The Northern Sierras of California are a quite a special place and even more so… if you mix in gravel bikes. I’ve known about the Lost and Found race for awhile but hadn’t felt 100% ready to tackle the 100 mile gravel grinder until this year and man, was it totally worth it.
The race kicks off in a mass start for everyone in the 102 mile format (there’s also a 67 and a 35 mile format). This mass of cyclists is lead at the very front by highway patrol eventually leading us to our first gravel road. We’d spend the next 8 1/2+ hours peddling through what seemed like every type of gravel mountain terrain imaginable. It had been raining heavy yet sporadic in the Sierras leading up to the race, providing ample mud pits with even snow still present on the course in numerous areas.