A legit local classic — Emerald Mountain Epic is Steamboat's homegrown XC race, put on by Routt County Riders alongside their Partners in Routt County. This is where area riders have been sharpening their race legs for years, so expect a field that knows every switchback.
Emerald Mountain sits right on the edge of town, and the course routes through what the locals consider the best trails on the hill — which in Steamboat means buff singletrack with enough punch to sort out the field in a hurry.