Gorey Hollows III: SKOV’s Premier ATB Race / Scramble / Ramble

Register here for the ride, pizza and camping: https://www.bikereg.com/goreyhollows3

The Ramble is 30ish miles, dirt roads, plenty of climbing, and some sketchy class 4 roads. Doable on a bike with decently low gearing and 40+mm tires. Mid ride stop somewhere scenic for beers and sandwiches. BYOB and Sandwich! Super mellow pace guided ride with random stops to eat wild apples and talk about local history, or DIY pace with wayfinding.

The Scramble is 45+ miles, way harder terrain, with single track, class 4 roads, hikeabikes, roads that look like stream beds, and worse. Exceedingly hard 45 mile ride! Many riders last year DNF’d this ride. Do not underestimate this ride based on it’s mileage. Wayfinding, this is not a marked route.  Pre-download the GPX route. We HIGHLY recommend Gaia Premium for this. Don’t try to do it day of, there is no city slicker super fast cell connection here and we have NO wifi.  

The Race is 80+ miles, with well over 12,000 feet of climbing. Probably closer to 13,000. Singletrack, horrible roads, Brevet style check points, hike a bikes, river crossings and other sketch delights. Hardest ride you’ll ever do, we bet. Starts early. Totally self supported old school race. Winner gets a pie and some donuts.   Pre-download the GPX route. We HIGHLY recommend Gaia premium for this. Don’t try to do it day of, there is no city slicker super fast cell connection here and we have NO wifi.  

photo by @jjamesjoiner

Mileage wise, these rides are a bunt. But when those miles take place on 120 year old disused ‘roads’ that more closely resemble the bed of a trout stream, you are in for some very hard miles. Up and over mountain saddles, through dark hollows and down into deep gores, past waterfalls, 200 year old stone walls meandering to forgotten homesteads, and finally back to Analog.

Lest you think that we misspelled Gorey, a Gore in Vermont is an area of forgotten, unsurveyed, uninhabited land, usually deep in the woods.

What this ride does not have: Sag wagons. Medical support. Prizes for everyone. Fun T shirts. Elderly people passing out fig newtons.

Pre Ride Stuff:

Racers: get here at 4:00, race starts at 5am. Scramblers: Leave at 8am. Ramblers: Leave at 10am.

Equipment requirements for 45 and 80 mile ride:

• Sturdy walking shoes
• Low enough gearing to make it up 15%+ grades that are loose and wet
• Lights, 700 lumen min. Spare battery /head lamp is a very good idea. Tail light that has a solid mode.
• Spare tubes/tubeless patch kits
• GPS or Phone with GPS ability with some sort of back up battery situation.
• Ride with GPS or GAIA.
• 1.75″ / 44mm wide tires or bigger. Advise 2.25 or bigger. We ride 3″ tires on this stuff.
• Basic tools and bike repair knowhow in case you break down
• There are no sag wagons! There is no way to get out of the woods! Be safe. Ride Smart

Post ride:  

Firepit hangs. Buy your beer locally, be rad. Our friends Mike and Emily at the East Poultney General Store have an awesome assortment of VT beers to snag, along with ice, food, all that good stuff. They’re open 8-6 on Friday and Saturday. Plan accordingly! Camping if you want to. Tents, vans ok, No RV’s, generators etc.

We have Naga Bakehouse, which is a super rad bakery from the next town over making a bunch of wood fired pizza for post ride hangs. You want this pizza. They grow the grains they make the flour out of, they grow the veg that goes on the pizza… it’s super good. $17 gets you more or less all you can eat. Vegetarian and meat options.