Stage 2, Queen Stage: Bills's Creek/Reid-Divide

Stage 2: Bill's Creek/Reid-Divide. A 32-mile, "figure-8" located in the Tally Lake Region of Flathead National Forest, about a 25-minute drive from downtown Whitefish. Saturday, August 4, 9 a.m. start.

The race begins at the gravel pit near the bottom of Mountain Meadow Rd. When the gun goes off, you begin to climb. Then you climb more. Then you do some more climbing. And, for good measure, there's a little more climbing. Twelve miles up forest service gravel roads, the gradient hits 12 percent, but mostly hovers around six. None of that was a typo ...

Once you hit the flats at the summit you'll hook a left onto the Bill's Creek Trail (glance to your right for a preview of Reid-Divide). (Cat. 3s will make the right to Reid-Divide and not ride the Bill's Creek portion of the race.) Congrats., your suffering paid off, now you've got five miles of the sweetest, mostly-downhill single-track you've ever ripped. Keep your whits about you, this trail ain't no paved sidewalk. If your eyes aren't bleeding, make sure to catch the awesome views of Flathead National Forest through the burn. (Local Knowledge No. 1: There is a short creek-crossing on the trail. Unless you're the best, it's probably not rideable.)

Once you've bottomed-out Bill's Creek, again, it's time to climb, climb, climb, seven more miles of up on forest service roads, the grades this time "more manageable" than the initial climb.

Once back to the summit, the "crux" of the "figure-8," hang a left to the Reid-Divide Trail. Locally, this is considered the best single-track in the world. Get ready for relentless, mostly down, some up, fun. (Local Knowledge No. 2: Feed on the climb to Reid-Divide; feeding on this trail is not really possible ... unless you're the best.) Shred for about five miles and hang a right to the Boney Gulch Trail, about 2.5 miles of sweeping, bombable, down, down, down single-track. (Local Knowledge No. 3: Beware of the six switch-backs toward the bottom. If you're coming in too hot, you're going sailing.)

Bomb the bottom of Boney Gulch to Tally Lake Road. Feel the burn, breathe, bask in your accomplishment, less than two miles of gradual rolling gravel road to the start/finish at the gravel pit on Mountain Meadow Rd.

It's over. Done. Did you save anything for Sunday?

(We're thinking the Cat. 1/Pro stage-winner will pull this off in about 2:45.)

Strava link: Stage 2: Bill's Creek/Reid-Divide