Salida Big Friggin Loop 2024 June 8th

-Hosted by Rafa The Hispanic Mechanic-

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WELCOME TO THE 2024 AND 11th EDITION OF THIS GRASSROOTS CLASSIC!! REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN: GO TO THE REGISTRATION PAGE IF YOU WISH TO ENTER.

***IT’S FREE AND REQUIRED!!***

IMPORTANT: THE LAST FEW EDITIONS HAVE YIELDED THE MOST DNF’S DUE TO THE SCORCHING HEAT. PLANNING AROUND WEATHER IS ALWAYS A GAMBLE,COME PREPARED. ALLOCATE FOR INCREASED WATER CAPACITY THAN YOU THINK IS NECESSARY,BRING ALL THE ELECTROLITES,USE INSULATED BOTTLES… WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP IT SAFE AND KEEP IT FUN!

ALSO: IN 2021 WE MADE A COUPLE SMALL AMENDMENTS TO THE OG COURSE TO REFLECT THE ADDITION OF A NEUTRAL AID STATION IN BUENA VISTA AND A SHORTCUT THAT GETS RID OF MOST OF THE HIKE-A-BIKE INTO FUTURITY;THE POINT IS TO MAKE BOTH OF THESE KNOWN AND AVAILABLE TO ALL RIDERS.

>>>NO MORE THAN 74 RIDERS ALLOWED FOR THIS EVENT<<<

This is intended to be a NON-COMMERCIAL, Recreational-Use Activity that is held on parts of USFS lands in compliance with USFS Special Use Rules and Regulations.

Please make sure to read all rules for this.  This is fully UNSUPPORTED and you will need to be self-sufficient in order to complete this.  The rules are located HERE.

When: >>>SATURDAY JUNE 8 th<<<

What: Singletrack and Gravel mix, high elevation, back country self supported endurance epic. Ride the base loop or the long loop. The long loop passes through the ghost town of Futurity (with brief hike-a-bike).

Registration starts at 6:00 AM Somewhere in downtown Salida TBD. ROLL OUT AT 6:30 AM!

When in Buena Vista: Our friends at Black Burro Bikes will be hosting a neutral aid station again this year!they are located at 801 Front Loop Unit 1A; their shop is right on the course right before it crosses the river into the midland trail system making this required check point the most optimal re-supply, Black Burro Bikes goes above and beyond with a stellar aid station each year and run it like pro’s. Be kind and say hi and thank you!

Finish:   Benson’s Tavern at 128 N. F st. in downtown Salida. Record your finishing time on the sign up sheet, submit a screenshot of your run / link to strava and reflect on your own mortality with a cold beverage.

Out on the Course: Practice good old courtesy, consideration and common sense. Avoid passing on singletrack sections; it is advised to place yourself within the group early on based on your abilities/experience level before we get into the Colorado Trail.

Lastly: All riders are required to submit a screenshot of or a link to their ride after finishing (Strava,etc) by leaving a “reply” on the main event page to ensure the race course was followed correctly.

Navigation: The files below may not work for everyone but both base loop and long loop courses are available on MTB Project which can be used for navigation.

GPS Route:  The long loop is 104.8 miles with 12,422 ft of climbing. LONG LOOP GPX HERE. The base route is 89.3 miles with 10,526 ft of climbing. BASE ROUTE GPX HERE. For Ride with GPS users, BASE ROUTE CRS FILE and LONG ROUTE CRS FILE.

Once again for 2024 riders will have the Cottonwood Trail Singletrack Option! Here is the GPX for Cottonwood to Salida from the route (here is the CRS version). The Beasway trail links CR175 (the gravel road into town at the end of the SBFL) to Rhumba Trail to Cottonwood Gulch. It is just an option, not required for a finish. The turn is a mere 7 miles from the finish,so instead of coasting downhill for 20 minutes or so, you’ll be riding singletrack that could take as long as 2 hours to complete (more likely around 90 minutes). Riders taking the Cottonwood option will get a 100 minute premium, but be aware, it is a technical trail. You will probably be kind of tired, so choose wisely when it’s time to decide to spice your ride up or just roll downhill for another 20 minutes with minimal effort.

Course Description:  We will ride south on G Street to turn right on 3rd, staying left on westbound 3rd Street to Poncha Blvd, to CR140, to CR250. We will be branching left on 252 up to Blanks Cabin/Mt Shavano TH. Ride north on the Colorado Trail all the way to Cottonwood Creek, turn right onto road 343 until it merges with road 306 then down into Buena Vista; the half-way point. ( Attention!: Do Not ride the Colorado Trail all the way to the Cottonwood Pass road as doing this will set you back a lot!! ) Then we head into the Arkansas Hills via the Midland Trail. At the end of the Midland, climb Shields Gulch to the Lenhardy Cutoff.

From there:

The Base Loop will go up Lenhardy to the intersection with McGee Gulch, DOWN McGee to Hwy 24 to a straight crossing and up the Mushroom Gulch Road, up the Castle Rock Gulch Road, crossing Bassam Park to Aspen Ridge. Here is a cue sheet for the base loop from BV to Salida in pdf format.

The Long Loop will continue UP Lenhardy Cutoff (Past the turn to McGee Gulch) to Chubb Park and then Trout Creek Pass. Then it will descend Mushroom Gulch and briefly join the base route. Then it will climb up to an intersection of roads call Black Dumps, then up to Futurity. After Futurity it will rejoin the base route. From that point both routes head over Aspen Ridge, and down Ute Trail into Salida.

PLEASE NOTE:  The recommended way to navigate the route(s) is using a device for following a GPS track! The course is NOT MARKED. The first half following the Colorado Trail is pretty obvious, since you are following the Colorado Trail. (Again,Do Not ride the CT all the way to the road to Cottonwood Pass) But after you leave Buena Vista you will be following a course that can be confusing. Especially the long loop is particularly difficult to know. I strongly recommend not attempting the long loop without a GPS that you have used before. I have provided a cue sheet for only the base loop from Buena Vista to Salida, for those who intend to ride with no GPS or to use as a backup to get back to Salida in the event that your GPS malfunctions.

PLEASE USE THE REGISTRATION PAGE IF YOU WISH TO ENTER.