racers will veer LEFT and up hill across the loose gravel of FS 708, immediately diving RIGHT and around a tree and tank trap down onto Royale.
Royale descends at wicked speed with more winding and deceptive single-track down to Poverty Creek Trail where you will then take another LEFT.
Now you are back on the map.
After a smooth and brief ride up Poverty Creek Trail toward Pandapas Pond, racers will take a hard RIGHT, splashing (hopefully) across Poverty Creek and venture up the sweet roller coaster ride of Joe Pye trail (a.k.a. Horse Hair). Watch out for the switchbacks and the short, steep climbs - this dawg bites!
Upon completion of this test, your lungs are then put back to work on the steady climb up to the top of Brush Mountain as you turn RIGHT onto the fireroad known as Horse Nettle Trail.
When you reach the top of Horse Nettle Trail you'll turn right and see the first of two Aid Stations. Grab a swig of that cool spring water because you are going to need it! As you leave the water station and continue up the rolling fire road along the ridge of Brush Mountain, you will endure an interval workout in itself. After many short, steep climbs and brief downhills this loose gravelly fire road will bring racers to the famed 'Fire Circle', site of many late night bonfires and marked on some topo maps as site of the old long-gone Fire Tower.
Here you will veer right and duck into a new section of tight and speedy single-track that continues parallel to the fire road and along the ridge. This rocky strewn trail is fast and fun with little opportunity to pass until the very brief climb at the end before you...
PAY ATTENTION HERE! 2007 COURSE CHANGE... 9-13-07
... turn hard RIGHT and onto Snake Root (a.k.a. Sidewinder) a sweet descending side-trail single track which nosedives steeply at first before mellowing out into a flowing, narrow and rock strewn nirvana of downhill. Look out for the sharp and root infested switchbacks! Half-way down the mountain racers will climb a short grunt out of the single-track and onto the jeep trail portion of the descent. This portion is high speed with berms and ruts - so be on your game here. Many roadies and mountain bikers alike have gone down in flames amongst the banked turns known as 'Berm Alley'.
At the bottom, racers splash back through Poverty Creek (hopefully), and start up a jeep track that gently climbs towards FS 708. This is the downstream portion of Poverty Creek Trail. Ride hard to the first open parking area (a.k.a. 'Beauty Parking Lot') and your second Aid Station.
From this station racers will make a RIGHT turning uphill, up FS 708 for 10 yards and then immediately LEFT onto Queen Anne (a.k.a. The Gap trail) for more single track. Racers follow this narrow trail a ways, then take their next LEFT up Skull Cap and begin a gradual climb to the marked and manned intersection.
Here is where racers need to pay careful attention!
Sport class racers will turn LEFT at this intersection on Skullcap and backtrack all the way to the FINISH at the Boley Fields Staging Area.
Pro/Expert racers will turn RIGHT from Skullcap onto Prickly Pear, going around the 'lolli-pop' once more, then LEFT upon returning to this intersection after their lap is completed. After your lap requirements are met, the backtrack ride for the FINISH is in front of you.
XXC racers will turn RIGHT from Skullcap onto Prickly Pear, FOUR times, then LEFT upon returning to this intersection after their lap is completed. After your lap requirements are met, the backtrack ride for the FINISH is in front of you.
DON'T WORRY - Course Marshalls will be on station at this intersection accurately recording your laps - if you aren't sure when to turn for home at this intersection they can assist you.
See the Weaselworks Interactive Map of the Trails... |
