The Mad River Riders will present a day of gravel grinding, fellowship and Grateful Dead covers at Mount Ellen later this month.
Grateful Gravel takes place July 29 and features a 63-mile ride and a 32-mile ride as well as an after party at Mount Ellen featuring Zach Nugent, a well-known Grateful Dead cover artist, who will perform the entire Cornell 5/8/77, one of the best-known Grateful Dead shows.
The event is open to 500 riders and up to 500 others who want to hear the music and enjoy the party. For cyclists, ticket prices include the ride, the music, a small meal and a beer, compliments of Lawson’s Finest. Additional food and beverage will be available from Sugarbush and Lawson’s. Children under 12 are free. Two nights of camping in the Mount Ellen parking lot is available and Sugarbush is offering discounted lodging rates for the event. The rides start at 10 a.m. and music runs 4 to 8 p.m.
The genesis of the event, according to Mad River Riders board member Derek Lusso, was a chat with fellow board members Rob Wilich and Patrick Hartnett, while enjoying a beer after some mountain biking, and discussing Grateful Dead shows.
“Towards the end of the summer of last year, we were talking about, how we have these great rides and finish and have a beer and then you’re in your car and done with the whole things and it’s kind of anticlimactic,” he said.
“Being Dead fans, we started working on the idea of a big ride with music afterwards. We got in touch with Zach and told him about our idea and he was really accommodating to help us out at a very fair price because this is a fundraiser for the Riders to support our ongoing work,” Lusso explained.
Lusso said that once the idea jelled and they began working on details, they found everyone very willing to help with ideas, and logistics and sponsorship.
“What Sugarbush has done with offering up the space at Mount Allen has been incredible. I'm sure you're aware they've had some pretty big shows there in the past. That space is really great for events like this,” Lusso added.
The Riders want the event to be inclusive for everyone in the community and have reached out to the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce to invite local businesses to participate with tents to showcase their products and services.
“Lawsons, Sugarbush, Stark Mountain Bike Works, MadBush Falls have given us tremendous support in pulling this off. We even landed a national sports nutrition sponsor “Hammer Nutrition” to support us and the aid stations. This is my first time ever doing something like this. I’m blown away with how much support and backing we have been given by our community,” Lusso said.
“This is really about getting the community together. Young, old, bikers, non-bikers, and Dead Heads to enjoy an awesome day in The Valley. We have a lot to be grateful for living in this place. Hopefully this event will showcase that,” he added.
Here is a link to the event: https://gratefulgravel.com
