Firecracker 50

Race - Jul 4, 2019

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

This is the loop of the Firecracker 50 race course utilizing a lot of pavement along Boreas Pass Road to segregate riders.

For the recreational cyclist, this IS NOT the best 25-mile loop utilizing these trails. See the Firecracker 50 - dirt version ( mtbproject.com/trail/700114…) for an all-dirt, and mostly singletrack version of this racecourse.

This is the second lap beginning and ending at Carter Park . The first lap begins on Main Street during the 4th of July parade. Ride south out of the park on the Sunbeam Trail across two paved streets to Sunbeam Drive. Turn right and ride out to Boreas Pass Road (paved). Go left and ride a mile up the road to Illinois Gulch Rd, the first paved road on the right.

Climb through two switchbacks to Bunker Hill Lode (paved). Go left and climb back to Boreas Pass Road (paved). Go right and ride past the Boreas Pass Trailhead onto the dirt section of the road. Continue 3 miles up Boreas Pass Road to Baker's Tank Trail to the left of the tank.

Climb Baker's Tank Trail to a Y intersection, and bear right onto Mountain Pride Trail. Ride past Mt. Pride Mine and climb right at a hard switchback onto Pinball Alley. Climb to a highpoint and descend left to a doubletrack road, Crossing Route, FSR 528.1B. Contour through the first junction and continue to Baldy Road, another doubletrack.

Turn right then left onto the unmarked True Romance trail. True Romance climbs initially before leveling off through a boggy section of trail. Ride through a timber chicane and shortly after turn left and descend Nightmare on Baldy to Sallie Barber Road at Sallie Barber Mine. Turn right onto Sallie Barber Road and descend.

At the bottom of Sallie Barber Road, ride through a gap in gate, turn hard right onto dirt French Gulch Road and go through gap in another gate. In 3/4 mile ride through another Forest Service gate and continue up French Gulch Road. Ride 100 yards past the garage on your right and turn left at Y. Begin a tough climb up Little French. During the race there are a lot of people pushing sections of this trail. Climb a mile up the road section of Little French and turn left just past cabin ruins and cross a creek onto the singletrack, flume section of Little French.

Bear left at a Y in a saddle and continue on the flume. At the end of the flume, turn left and descend to a 5-way dirt road intersection and the top of Humbug Hill (GH 61). Ignore downhill road options to the sharp left and sharp right. Instead, bear right, staying on main road (GH 66) Lincoln Park Road. Note that this road has been regraded for logging operations. Descend to Lincoln Meadow on the right. Road bends to the right (ignore steep descent on your left which is Rich Gulch (GH 62)).

Continue on Prospect Hill Road (GH 38) (also graded for logging). Stay on Prospect Hill Road for approximately 2 miles and descend through a series of recently graded road switchbacks. (It is entirely likely that the race organizer may relocate this section of descent onto Side Door given the recent road realignment which occurred after the 2014 race).

Bear left at bottom of Prospect Hill Road onto Prospect Trail. Ride 1/2 mile and turn left onto Side Door. Contour the lower section of Side Door to a Y intersection and bear right downhill across blonde colored mine tailings and descend right at the next junction on lower Minnie Mine. At the next intersection turn left onto X10U8. Climb X10U8 back to Minnie Mine, turn right and descend to the trailhead. Cross French Gulch onto the Reiling Dredge Trail.

Ride Reiling Dredge Trail continuing downhill on B&B Trail. Descend 3/4 miles down B&B Trail and turn left onto V3 Trail. Climb V3 to Barney Ford and turn right. Descend Barney Ford all the way to Moonstone Road. Cross the road onto Moonstone Trail and take an almost immediate right onto Barney Flow Trail. Barney Flow merges with Moonstone Trail just above the Hermit Placer flume trail.

Turn left onto Hermit Placer then take an immediate right onto Carter Park. Descend the switchbacks back to the park. Ride uphill of tennis courts onto paved parking area, make immediate left through gap in retaining wall and ride grass along eastern edge of dog park.