OFFICIAL 2012 Course
47 Miles. 7,900 Feet Ascending. >80% Unpaved
Switching around the route a little for 2012 – same roads, but moving up Peak Two so its a little less onerous on fresher legs, with the long descent through the forest coming next, which effectively makes Peak Three harder, but the first half is pavement and then you get the long easy paved descent before the final climb. The Half distance race is unchanged, but the courses diverge at Buckeye Creek, which will vastly simplify course marshaling. Scroll down to see the route for the Half Course, last years’ maps, as well as some important notes about pre-riding the course.
Official 2012 Half Course
28 Miles. 4,200 Feet Ascending. >70% Unpaved
The half course this year is unchanged from 2011, and will again include the first (Beech) and third (Shawnee) peaks, and will skip the section through The Headwaters at Banner Elk and the hike-a-bike up Eagles Nest.
IF YOU WANT TO PRE-RIDE – note that a lot of the route is on private property, with no clear signage on unmapped roads. You may get lost, shot and/or eaten by a bear. If something does happen to you, there is no phone service on the course. If you drive to the Banner Elk Winery to ride, please park in the gravel lot past the winery and the blueberry stand across from the barn so as to leave space for their other customers. Do not attempt alone without a GPS, better yet, drop me a line and I’ll ride with you.
Course Narrative
Changes from 2011 in BOLD
Note: all gates, etc should be open on race day, but they are included just in case.
Start and Finish will be on the grounds of the Banner Elk Winery and Inn
Roll out of the Winery past the Blueberry Farm heading east on unpaved roads. Quickly bear right onto Lee Gualtney, and begin climbing through farm land as you work your way up Rocky Knob. Turn left on Andy Hicks then left again on Shawnee “Road” – a mile stretch of unimproved farm road and the first challenging test of your bike handling. The road turns to pavement, climbs past a big house on the left and drops off steeply. Don’t get doing too fast, because immediately after the first sharp left hand curve you turn right onto gravel on “Barn Rd” – look for the sign that says “Private Road – No Commercial Vehicles.”
After crossing the cattle guard, the road climbs steeply through a Christmas Tree farm and vineyard. At the fork turn left, crossing another cattle guard as you enter the trees. Eventually the road will merge onto pavement, and you will turn left on Elderberry Ridge Rd in the Town of Beech Mountain. Descend this road to the intersection with Beech Mountain Parkway. Take a left on the parkway – be careful of traffic – and in 100 yards go right at the sign for “Emerald Mountain” before the road begins descending onto what the locals call the “Winter Road.” Duck a security gate followed by a chain across the road, and make two wicked climbs, passing the base of the Oz chairlift, before the road bends to the right and comes to a large formal gate structure. Hop the curb to the left of the gate and immediate take a left onto the gravel road which is the Backbone Trail in the Beech Mountain Adventure Trail Park. Stay on the gravel road as it bends to the left, passing all the trail signs to your left and right, and climbs to the Peak One – 5,307′.
Continue on the gravel as it descends through a clearing and enters the woods, becoming rough dirt double track, passing Chamberlains Loop on the right and Elk River Overlook Trail on the left. Climb over the barbed wire gate and follow the jeep track onto the paved Lodge Ridge Drive in the Eagles Nest development. Bear right at the fork onto Eagles Nest Parkway, make a short climb on pavement before the road turns to gravel where you will reach AID STATION ONE. You then begin the steep descent of the “dirt highway.” Stay right as you descend, passing two gravel roads branching off to the left. The road will flatten, and immediately after it gets steep again, turn left into the woods, and follow until you enter a Christmas tree farm. Stay straight until you get to the big tree and go left, descending to a gate at the edge of the property. Duck the gate, and turn RIGHT on Old Beech Mountain Rd (the Half Distance turns right) – note that there is a surprisingly fast St Bernard that lives in the house to the right. Descend the unpaved road past the horse stables, turning right onto the pavement of Beech Mountain Rd.
At the sign for Beech Mountain and AID STATION TWO/FIvE turn right off the pavement onto Buckeye Creek Rd. HALF DISTANCE CONTINUES STRAIGHT – SEE DIRECTIONS BELOW
Follow this undulating road to the end, being careful to stay right and watching cars speeding in the opposite direction. Turn right on the pavement at Pinnacle Ridge Rd, then immediately take another right through the covered bridge into the Chestnut Falls development. The next miserable slog takes you up Buckeye Ridge Rd. After you pass the shed with the Coke sign, at the next switchback stay left. When road ends in a small clearing, turn right to cross a small bridge. Take the first trail on the left into the West Bowl.
Navigating your way through the moonscape, eventually you emerge on a grassy jeep road that climbs left steeply through a field – if you hear gun shots, stop, as there may be skeet shooting up range. After climbing through the field, you will turn left onto an impossibly steep dirt trail. The good news is that it is smooth and there is a good footing. The bad news is that there is a quarter mile section with over a 30% incline. Eventually the trail will become ridable again and you will continue to wend your way up the mountain along a ridge line, crossing power lines and passing rock outcroppings. Before the trail finally pops you back out onto the unpaved Eagles Nest Parkway and AID STATION THREE, you pass Peak Two at 5,024′.
Repeat your previous descent down the “dirt highway” and through the Christmas tree farm to Old Beech Mountain Rd, this time turning LEFT. Descend the unpaved road to the end, turning right on the paved Sam Eller Rd – watch for cars here. Take your next left on Beech Mountain Rd and enjoy a paved descent to the Headwaters at Banner Elk.
Turn right in the Headwaters driveway, go through the gate house, and follow Falls Creek Parkway to the end. When the road makes a sharp right uphill to the club house and tennis courts, pass AID STATION FOUR and go straight onto the unpaved road into the woods. This forest road descends sharply follows the Elk River north into the Cherokee National Forest, passing through two gates, eventually coming out adjacent to the trailhead for Twisted Falls. When you reach civilization (the second house on the right has a phone on their porch for emergencies), follow that road to the end, and turn right onto the paved Dark Ridge Rd. When the pavement ends, you are back in North Carolina.
Follow Dark Ridge Rd to the end, turning left back onto pavement. The next climb up Joe Parlier is brutal. At the summit, turn left back onto Beech Mountain Rd, and immediately bear right downhill onto Buckeye Rd. This time, continue straight past AID STATION TWO/FIVE on the corner of Buckeye Creek Rd HALF COURSE RESUMES HERE. You get to enjoy a long, easy descent for 2.5 miles. As the road straightens and the pitch becomes more shallow, you will turn right across a bridge on Kellersville Rd, and immediately turn right again on Perry Presnell Rd. This is the final climb. The road shortly turns to gravel, and steepens, though not as badly as the earlier climbs. Take a left at the T onto Presnell School Rd, and continue to climb all the way to Andy Hicks Rd. Turn right, and follow this back to Shawnee Rd. When the cart path comes out into the neighborhood you are at Peak Three 4,600′. Again merge onto the pavement, pass Barn Rd, and carefully navigate the switchbacks down the mountain to the stop sign. Turn left on the unpaved Lee Gualtney Rd, and then right back into the Winery (Smith Rd on maps, but it is unmarked).
2011 Course
The start and finish will be at the Banner Elk Winery and Inn, and they are rolling out the red carpet to make the event truly special. This year we will be riding on lots of jeep track and forest roads through Emerald Mountain, Eagles Nest and The Headwaters at Banner Elk. This means more real ‘cross riding and a lot less pavement. Only one peak from last year is still on the course – the long ascent around the east side of Beech on Andy Hicks to Shawnee “Road.” The new peaks are an ascent to the very top of Beech via the Winter Road and the Backbone Trail in the Emerald Outback, and a climb (hike) to the top of Eagles Nest through the West Bowl – it is a much better trail that last year’s final climb up Beech Mountain Parkway.
2010 Course
75 kilometers with 1,700 meters of climbing
2010 Half Course
35 kilometers with 845 meters of climbing
