Nationals XC course - Heart of the Rockies

We are now in the heart of the Rockies. The terrain is incredibly mountainous, green and inspiring. The vistas are indescribable, so I hope the photos provide some idea of the grandeur we are experiencing.


After arriving in Granby, CO and settling into the Inn at Silver Creek, we rode up to the Sol Vista Resort/Bike Park to pre-ride the XC course. USA Cycling created two XC courses, a 4-mile loop for the pros, U23s, Cat 1 17-18 boys and Cat 1 girls -- and an 8-mile loop for everyone else. Both courses start at >8500 ft and climb to or above 9000. The 8-mile course is mostly above 9000 ft and tops out at nearly 9400 ft!

Max and I pre-rode the 8-mile course together and fond it to be an outstanding XC course -- very balanced, lots of climbing, singletrack and fun descents. Our races start tomorrow (Friday) so stay tuned...