◉ PHOTOS: Cranbrook Gravel Grind challenges cyclists over Labour Day weekend

The fourth annual Cranbrook Gravel Grind tested nearly 200 cyclists on Saturday with its challenging gravel trails surrounding the East Kootenay community.

The bike race, held in the western slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, features two gravel road routes that incorporate the Cranbrook Community Forest, the Chief Isadore Trail Network, the Trans Canada Trail, and Mount Baker Forestry Service Roads. 

The shorter “Gold Rush Loop” is 56 km long and takes riders around Mount Baker and the Chief Isadore Trail before concluding in the Cranbrook Community Forest. James Chalkley, who rides with Calgary’s Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle, finished first with a time of 2:04:39.

The longer — 102-km route — also circles Mount Baker before turning onto the Chief Isadore Trail. The so-called “Big Foot Loop” then heads east along the Trans Canada Trail, rolling through Wardner farmland with views of Lake Koocanusa and the Steeples mountain range. Isaiah Ghebrezgi finished the 102-km gravel race first in 3:12:29. 

You can find results for both races here.

The endurance bike race season is not over yet. The annual Fernie Steep n’ Deep XC Series runs Sept. 25-26. The Fernie Femmduro, in collaboration with Fernie Trails Alliance, follows on Sept. 27.