Cross Country
This is an endurance race on mountain bike trails. There are separate races for beginner, advanced, and elite.
Cross Country ------------- Mass start - dismounts and walking allowed, but no passing or blocking riders. With two-way traffic - uphill rider has the right of way. Meet at 7:50 am by South Pond for pre-race briefing. Elite Cross Country start is 8:00 am, course is ~6.25 mi w/ 750' gain Advanced Cross Country starts approximately 8:20 am, course is ~5.2 mi w/ ~550' gain Beginner Cross Country starts at 8:30 am, course is ~1 mi w/ no gain
Elite --- The Elite course has a 1 mile section before joining the Advanced course at South Pond. Advanced will start after a majority of Elite riders reach the shared section. The elite course will start with a complete clockwise loop around South Pond then head up and over a small hill, keep right of the fence and head between the ball fields, turn left past the bathrooms and head towards the main parking lot via the sidewalk. After reaching the top of the main parking lot, do not ride where cars drive - ride between the parked cars and the fence down towards the soccer fields. After riding most of the way through the parking lot, turn sharply on a downhill gravel path then left onto a wide gravel path. Follow this path under the power lines - you will pass a trail headed into the woods shortly after the soccer fields - do not take this turn, instead keep heading down as the path narrows and reaches a tower for the power lines, follow the trail into the woods for a short distance, it will come back under the power lines before heading through a gate into Grand Ridge. After entering the woods, you'll ride a short distance before making a turn up a steep hill. Shortly after a tricky switchback, you'll turn right at the T - have a brief rest before crossing a rocky creek bed and up some more steep and less steep climbing before joining the advanced course shortly after the start (see below for a description).
Advanced --- The advanced course is a lollipop loop, starting with a mostly uphill section, then a 2.5 mile loop, then returning back via the same route down what you rode up earlier. The advanced course heads into the woods after riding past South Pond and almost immediately turns left, more or less heading uphill. Most of the Elite riders will have passed this point already, but the fast Advanced riders might catch some Elite riders. After a few minutes of climbing, you'll encounter the rockiest section of the trail - the first few rocks are a little tricky, but there is a rocky creek crossing that will force most riders to dismount. You'll continue climbing with a couple of roots that might cause some problems, assuming the climbing hasn't forced a dismount. Not too long after one of the roots, you'll reach a T. Turn left, go uphill. This spot is also the start of the Elite Downhill, so pay close attention to the sign! After more uphill and a fun flatish section, you'll reach a road crossing. The road sees little traffic, but cross carefully. Shortly after the road crossing you'll find some tricky roots going uphill. If you don't clear these first roots, consider walking to an even more difficult root just around the corner, maybe 50' or less, but just out of sight. When you reach the next junction, you'll start the water tower loop. This loop has a gentle climb for about 1 mile, followed by a flowy downhill and then some rollers before returning back to the start of the loop. You'll make 1 right turn to complete the loop. When you close the loop, you're riding mostly downhill back to South Pond. On the return, fast Elite riders may encounter some advanced riders climbing - please yield to the uphill riders, but if you are walking, please yield to riders. The trail is generally wide enough to pass in many places, so descending riders should give the easier line to uphill riders.
Beginner --- Beginner Cross Country will be multiple laps (probably 2) of the gravel trail around South Pond.
Cross Country ------------- Mass start - dismounts and walking allowed, but no passing or blocking riders. With two-way traffic - uphill rider has the right of way. Meet at 7:50 am by South Pond for pre-race briefing. Elite Cross Country start is 8:00 am, course is ~6.25 mi w/ 750' gain Advanced Cross Country starts approximately 8:20 am, course is ~5.2 mi w/ ~550' gain Beginner Cross Country starts at 8:30 am, course is ~1 mi w/ no gain
Elite --- The Elite course has a 1 mile section before joining the Advanced course at South Pond. Advanced will start after a majority of Elite riders reach the shared section. The elite course will start with a complete clockwise loop around South Pond then head up and over a small hill, keep right of the fence and head between the ball fields, turn left past the bathrooms and head towards the main parking lot via the sidewalk. After reaching the top of the main parking lot, do not ride where cars drive - ride between the parked cars and the fence down towards the soccer fields. After riding most of the way through the parking lot, turn sharply on a downhill gravel path then left onto a wide gravel path. Follow this path under the power lines - you will pass a trail headed into the woods shortly after the soccer fields - do not take this turn, instead keep heading down as the path narrows and reaches a tower for the power lines, follow the trail into the woods for a short distance, it will come back under the power lines before heading through a gate into Grand Ridge. After entering the woods, you'll ride a short distance before making a turn up a steep hill. Shortly after a tricky switchback, you'll turn right at the T - have a brief rest before crossing a rocky creek bed and up some more steep and less steep climbing before joining the advanced course shortly after the start (see below for a description).
Advanced --- The advanced course is a lollipop loop, starting with a mostly uphill section, then a 2.5 mile loop, then returning back via the same route down what you rode up earlier. The advanced course heads into the woods after riding past South Pond and almost immediately turns left, more or less heading uphill. Most of the Elite riders will have passed this point already, but the fast Advanced riders might catch some Elite riders. After a few minutes of climbing, you'll encounter the rockiest section of the trail - the first few rocks are a little tricky, but there is a rocky creek crossing that will force most riders to dismount. You'll continue climbing with a couple of roots that might cause some problems, assuming the climbing hasn't forced a dismount. Not too long after one of the roots, you'll reach a T. Turn left, go uphill. This spot is also the start of the Elite Downhill, so pay close attention to the sign! After more uphill and a fun flatish section, you'll reach a road crossing. The road sees little traffic, but cross carefully. Shortly after the road crossing you'll find some tricky roots going uphill. If you don't clear these first roots, consider walking to an even more difficult root just around the corner, maybe 50' or less, but just out of sight. When you reach the next junction, you'll start the water tower loop. This loop has a gentle climb for about 1 mile, followed by a flowy downhill and then some rollers before returning back to the start of the loop. You'll make 1 right turn to complete the loop. When you close the loop, you're riding mostly downhill back to South Pond. On the return, fast Elite riders may encounter some advanced riders climbing - please yield to the uphill riders, but if you are walking, please yield to riders. The trail is generally wide enough to pass in many places, so descending riders should give the easier line to uphill riders.
Beginner --- Beginner Cross Country will be multiple laps (probably 2) of the gravel trail around South Pond.
