Preview: Montana Enduro Series - Round 4, Grand Targhee

The Montana Enduro Series is set to invade Wyoming this weekend. The Grand Enduro, the fourth stop of the MES, will be taking place at Grand Targhee Resort this Sunday. The Grand Enduro course starts technical and ends fast. Racers will start and end the race with a trip up the Dreamcatcher high-speed quad, saving 4,000 feet of climbing. But it’s not all downhill, as racers will need to climb 38 Special to start Stage 3, and there are a few smaller transfer climbs as well. Even with two stages taking advantage of the lifts, the five stages with more than 4600’ of timed descent are going to be a real challenge.


SCHEDULE
0800-0900: Racer check in at the Grand Targhee base area.
0915: Racer Meeting at the Grand Targhee base area, followed immediately by departure per race category.

STAGE 1
The Dreamcatcher lift drops you on top of Fred’s Mountain, where you’ll start racing down the Grand Traverse, but don’t get sucked in by the views of the Tetons; you’ve got work to do. Drop into Sticks & Stones, and you might forget you’re in a bike park when you’re blasting your day through the old-school backcountry gnar. Stage 1 ends at the bottom of Middle Sticks & Stones.

STAGE 2:
Transfer across the hillside to Colter’s Escape. The stage ends at the bottom of the trail near the yurt, where you’ll try to peel off the perma-grin from the sweet mountain singletrack.

STAGE 3
Better eat a Kate’s bar at the top of Stage 3, after climbing 38 Special. Stage 3 drops down Peaked and Andy’s trail, and you’ll have lots of chances to nail or blow corners. This could stage could make or break a race. Stage 3 ends at the bottom of Andy’s.

STAGE 4
Climb back up the PRT road, and finish off the lower portion of Sticks & Stones. The lower part isn’t as technical as the upper part that was in stage 1, but you don’t want to snooze. This stage ends at the bottom of Sticks & Stones, and you can swing through the base area to rehydrate or refuel on your way back to your second ride up the Dreamcatcher quad.

STAGE 5
Transfer down the Grand Traverse, and take a moment to enjoy the view that you raced past to start your morning. Stage 5 starts at the top of Buffalo Drop. The trail’s namesake feature has a ride-around, but it’s the slow line. Buffalo Drop feeds you into Bullwinkle, where it’s flat out table jumping and berm blasting into the finish. Be sure to look steezy for the crowd cheering you in from the Trap deck.

The Grand Enduro is proudly presented by Grand Targhee Resort, Habitat, and the Montana Bicycle Guild.

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MENTIONS: @deityusa / @KNOLLYBIKES

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