Gravel Ride of the Week: Dirty Kitten Gravel Grinder
This week’s Gravel Ride of the Week takes us to Locust Hill Farm and Preserve in Rapidan, Virginia. Just a short drive from Culpeper, seated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, you will find this privately-owned land that stretches over 5,000 acres. If this sounds like the perfect place for some gravel riding, then you’d certainly be right. The property is normally off limits to cyclists throughout the year. However, towards the end of July gravel riders get to enjoy some epic gravel grinding through this private land when it becomes accessible during the annual Dirty Kitten Gravel Race (DKGR).
The Dirty Kitten Gravel Grinder
As we all know, 2020 has not been a normal year by any stretch of the imagination which meant that the DKGR had to be cancelled for this year. In May, I created a video and blogpost that highlighted a virtual Strava challenge that was organized by the DKGR. Back then, I was still holding hope that the health risks would subside by July and that the race could continue as normal. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned.
All was, however, not lost, and the organizers polled the 2020 entrants to gauge the interest in a socially distanced gravel grinder event. In order to ensure a safe and enjoyable time for all who wanted to be a part of the Dirty Kitten Gravel Grinder (DKGG), the field of people would be limited to far fewer than what is allowed under normal circumstances. Furthermore, only those within a 2-3 hour driving range were encouraged to take part, as to avoid any unnecessary travel and accommodation to the local community. Precautionary measures would also be in place on the day to ensure that participants remained socially distanced, including the requirement to wear a mask while in closer vicinity to other participants. While certainly not the normal format of a gravel event, I quickly jumped at the opportunity to sign up.
Route:
The route runs throughout the farmland and forms a 19.6 mile (31.5km) loop. Total elevation gain for each lap measured in at 1111ft (338m). The whole loop consisted entirely of gravel roads and jeep tracks, along with the necessity to traverse a grass field. With the exception of one public gravel road, the whole ride took place throughout the privately-owned farmlands.
Since this was not a gravel race, but instead a gravel grinding get-together, it meant that the competition between entrants that normally takes place was missing on the day. However, to spice things up a bit, the organizers threw in three optional Strava segments to spark the competitive nature of those looking to set some fast times along the course. You’ll see that I marked them out on the map below.
If you want to get a sense of what the scenery looks like in this beautiful part of Virginia, then make sure to check out my highlights video. If a picture can tell a thousand words, then a video must be worth at least ten thousand – which is what is needed to give you a taste of what it was like to ride along these incredible gravel roads.
Wrap-up:
A big shout-out goes to Alex and Chris Howell for putting the event together. They did a great job organizing an event during some extraordinarily challenging circumstances. The gravel grinder was very successful at giving the local gravel riders something to look forward to during a time when just about everything else has been cancelled. Not only was it an awesome experience, but it was all done in such a manner as to ensure the safety of those involved. Thank you Alex & Chris! We hope to see the DKGR back in full swing in 2021.
Stay tuned for more Gravel Rides of the Week in the future!
-Wiehan
