Stage 2: GRIND

Every Climb Carves a Rider.

At a Glance

Route details subject to change pending permits, weather, natural distasters, force majeur, etc.

Start: 200 block N Cortez St. Downtown Prescott
Finish: 200 Block N Cortez St. Downtown Prescott
Long Course: 54.6 mi (87.9 km) / 5,472 ft gain (1,668 m)
Short Course: 45.3 mi (73.0 km) / 4,973 ft gain (1,516 m)

*Note: Short Course follows the same start and finish as Long Course, skips the out and back after aid station 1 location and turns back to head down Big Bug Mesa into Walker.

Important Times

• 7:00am-7:30am - Last minute Packet Pickup for the Outrider on N Cortez St startline.

• 7:40 AM: Call to Start & Rider Briefing – 200 Block N Cortez St, Downtown Prescott

• 8:00 AM: Start - 200 Block N Cortez St, Downtown Prescott

• 4:00 PM: Course Closed / Max. Time
  

Stage Story

The dust from Stage 1 hasn’t even settled into your gear before it’s time to ride again.

The GRIND of Stage 2 doesn’t break you with a single climb – it wears you down mile after dusty mile, like the slow, steady pull of a long campaign.

The pines close in, the mining roads twist higher, and the ridgelines keep asking if you’ve got one more climb in you. You’ll see parts of the frontier that Buckey saw. No easy passages. Each mile has to be earned.

You’ll ride where the cavalry once scouted, where supply trains rattled over dirt, and where Buckey’s kind of grit meant coming home or not at all. By the time you drop back into Prescott, you’ll know you’ve been shaped by the gravel.

With GRIT and GRIND, you’ve proven you are ready for the final push to GLORY.

Route Breakdown

Rolling Out of Town

Both the Long and Short Course riders roll out from the courthouse square, heading south on Hwy. 89 before swapping out pavement for gravel in Ponderosa Park. You'll climb through Turkey Track and Indian Creek before the course really finds its rhythm on Wolf Creek Road.

Aid Station 1: 5 Corners Split (~32.5 km / 20.5 miles)

Here, the day changes. Short Course riders turn toward Big Bug Mesa, while Long Course riders continue on past for an out and back on some sweet gravel.

Aid Station 2: 5 Corners (~48 km / 30 miles) Long Course Only

Long Course returning to the same aid station at the 5 Corners.  Heading straight through and down the challenging Big Bug Mesa Rd into Walker. Long and Short on the same route on a short paved section before heading back onto the gravel and dirt of Walker and Potato Patch. Climbing up the Walker Wall and back to Senator Highway and making your way back to your timing point finish.

Aid Station 3(Long Course) & Aid Station 2(Short Course)

Everyone hits their last aid station down in Walker, after a technical descent on Big Bug Mesa Rd wind your way through the small village of Walker to find your last aid station in the driveway of a local friend. Respect the area and the private property, then head out and grind up the Walker Wall climb and through Potato Patch.

The Finish: Granite and Grind

Coming off the big climb out of Walker you retrace your tire tracks back towards SH89 and the parade finish back into Prescott. Yes your timing point finish is on S Ponderosa Rd before you hit SH89 again, from here you will be taking a fun, safe victory lap back to the finish line on N Cortez Dr. no racing through town please for safety reason.

What to Expect

Surface Mix

• Long Course: ~55% gravel, 30% paved, 15% forest track

• Short Course: ~60% gravel, 25% paved, 15% forest track

Effort Profile

• Long Course: Two major climbs, long rollers, technical descents

• Short Course: One major climb, early descent, fast finish

Pro Tips

• Fuel early – the course is remote and doesn't give anything away easily

• Expect temperature swings between exposed roads and pine-shaded forest routes

• Ride steady; the GRIND rewards patience

NEXT UP STAGE 3: GLORY >