Silver Creek Expert/Sport

Silver Creek Pedal and Plunge
Pro/Expert and Sport Course Descriptions

Pro/Expert

30 miles - Spectator loop, a big loop, then a spectator loop

5700 feet of total elevation gain

Sport Men Class

23 miles—Spectator loop, then a big loop

4700 feet of total elevation gain

Sport Women, Sport Junior Class

24 miles—Four spectator loops

3600 feet of total elevation gain

Big Loop Description (14.7 miles ~3500 feet in elev.)

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Note: day of race this will be an open course, just like all the other race courses we compete on. This means that you do need to keep a head’s up for motorcycles and hikers. However, we will have folks directing traffic in a lot of areas to minimize interactions.

The big loop starts at Silver Creek Plunge’s most northerly large group site on the east side of Silver Creek, you begin by cruising through lodgepole pine meadows on old logging roads for ~ 1 ¾ miles until you get toPeace Creek (the old road goes north and in the middle of a meadow an abrupt right which you follow east until you reach the end at Peace Creek). Once you cross Peace Creek (you get wet) you take a right and you will start a fairly consistent single-track climb up the Peace Creek Valley for 6 miles. There are a couple of rock outcrops that the trail crosses but are ridable for those with skills. At 6 miles you come out on a ridge and the trail has a couple short steep ups that are loose before coming to the “sand pit”. Motorcycles have chewed it up and thunderstorms did the rest. Pick your favorite line either on or off trail. But… yep you are pushing for about 150 meters! The trail takes a left at the sign and you will go through some rutted single track (from last week’s thunderstorms devoured a couple spots of these trails) for about ¼ mile and then the trail improves. Watch for another sign and take a left at the no-motorized trail stake. From this point on the trail is marked with orange flags (during the race we will have the Race-specific markings). You are now on the big ridge between Silver Creek and Deadwood and you will follow this for ~1 mile and the trail wraps around to the west side of the ridge. The next ¾ a mile is technical single track in a moonscape from the Rattlesnake burn.

The trail begins to leave the big ridge and the trail takes an abrupt right down a west-facing spur ridge to the bottom. This is “Devils Slide”. The trail initially has a very steep pitch for about 100 meters, moderates, and then drops abruptly to the right. This short 75 meter down section should be ridden extremely slowly or with one foot down to assist in turns (a couple of us walk this). The trail was obliterated by the Rattlesnake Burn and we are just reworking it. After this, the trail drops quickly to the valley below. There is no exposure, just a trail that drops vertically quickly. We have had sport riders on our team do it just fine: trust your brakes, sit on your rear tire (we are not joking) and enjoy the down hill. Two sections have rock outcrops, they are obvious and ridable for those with skills. Our sport riders and some experts walk these.

At the bottom of the Devil’s Slide, you will cross a small creek (be ready and in a small gear, you will need it to climb the steep 10 feet out of the creek), ride a bit, cross a mud pit (walk to the left), and then begin a awesome, 1.5 mile rolling ponderosa pine flat. cross Silver Creek (you get wet), and you are at The Silver Creek Road. Take a left and enjoy the flat, slightly downhill dirt road to Silver Creek Plunge. Trust us, a breather here is nice. ~1/8 mile before the Plunge’s main entrance you will take a left into some camping areas and cross Silver Creek on a foot bridge. You are now back at the Start/Finish.

Spectator Loop Description (8 miles, ~1100 feet elev.)

Note: this is a open course meaning when you are on the roads, rules of the road prevail. We will have the road extensively signed for motorists and flaggers at all crossing spots and turns.

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The spectator loop begins at Silver Creek Plunge’s most northerly large group site on the east side of Silver Creek, you begin by cruising through lodgepole pine meadows on old logging roads for ~ 1 ¾ miles where you cross Peace Creek (you get wet). After the creek crossing you take a left down the Peace Creek trail, cross Silver Creek on a bridge and take a right on Silver Creek Road. Ride 1.2 miles up the road and take a left onto a double take (just past Silver Creek Campground). This is a short little climb (~150 feet elev.) on double track which takes you to an old logging road. You cruise the logging road for 1.5 miles back to the Silver Creek Road, take a right and continue to the Silver Creek Plunge. Directly across from the Plunge you take a right on a dirt double track that climbs for .2 miles (50 feet elev.) to another road where you take a right and climb for ~ ¾ mile. Watch on the left for double track to descend back to a road, take a right ride for a few hundred feet, than a left and return to Silver Creek Plunge. ~1/8 mile after the Plunges main entrance you will take a right into some camping areas and cross Silver Creek on a foot bridge. You are now back at the Start/Finish.

Silver Creek XC

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