Getting a “plan” together for 2020 has been a challenge. As usual we have a lot going on around the house, with projects, ideas, and just a little kids roaming. With the cold mornings, occasional snow, rain, having motivation to get out and ride when I can actually get in some time is tough. Planning future “days away from the family” isn’t always a welcome conversation either, particularly when there’s stressful things going on. Let’s face it with a 1 1/2 year old and 3 1/2 year old things are almost always stressful to some degree. Anyhow, we’re getting close to events happening, and the excitement is building.
I’m lucky enough to have one of the few true stage races in my backyard, The Pisgah Stage Race. Over the next few weeks I’m going to try and write out some course overviews for each of the stages. The race really does a good job of hitting the “highlights” of Pisgah. With all of the trail work over the past year or so, many of these trails are riding as good as they have in years. The event has added a few new exciting categories as well (50 plus women, and two age classified “Duo” categories) which should really add to the excitement. Duo is really a pretty exciting category.
Stage 1 – Clif’s Looking Glass Route
A few quick highlights – 21.5 Miles, 4,000 ft of elevation, Winning time 1:52, Average time 2:30. My post race report of stage 1 and 2 from last year.
2019 Pisgah Stage Race | Stage 1 | CLIF’s Looking Glass Route
The stage starts at Cove Creek Campground, the start is usually pretty hard as everyone is rushing to get to the bridge first. You can go through the creek, and I will at times depending on water level, temperature, etc. but that’s always a game day decision. Once through that bottle neck, there is a right turn onto 475 for a fairly flat ride over to the Daniel Ridge lot. We’ll go through the lot, over the bridge and make a right onto FS5046 this year. This is an old road and mostly doubletrack at this point. FS5046 climbs up past a couple waterfalls and gives some time for people to spread out pretty well before making the right onto the Daniel Ridge loop.
The right onto the Daniel Ridge loops starts a steeper trail climb, with some rocks mixed in. It pitches up pretty steep here for a little bit before giving way to a fairly technical traverse over to a rough rocky descent down Daniel Ridge back to the parking area. The “technical traverse” starts the first Enduro stage for the week. These timed sections within the courses add some excitement. This one comes pretty early and could be interesting. The Daniel Ridge descent has been consistently wet for a while now and I’m not sure that’s going to change before the stage race starts.
After the descent it’s back through the parking area to make a right onto 475 and start the climb up to Gloucester gap, all gravel, not excessively steep, and the gravel is in great shape right now. At Gloucester Gap, the only aid station of the day will be there. Make a right onto 229 and to continue the climb up towards Farlow Gap. 229 has all kinds of grading work being done on it right now and is basically a gravel road vs the old rutted up “road” that it was. It’s pretty smooth right now and as fast as I’ve ever seen it. The grades are still the same but it’s relatively easy riding. The climb from the Daniel Ridge Lot up to Farlow is about 6 miles and 2000 feet.
Near the top as it transitions to trail (229C) the forest service has dug some tank traps, they’re big, and sloppy, bring your toe spikes. Once over those it’s a double/single track climb the rest of the way to Farlow Gap, not too bad, but you’re still going uphill. Once things level out a little and it widens up to double track it’s almost time for the gnar of Farlow.
The first 1/2 mile to a mile of Farlow is the real deal. It’s steep, rutted, rocky, and remote. Hold on to your cookies here and welcome to Pisgah National Forest. Once you make it through that first little bit it does ease up a little, but it’s still pretty intense for a while. After some pretty good gnar, there is a section of hiking and uphill. Once that uphill is over things actually do settle into a really fun and exciting trail until the last little “staircase”. This one is tricky, it’s rideable but not always worth it to me depending on how I feel.
From here we’ll go across the top of Daniel Ridge, which may have some hiking….Then it’s time to climb up to the connector trail, take the connector to 225 and traverse 225 over to the top of Cove Creek. 225 starts as a very old road that “rolls” until it turns into an actual gravel road. When we hit 225 you can start smelling the barn. There’s some climbing involved but not much then it’s time for Cove Creek to the finish line.
Cove Creek is mostly downhill, a little pedally, but mostly downhill. It’s a pretty good time and at this point the work is done and it’s time to keep the rubber side down.
Stage 1 is a great “taste of what’s to come”
