2024 Schwalbe NAEC Course
Be aware, all roads on transfers are live and will potentially have vehicle traffic. Pay attention, especially while riding around corners, and follow all traffic laws.
DAY 1:
The Pro/Expert course uses Stages 1-5. Sport will race Stages 1-3. The Pro/Expert Course is roughly 4,600’ of climbing, and 11,412 of descending. Everyone: Wear your timing chip on your RIGHT hand and keep your timing chip overnight.
Transfer 1 - Everyone
This is the standard first transfer route that we take most years. Leave the Silver Mountain parking lot, hang a left on the trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, take a right on Division, and follow the pink arrows up the hill. Keep an eye for the left turn off of Division and onto Slaughterhouse Gulch, right under the gondola. Take the usual dirt roads, just follow the arrows and you’ll arrive at 5 Corners in around an hour.
Stage 1 - Everyone
Soup Kitchen/Mom Jeans/War Gerbil
Launch into the roots and off cambers of Soup Kitchen, navigate the high lines of Mom Jeans, and then gently sprint your way into War Gerbil. The Gerbil has really developed into a local favorite with some great line choices, and some fun highlines.
Transfer 2 - Everyone
Transfer down Frog Trees, hop on the Trail of the CDA's, pass through the neutral support area, and head up the gondola.
Stage 2 - Everyone
Hot Beans/Frankenbeans
Stage 2 is a full-on downhill track with an optional section called Baby Swiss. Baby Swiss is NOT rollable, please look before you leap.
Transfer 3 - Everyone
Hop on Chair 3. Don't blow it, people are watching. You had your whole life to get ready for this.
Stage 3 - Everyone
El Burro Loco/Carnage Asada/Daisy Downs/Daisy Dukes
El Burro Loco means The Burro Loco, and it's a fun and twisty blue tech trail that winds down to the bottom of Chair 5. As you cross the road at Chair 5 drop into Carnage Asada. The Silver Mountain Bike Park trail crew gave Carnage Asada a full on tune up and some subtle reroutes for it’s sophomore season, and you’re going to like what you see. You'll cross Ridge Rd, take the tiny piece of Picnic Rock trail, and dive into Daisy Downs. Be ready for a clever reroute of fresh loamer that gets rid of two road sections, including the climb. Daisy Dukes is still surf city, hold on as it spits you out under the gondola line.
Transfer 4 - Everyone
Pedal up the same road you climbed earlier to 5 Corners and transfer your way down the mountain on any open trails. Take the Trail of the CDAs back to the Neutral Support area. The Pro/Expert course moves on to Stage 4, but SPORT IS DONE FOR THE DAY.
Pro/Expert only - Hop back on the gondola. Exit the Mountain House, hang a right, circle the building and cross under the gondola, through a gate in the rope line, and down the big open road that serves as a bunny hill in the winter. There is a giant glass tube on your right, aim for the bottom of it. Cross under the bottom terminal of the conveyor lift, through the hay, and follow the signs to the top of Stage 4.
Stage 4 - Pro/Expert only
Red Dragon
Red Dragon is as glorious as it is short, be sure to practice this punchy line full of rock rollers and some optional drops. It may be 400 vertical feet, but it’s very photogenic.
Transfer 5 - Pro/Expert only
Turn around after finishing on the road and start chugging out SOB (South of the Boarder) Road. It’s the toughest climb of the day, with a lot of loose rock and punchy climbs. You’ll near the top of Kellogg Peak, and then descend a bit before starting up Wardner Peak with its hallmark communication towers.
Stage 5 - Pro/Expert only
Hot Dog Hallway/Loamer Simpson/Hot Dog Hallway/ Lower Loamer Simpson.
A few years back we raced Hot Dog Hallway, named after a tight ski line in the proximity. You’ll start on that same trail, but right before it gets rocky you’ll turn onto Loamer Simpson for some fresh stuff. When you enter the forest you’ll see all the trees have a wild bend from surviving the forces of winter. Harvest some loam, get popped back onto Hot Dog Hallway, cross a rocky af road, and then you can squish some more loam to the finish line. You’ll stop shortly after the finish line, and you can walk or ride your bike down the rough path to the road below.
Transfer 6 - Pro/Expert only
Follow the signs for a gentle pedal to the base of Chair 3, the just past to Moose Knuckle. Please do not get in the chairlift line, backups here will delay the rest of the folks still on course. Take Moose Knuckle for a nice connector to Corkscrew, and transfer out however you like as long as it’s open.
DAY 2:
The Top to Bottom.
Be aware, all roads on transfers are live and will potentially have vehicle traffic. Pay attention, especially while riding around corners, and follow all traffic laws.
Hop on the gondola and cruise up to the Mountain House. We upload everyone early so we’re not mixing with the normal Gondola traffic, so be prepared to hang out up top. It takes roughly 3.5 hours to start everyone at 30 second intervals. You’ll be able to hang out inside at the Mountain House, and there’ll be an extra special opportunity to heckle all of the e-bike competitors on the Power Stage.
Stage 6 - Everyone - 3,400' of buck nasty, top-to-bottom, NAEC goodness.
Drop in on the Hammer, enjoy a new raw section, and watch for the right hander onto Goat Rodeo right before the road gap. Goat Rodeo is a little taste of BC in Idaho, with surfy turns and long root strewn straightaway. From there you’ll get into Mutton Conductor, which steps up the chunk, roots, holes, and gnar. It’s an absolute hand killer that takes a lot of skill to maintain speed on. You’ll blow through 5 Corners junction and drop into Spooky Woods. Be sure to enjoy these classic roots that have been pounding bike since the 90's. At the bottom of Spooky Woods, you’ll turn left, go on the road for a little bit, then drop into Mom Jeans. Then you're Pirate Trail and drop into a big section of Wide Open. As you exit the woods and cruise onto the grassy knob, where you’ll veer left onto Secret Squirrel, and then catch the step up to step down at the end of Man Child, follow by a few more bumps, jumps and roots. As you sprint across Cemetery Rd - say what's up to your course marshals - then enjoy the much-faster-than-you'd-expect Frog Trees. Cross the finish line, catch your breath, then head straight back to the Race HQ and return your timing chip.