This is a mixed terrain pavement/gravel/sand event. Make sure to bring the right shovel. The course is best suited for a gravel bike or hardtail mountain bike. We recommend having tubeless, 42c or larger tires with some tread.
💡 Prospectin’ Pete’s Tip: “I’ll be going with Canyon Grizl for singletrack capabilities, and the IRC Boken Doublecross 42mm, it’s fast rolling for ripping the pavement yet wide enough to handle the soft sandy sections, while providing plenty of grip for the singletrack.”
Packet Pickup & Expo at Fuji Park
2 pm – 4 pm. Women’s Group Ride with Pro Caroline Dezendorf. Be ready to ride by 2:30 pm. Route Here.
4 pm – 7 pm. Complimentary pre-race Canyon Owner Bike Tunes and Orange Seal sealant top-offs for all.
4 pm – 7 pm. Rider check in.
*Please bring your ID to pick up your race number. If you are under 18, be aware that you will need a parent/legal guardian to sign the waiver as well. Riders will receive their number plate, custom bottle, a t-shirt if you ordered one, drink tickets for 2 beers (1 Old Caz beer + 1 Athletic non-alcoholic beer) and 1 post ride meal voucher.
4 pm – 7 pm. Happy Hour with Canyon x Old Caz beer: The beers are on Canyon! Join Pete and crew at the Canyon tents for both Alcoholic and NA options.
6:30 - 8:00 am: Packet pickup (inside Fuji Hall)
8:00 am: Race Start (both routes). 2.3 mile Neutral rollout, all categories.
11:30 am - 5:00 pm: Expo opens for food, beer, and shenanigans.
11:30 am: 1st finishers expected
11:30 am - 3 pm: Mechanical Bull and Tire Lasso for cash money and swag courtesy of Wahoo and IRC Tire
3 pm: Awards and podium ceremony
5 pm: Festival closes
Welcome to an experiential route that straddles both mountain ranges across Carson Valley, the ancestral lands of the Washoe People! After the neutral rollout on pavement the dirt begins in earnest at mile 6 and riders will quickly enter the Prison Hill Trail network. From miles 6-9 riders enter some urban gravel, it’s fun, smooth and fast; Be aware of homeowners out walking their dogs and recreating, the timed segment hasn’t started yet so enjoy the camaraderie and don’t be a jerk!
The timing starts at mile 10.5, upon turning onto Sedge lane. The race is on and your entry to the Pine Nuts begins shortly after. A short, steep, climb and descent, both rough and sandy will lead you to Brunswick Canyon. Watch your descent, crashing is a lousy way to start this segment! Brunswick is a very long and at times rough climb. Your mind will tell you it’s too much; don’t listen, in fact turn off that fearful commentary for the better part of an hour. For upon reaching the plateau, you will bask in the triumph and majesty of the Eastern Sierra vistas. Keep an eye out for packs of wild horses and rattlesnakes alike! Feed zone 1 will be at mile 17.8, and while those who are racing may soldier onward (the segment is still going), make sure you carry any rations to survive another hour of desert punishment. What goes up must come down, and the descent off Sunrise Pass Rd to the pavement and end of the Pine Nut timed segment at mile 28 is wide, smooth and fast, but keep a heads up for ruts!
Riders will cross hwy 395 at mile 34, this intersection is OPEN to high speed traffic and all riders must obey the traffic light or risk disqualification, you are not being timed here, so go slow and stay off a trucker’s windshield! Then head south on 395 for a half-mile, ride on the dirt shoulder here, it’s great gravel and very far from any passing trucks.
At mile 39 riders reach the main oasis of the event in Genoa, Nevada’s oldest settlement. Regroup, find some friends old and new and replenish under the shade before setting off for the grand finale.
Orange Seal Indian Hills sector: After rolling out and loosening up along paved Jack’s Valley Rd, riders will make a right hand turn onto the singletrack and begin an undulating, gravel bike friendly, singletrack loop. 9 miles later, the segment ends right where you began. SAFELY CROSS JACK’S VALLEY RD and recover a second, because you’re at the crux of the whole ride…
*WARNING* If you ain’t feeling up to snuff, roll home along the medium course markings. Once you begin the climb up Clear Creek, there’s no turning back.
Clear Creek Trail:
**Note this is only the long course riders, the medium course detours via neighborhood gravel back to Fuji Park**
Our final segment begins with a serpentine climb into the Tahoe foothills. Pete refers to this as a “Hero Climb” as the grade is generally so agreeable you may find yourself braking into turns going uphill! The trail is smooth and flowy with vistas galore. But here’s yer warning: Pace yourself, for it’s 7 miles long and reaches an altitude of 6,200 ft! The descent stays narrow with mild rocky sections (don’t be a hero and walk if needed!) until opening up onto an old forest service road descent that all who ride surely agree that gravel bikes were specifically built just for this. One last short rolling, yet smooth, singletrack brings riders to the on-ramp of Hwy 50 and the end of the race timing.
Timing is done, Athletic Brews are at the ready for yer parched lips, and all that remains is joining hwy 50 for a smooth paved descent back to the bike path at the bottom that leads to the expo/festival. We’ve coned off a lane for you, but watch yerself and those around you, as traffic is moving downhill at more than 60mph, stay as far right as possible, and again, you’re not being timed here!
Congrats pard’ner, you’ve just hit Paydirt! Rustle up some grub, some drink, and bask in yer personal glory.
Time Cutoff:
There will be one major time cut at 1:45pm to eliminate racers who haven't made it in time to tackle the final Clear Creek climb segment of the Paydirt route. This takes place at approximately mile 55 before a sustained single track climb. If you do not make this cut, we'll send you back home following the bailout signage.
Rider Support:
This is gravel and self reliance is paramount. No pit crews or feeds are allowed outside of official feed zones. If you have someone supporting you make sure they stay within eyesight of the official aid stations. We will have neutral support at the Genoa Aid Station. Outside of official zones, riders must fix it or walk it. Accepting mechanical help from fellow compassionate riders is allowed.
The 2024 long course will be a return of the celebrated 2023 edition. It will include 3 segments, all detailed within the map here.
SEGMENT 1 is the longest in distance at 18 miles, and technically demanding. We tend to see the majority of our flats on this first segment of our route.
SEGMENT 2 in 2023 was host to an incredible superbloom of wildflowers. Will we be so lucky this year? We shall see. 9 Miles of flowing single-track.
SEGMENT 3 is the grand finale -- a climb from Jacks Valley Road to HWY 50 on Clear Creek Trail: a smooth single-track ascent. You'll get blissed out, but don't let that turn into complacency or you'll wash out on a sandy turn. 9 Mile single-track climb.
We have an official medium course route this year!
Participants of the medium course will ride 9 fewer miles, eliminating the Clear Creek trail segment of our ride. But you will still ride the Indian Hills segment which is INCREDIBLY FUN! Medium course competitors will be scored on 2 segments.
Aid Station 1: Sedge Overlook – Mile 10.5We thought you might like to refill water and food before heading into the wilderness. You can grab a light bite to eat and fill your bottles before the 6.7 mile climb to Aid Station 2. Watch your descent right after the station, it's sandy and slick.
Aid Station 2: Brunswick Canyon – Mile 17.8
At the top of the climb up Brunswick Canyon Road, you will hit a little plateau with an astounding view of the Eastern Sierra and the high desert of the Pine Nut Mountains. Even though this is part way through a timed section, it's a great place to fill those bottles and bellies for the 20 mile gravel/paved push to Genoa. Happy trails start with some smooth dirt road mostly descending back to the center of the beautiful Carson Valley. Shimano will have mechanical support for all riders here.
Aid Station 3 WATER STOP ONLY: Johnson Lane – Mile 29
This aid station is a basic water stop, 1 miles after the end of the first timing segment. You can quickly refill your bottle if you need to, and keep on riding; the next (full) aid station is just a little under 10 miles away. Giddyup!
Aid Station 4: Genoa – Mile 38.5
At the intersection of Genoa Lane and Jacks Valley Road stands Mormon Station State Historic Park. We’ve positioned an aid station here at the park to give you a chance to take a load off, grab some grub and down a cold one or two (sorry no beer yet, just water and hydration mix). Canyon will be grilling hot dogs and we’ll have all the classic aid station staples as well. Find some shade in the park, catch up with your buddies and get ready for round 2. Canyon will have mechanical support for all riders here.
Aid Station 5 WATER STOP ONLY: You'll hit this location TWICE at – Mile 45 & 54
This is a chance to fill a water bottle before you start triggering timing chips. You'll see this stop first, before you start Segment #2, and then right afterwards before you either 1: head back to the festival on the medium route, or 2: tackle Clear Creek climb. We are at elevation, and in the desert, you need to stay hydrated, so fill any bottles you emptied and get ready for that HERO CLIMB. Orange Seal will have mechanical support for all riders here!
Aid Station 6 Athletic Brewing Summit Cheers & WATER STOP ONLY: Clear Creek Trail TOP & Hwy 50 – Mile 63.7 (Long course only)
We have a basic water fill in case you’re absolutely parched. Athletic Brewing will have something extra;) It’s literally 5 miles of coasting downhill from here to the festival where the grub and more drink await!
All aid stations will have water and hydration mix for you. Food of varying degrees will be available at the aid stations as well - Aid Stations 1 and 3, and 5 will be water focused but have quick bites, and you actually hit it twice, while 2 and 4 will have something more substantial and we encourage you to stop and enjoy the amenities.
EMS provided by Carson City. Sheriff’s Search and Rescue and Douglas County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers will be available if you need any assistance.
Field communications will be provided by Washoe County Amateur Radio Emergency Services volunteers.
Roaming the course will be SAR teams to keep an eye on you and SAG vehicles to help in case of breakdown, in addition to our on-bike marshals.
The old way of all-out racing is not the way at Stetina's Carson City Paydirt. Instead, the Paydirt consists of three substantial timed segments to keep things competitive without separating yourself from dear friends in the dusty west of Nevada's desert. The Overall is decided by the segment’s cumulative times.
18 mi, 1,427 ft. elevation gain.
Starts out rough and rugged, but slowly evolves into a much faster road. You'll end with stunning views of the easter slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
*note there is one aid station during this segment at the top of the long climb, right smack dab in the middle of racing.*
8.6 mi, 700 ft elevation gain.
(Pete's world is measured in kilometers)
This is the site of the 2023 superbloom. We don't really know if what we saw was real. Regardless, this segment is incredibly fun, and you're going to end with a shit-eating ear-to-ear grin on your face.
The rules are simple, however many seconds you stay on the bull is your score. The longest ride wins $150 cash. Additionally there will be 2 ELEMNT GPS for best male/female rides and discretionary prizes from Wahoo staff such as best dismount/most inspiring ride, etc.
OBVIOUSLY, a liability waiver must be signed to ride the bull.
Pete Cutouts will be spaced at 3 distances marking 5, 10, and 15 points. Wrangle Pete!
Highest score get $150 cash. In case of a draw we keep tossing until only 1 athlete remains. Additional IRC Tire sets will be given as prizes to runner ups.
The Shimano Women’s Challenge is the marquee event of this year’s edition of the Paydirt. We’ve assembled a stellar field of contenders.
NOTE: No male domestiques are allowed. Gravel is special due to the mass start and we don’t want to compromise this, however having male helpers solely dedicated to helping tow a female contender is against the ethos of this challenge. There is a difference between ending up in the same group together and having a predetermined tactic. We will be scouting the course and any riders falling afoul of this, regardless of gender, will be ostracized, shamed, potentially disqualified, and put on the next train outta here.
Podiums: 3pm!
Win silver in the Silver State! Awards will include a motherlode of amazing and very valuable, and sometimes not, gear, prizes, trinkets, and drinks.
Categories are as follows:
**You must be present at awards ceremony to win prizes or money if applicable! If you are not present, your awards will be forfeited.**
