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terrain May/June 2021
Each year in the Missouri Ozarks, at a place called Bass' River Resort, approximately 700 off-road cyclists and just as many onlookers show up for a 55-mile endurance race that also acts as an annual celebration of the Midwest mountain biking community. It's called the BT Epic, and it's a hell of a good time. "We throw a big party and give away a ton of crap. People have a lot of fun," said Scott Davis. "With the BT, we don't really have a formula or plan. We just go with the flow. It's organic. We do what feels right at the time." Those are the words of a veteran race director who knows that unexpected things can, and will, happen. But that doesn't mean Davis and his team haven't worked tirelessly to create the premier mountain biking endurance race in the Show Me State. At the time he started the BT Epic in 2008, the Berryman Trail on which the race is held (along with portions of the Ozark Trail) had seen better days. "I'd been going to Berryman since 1996, and it was getting neglected. After we started the BT, the Ozark Trail Association and the Forestry Service stepped in, and we did a ton of trail maintenance," Davis said. "It took us nine years to get the course we wanted." Depending on your tolerance for Ozarkian topography, the Berryman Trail is either a fast, flowing backwoods classic or a gnarly, old-school path with rocks, roots, twisting switchbacks, and narrow singletrack. Expect to be mostly self-sufficient during the race, which begins and ends at Bass' River Resort. Speaking of which, Davis says the biggest advantages of the BT Epic are its dedicated volunteers and its matchless venue. "We have a real good group of helpers. We go down for five weekends in a row to get things ready for the BT. That's where we spend our vacation
bt epic
steelville, mo. october 15-17, 2021
time," he said. "We're also very fortunate to have a great venue. We can put everyone in one valley, whether in a cabin, in a tent, or in a car. By putting all those people in one area, you get everyone hanging out. It's hard for someone not to have a good time." Key attractions include a dinner on Friday night, pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, vendor village featuring free beer, and a raucous awards ceremony with a huge bonfire and more than $10,000 in cash prizes, raffles, and giveaways. "We've created a Woodstock of mountain biking," Davis said. "I got lucky with a really good opportunity. It pretty much changed my life."
Photos courtesy of BT Epic.
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