This exciting 10 mile circuit is 95% alpine singletrack and takes you from the start in Copper Village to the mountaintop at Solitude Station. Elevation gain per lap is about 1,800 feet.
Category starts will be by 3 minute intervals with a 1/4 mile double-track road section to start the race to allow everyone to sort themselves before getting onto Red Tail.
We will climb 4.8 miles up the winding Red Tail trail, circle the summit on Fat Marmot loop, then cruise downhill on Elk Alley trail.
The views from the Summit are breathtaking close ups of the couloirs on the west side of the Ten Mile Range. The long, buttery, winding descent rolls through a rollercoaster of forested pine and spruce to the spectator friendly Pit Zone where you can catch your breath and fuel up at the Aid Station. There you will ascend the mountain again as a solo rider, or hand-off to your relay partner if on a team.
As one of our veteran racers said, the XC and Endurance races will feel like a World Cup Circuit. Appetizer competitors will do two laps, XC does three, and the Endurance racers test themselves on five laps.
Juniors 10-14 will do a half lap, with ages 15-18 doing a full lap, and ages 17-18 race the Appetizer distance with two laps. As always in our Series, if a strong Junior wants to “race up in age” they can register for the longer distance in the age group above them.
Course Map Here: Copper Crush Course
For those looking to pre-ride the course, note that the Red Tail trail which we will use to climb on race day, is closed to uphill traffic between 9am-4pm. You can pedal the service road up and descend down Elk Alley anytime to preview the top Fat Marmot section of the the course and the sweet downhill.
