Valkyrie Segment: Mountain Bike

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OVERVIEW

The Valkyrie Relay spans nearly 100 miles of Utah’s spectacular ‘Wasatch Back’ mountain range. The event pits teams of up to 9 specialized competitors, each racing against the clock and exchanging between trail running, kayak/canoe paddling, marathon, mountain biking, stand-up paddleboarding, open water swimming, and road cycling.

Mountain Bikers compete on a 17.5-mile course of scrub oak and sagebrush terrain with spectacular views of Deer Creek Reservoir. Beginning at Soldier Hollow with a two-lap circuit, then an undulating double-track to Deer Creek Dam. Riders experience steep climbs and descents with direct midday sun bearing down on them.

INFO

Teammates: 1
Distance: 17.5 mls / 28.2 km
Elevation Gain: 2557 ft / 780 m
Start: Soldier Hollow Nordic Center (SHNC)
Finish: Deer Creek Dam Trailhead
Time: 9:30 am – 3:00 pm

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Course Map

Mountain Bikers compete on a 17.5-mile course of scrub oak and sagebrush terrain with spectacular views of Deer Creek Reservoir. Beginning at Soldier Hollow with a two-lap circuit, then an undulating double-track to Deer Creek Dam. Riders experience steep climbs and descents with direct midday sun bearing down on them.

Parking Information

Soldier Hollow Nordic Center: Ample parking is available at the SHNC with a walk of 0.3 miles to the Finish Line and Exchange Zone. Wingmates with Vehicle Access and Parking Permits (VAPP) will be able to access the Exchange Zone of the SHNC for drop off and pick up of athletes and gear only. Vehicles cannot park or wait (with a driver) at the Exchange. Limited space is available for waiting vehicles (with driver) at the Biathlon Range area. Exchange Zone Details: MTB > RCY Exchange: The limited parking at the Deer Creek Dam Trailhead parking lot is for Valkyrie Relay operational vehicles and mountain bike & road cycle competitors and gear load & unloading only. Wingmate vehicles may park for their turn to load/unload at a small stretch of service road nearby and at a UDOT sand/gravel deposit lot on the opposite side of Hwy 189. (see course diagram) *Parking is limited along the course so we highly suggest that your team travel together as much as possible, ideally having a team vehicle (s) with non-competing drivers that can pick-up and drop off team members and gear along the course as the race progresses. Please review the section on Wingmates, event parking, and the Valkyrie Relay Bivouacs.

Transition Information

Exchange Zone Details: RDR2 > MTB & SUP: Runners enter the SHNC Exchange Zone and tag their MTB teammate at the timing sensor to begin the closed course. As Runners cross the timing sensor, his/her team’s SUP athlete counterpart will also be alerted to begin their 5K leg at the Rainbow Bay Day Use area of Deer Creek Reservoir. This will begin a team’s split time for SUP and SWM legs, which will be included as part of the team’s overall time. Exchange Zone Details: MTB > RCY: MTB riders arrive at the Deer Creek Dam parking lot upon exiting the trail and tag their RCY counterpart waiting for them there with their cycle.

Segment Rules

1. To maintain the aggregate timing of your team's progress, your Mountain Biker must complete this leg and tag your counterpart at the Deer Creek Dam Exchange Zone before the Mountain Bike course has closed. 2. Do not ride down the middle of the trail. Ride to the right side to allow others to pass safely. 3. Competitors must race on the trail. No short cuts or cutting corners, not even to pass. 4. The Soldier Hollow portion of the Mountain Bike course is a closed course for competition only. The Deer Creek Trail portion of the course is open to the general public. It is a double-track trail with traffic in both directions. Use caution. Race Organizers and State Park personnel will not be closing the Deer Creek Trail for the race, but they will advise the general public beginning well in advance of the event with the intent to discourage the general public from using the trail during official course hours 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM. 5. We strongly recommend that you refrain from using portable music players at our events. This is a safety issue—you need to be able to hear the bikers and hikers around you and any safety or medical staff that are trying to move along the course. 6. The event organizer reserves the right to remove a Mountain Biker from the course if, in our judgment, it is possible that serious or fatal injury could result from continued participation. 7. Bikes with integrated electric motors or any other device used to assist propulsion are not allowed.