P2P Preview (Part 1)

The Park City Point 2 Point is less than 2 weeks away. It’s a big race. 80 miles. 14,000 vertical. And some of the most amazing and hardest singletrack you’ll ever ride. It will be one of the most demanding—and best—days you’ve ever had on your bike. This week I will be posting my thoughts about the entire course, section by section. I’ve raced (and finished) both P2P’s, and have ridden the trails the course uses many, many times. Hopefully I can offer you something of value as you make your final preparations for the 2011 sufferfest race.

The first thing to know about the P2P is that, although it’s not a 100 mile mountain bike race, it requires the exact same mindset, effort, and commitment. The P2P has as much, and in many cases more, climbing as most Rocky Mountain 100s, including Leadville, Breck, and Peirre’s Hole. The high-point of the race will reach 9,400 feet above sea-level, and most of the race is above 7,000 feet. There are no extended stretches of dirt road or pavement. Every mile is hard-earned. Every mile is beautiful. And terrible.

The official Point 2 Point website has broken the course down into 6 different segments. I’ll be using that same breakdown for these posts. There is also a master file available for your viewing and downloading pleasure. If you have a Garmin bicycle computer, I suggest loading the master file onto your device. It may come in handy on race day. For more on how to load tracks onto a Garmin Edge series device, click here.

2011 Park City Point 2 Point Overview

There are many reasons that I keep coming back to the P2P. Most obvious among them is the race course itself. In one race, riders will ride a week’s worth of Park City trails. It’s an entire vacation compressed into one, grueling, taxing, brilliant ride.

The race begins in Round Valley. Home to fast and twisty singtrack that snakes through scrub oak and sage brush, and finishes at The Canyons resort. Only a few miles away from the start line. In-between the start and the finish are miles of variety. Rolling hills, tight switchbacks, deep pine forests, and the most crowded aspen grove (John’s 99) you will ever ride a bike through, interrupt ski slopes, snow-fed lakes, and an unfathomable array of singletrack. The P2P utilizes the very best of Park City’s world class trail system. If you love singletrack, you’ll love the Park City trails.

The entire picture looks like this:

But more specifically, the picture looks like this:

And this:

Throughout the week I’ll be posting information about each leg of the course, and few other things I’ve learned while trying (with only mild success) to conquer the Point 2 Point. I really can’t say enough about how challenging, but rewarding, this event is. I am as proud of my 2 finishes as I am of any other race I’ve done. And I’ve raced events that were longer and farther. Whatever your “everything” is, the Point 2 Point will demand it. And that’s the beauty and terror of this race.

Tomorrow: Segments 1, 2, and 3 which cover the first 28 miles of the course, from Round Valley, through the lower half of Deer Valley to feed station 1.