Dave,
For eat/drink suggestions: The Rave Cafe has become the spot for wayward mountain bikers for everything from morning coffee to late night brews. Coyote Joes is a nice watering hole if you get thirsty. Cuppers Coffee makes a mean cup'o'joe. Maya's Mexican on Montezuma has good eats. All of these places are within 200 yards of the downtown square. You can park your car on Thursday and not move it until Sunday and be fine.
Regarding the course:
Section 1 - This is the 4 mile paved climb from the courthouse square to the first section of singletrack. It hurts. Go slow. The last 100 yards of pavement always sees walkers. It's gnarly for pavement. Go slow.
Section 2 - The first section of singletrack is about 1.5 miles long with a mellow climb for .75 miles on good singletrack. Go slow. People get stoked on the first bit of singletrack and go hard and regret it later. This is the first run into the pines.
Sectoin 3 - You cross a gravel road and enter the Aspen Creek singletrack. This is the " water bars" climb. This will take about 30 minutes. Again, this is in the trees. It has three definited climbs with some mild/short downhills between. There will be walking and it will really hurt. ....Go Slow. (there's a theme here).
Section 4 - As you crest the last climb, you ride a ridge for a bit then start a drop down a quad trail. It's rocky as all hell. Do not pinch. Do not open it up too fast. This is in the pines and scrub. There is one section you don't want to ride. You'll know it when you see it...bodies piled below it. This is upper Trail 260. It's rough up top and gets very exposed and open. Few trees, lots of cactus, rubble, rocks, but great views. Half way down 260 it gets nice (we groomed it). You can recover on the last 2 miles of that descent - and you want to. It drops you off back in the pines. If you feel blown at this point, you better stop for a second and chill in the shade. Many people screw up and don't recover on the 260 downhill.
Section 5 - Copper Creek Canyon service road slowly climbs for a couple miles through pines with lots of stream crossings. This is a good place to ride slow, stretch out, relax. It gets gradually steeper and rougher near the last 200 yards. It takes you to the 3-way intersection with 25 mile racers going right (up) and 50 milers going left (down) to Skull Valley.
Section 6 (50 milers) - You drop down maaaaaany miles to Skull Valley on a graded road and then turn around to climb maaaaany miles back to the 3-way intersection where you wished you had turned right with the 25 mile guys. The Skull Valley road is very exposed, little shade or relief from wind, etc. There's nothing to it, but to churn it out. God help you if there's wind.
Section 7 - The climb from Copper Creek Canyon (3-way intersection) to the Sierra Prieta Overlook is about 3ish miles and it will hurt. It's in great shape. When you duck back into the trees, you have 2 miles to the top. Go hard if you can here. This is where you catch people who f'd up and went too hard climbing up Aspen Creek.
Section 8 - From the scenic overlook there's a short section of singletrack you climb to the course high-point. It's short, hurts, but it's over quickly. Then you start bombing down towards Prescott on rocky...very rocky...service roads. Do not pinch. You then drop down to a turn onto singletrack which has one rock you'll climb over. This singletrack is only 1/2 mile through lush pines and dumps you off on a steep 10 foot wide service road called CRAMP HILL. WARNING: CRAMP HILL is a beast. It's loose, hurts like bloody murder and no one expects it. Expect it. Walk if you must. Do not cramp. It's about 3/4 mile long and takes you to the top of a nice fast section of singletrack that takes you all the way back down to paved road. DO NOT PINCH on this last piece of singletrack in the pines. Many do.
Section 9 - Pavement to home stretch. From the time you roll off the singletrack, you can coast (limp, cry, whine) all the way back to the courthouse.
My advice? Go slow at the start. Then back off. You will gain 2000 feet in that first 10 miles or so. This is a mean course. Dip into your reserves at the wrong time and you'll suffer. The course is hard from the first 1/4 mile. It's all about managing your efforts. Go too hard to push over a single section and you will pay for it. Never enter the red zone. The only place I tend to let it truly rip is on the climb back to the overlook and the race high point. The devistation along that road is amazing. Those who went too hard up Aspen Creek are strewn all over that climb like litter.
It's gonna be awesome!!! WHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!:victory:
