Buffalo Headwaters Challenge | Ride Recap - Ozark Cycling Adventures

Buffalo Headwaters Challenge | Ride Recap

One of our favorite events is coming up next weekend. This is one of those events you don’t want to miss. Check out our Ride Recap from the 2017 Buffalo Headwaters Challenge.

Apologies folks, this one slipped through the cracks and not because it wasn’t epic or amazing. It was indeed both of those things. Let’s see, how can I say this? It probably was the most fun I’ve had on a bike in a long time. If you haven’t ridden the Headwaters Trails yet you need to make plans ASAP. The trails are incredible and I think some of the best in Arkansas. The Ozark Off-Road Cyclists put on one heck of a event. The Buffalo Headwaters Challenge is a membership drive for the 20 year old volunteer based trail building organization. For more about the OORC click here. This is a ‘must ride’ event in my book. Put it on your calendar folks!

They have two ride options the full (40 miles) and the half (25ish miles). I rode the half. Ended up with 28 miles, 7000 gain. The ups are truly up and the downs are truly down.

This image doesn’t capture the crowd very well. At least 400 folks attended!

Shortly after starting you hit this ramp and it pretty much sorts the bunch.

There are a ton of creek crossings. We lucked out with a warm day in January.

The GPP aid station at the fire tower was great. A fire to warm up your toes. Cokes, fruit, bars and bacon!

I had a awesome time riding with the father-son team Victor & Samuel G.

Dad of the year?

And just at the right moment we heard music playing in the woods and came across the Phat Tire aid station. That cookie tasted so good and pretty much fueled the engine for the long climb out of the valley.

Ozarkia.