Sunday, May 4, 2008 -- Millboro, VA / Douthat State Park VA
Middle Mountain Momma - WVVUS #2
Past Coverage: [2000] [2001] [2002] [2003]
Best four scores = final score. Must compete in championship to qualify!
I still think John Denver wrote Country Roads about WEST Virginia! He was just confused (after a long night of soaking in sauce) as to where exactly the Shenandoah River runs....
A lovely trout-stuffed pay-to-fish lake lies nestled in the valley formed by Beard's Gap and Middle Mountains, but it's up the sides of the slopes where you'll find the real beauty of Douthat State Park. For instance, note the profound web of New Deal singletrack trails that lace the slopes on both sides of the pond. We like to refer to this area as something near to mountain bike Disneyland.
The course provides mass-quantities of singletrack--and--it's almost entirely unduplicated trail! There's so much singletrack you might actually seek something wider after a while. Moreover, about the only non-singletrack sections of the 21-mile-one-lap race are the short start road, a few yards of asphalt, and that is it. And not only is it singletrack, it's freaking majestic singletrack.
If you raced any edition on this legendary course, you know what we mean. God bless Franklin Delano Roosevelt and New Deals everywhere.
The XXC course is back for 2008--a trail Odyssey. Double XC'ers leave the state park and traipse across the coolest big-ring pedal-assist slight downhill on the Middle Mountain Ridge--all the way--to route 125. Then, take a quick lasso-loop on ancient CCC, blueberry bush-infested trails of Brushy Ridge, and then you'll know that not many people have pedaled through there before! Later, after climbing route 125 again for a 4 mile ascent (followed by a 1/2 mile singletrack that burns-baby-burns), you rejoin the 21 mile XC loop, making the best course on the planet 10 steps better.
To get there: Douthat State Park is located 50 minutes north of Roanoke and 45 minutes west of Lexington. From Lexington, take I-64 west to first Clifton Forge exit (220 south and 629). Take 629 straight into Douthat State Park. From the south, take Daleville exit 150 off I-81 to 220 north. Proceed north on 220 until reaching Clifton Forge, and the end of 220. Take right towards 64. Go straight under 64 (the road turns into 629). Continue straight for 4 miles into Douthat State Park.
Staging is in the Discovery Center area, which is located at the end of a dirt left turn (traveling north through the park). Parking is tight, so pooling of the cars is a terrific idea
| Start Date: | 2008-05-04 Start Time: 9:30am |
| Event Name: | Middle Mountain Momma - WVVUS #2 |
| Location(s): |
Millboro, VA 24460 Douthat State Park VA |
| Event Type(s): |
Bike MTB XC |
| Event Distance(s): | |
| Contact(s): |
Virginia Class Mountain Bike Events Phone: 540-529-0462 Email: bikeboy@cox.net |
| Affiliate(s): |
West Virginia Mountain Bike Association |
| Comments: | XC, XXC. XXC Ultra endurance classes begin at 9:30AM with 8 hour time limit. |
| Offsite URL: | www.mountainbikevirginia.com |
