Gravel should not be about me, but us and Mammoth Tuff hits all the notes.
I stated recently that this is my favorite event because of the combining elements of riding, destination and atmosphere.
For many these rides, your life is focused to the moment you get to the starting line, butt Mammoth Tuff makes you think about the extracurriculars.
Part of it is because of the elevation and distance for most, it’s wise to spend an extra day here to acclimate.
Still, everything else feels so easy with so much to explore in the Eastern Sierra even with the lakes right above town.
While it looks brand new, the Village is an easy central spot where during the weekend you look around and think “you’re here for gravel too”.
This was such a great experience before that I knew I had to share with my wife.
Even though Mammoth Tuff is on my list of Best Places to Begin Gravel, she doesn’t ride a bike regularly so an ebike was a necessity.
Fortunately, the short(Tuff) distance can accommodate and I knew the course would be doable.
The inclines on this course are slight compared to other events, but the real trickery came with the off-roading, especially in the first sector.
Covering almost six miles, Dry Creek Road is mostly downhill which a required aid in the pockets where sand gets really deep.
I normally ride 45mm which might have been dicey, but I happened to be riding the Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge that runs 10mm wider and I was able to barrel through.
My wife was better equipped with her 2.4″ tires needed some handling practice at first, but understanding not to slow down by the time we got out.
Crossing the 395 brought more forest action around Lookout Mountain with a road shifting back and forth between pavement and dirt where she learned how to use the first surface to springboard into the second.
We hit Owens Valley Road briefly returning to it after another three flowy miles in the forest to one of my favorite sections ever.
This nine mile stretch doesn’t have a lot of nearby features, but it’s the composition as a whole that shines with the Sierra and White Mountains surrounding you with giants.
With one of the most scenic pit stops overlooking Hot Creek, we made our final push back with the climb up Sawmill Rd the final challenge more for the sand and wind than grade which my wife had now mastered.
We crossed the finish line well before noon having plenty of time to eat, catch up with everyone and every spend some quiet moments exploring the lakes above feeling like we had a week of experiences all pushed into one day.
This was a phenomenal weekend that’s hard to replacate, but we have the memories and can always look forward for the next Mammoth Tuff.