Nathan Riddle getting ready for the pain of the XC course; right out of the gate it's an 8 mile, 3000 vertical foot punch in the gut from Sierra City up and over Sierra Buttes to Packer Saddle. There's no where to hide on the climb--literally and figuratively--the trail is fully exposed to the beating sun and riders without the fitness to tackle that climb soon discover why it's called the "Trail of Tears".