This season, we’ll be hitting Fair Hill’s trails cross-country style, as we head just south of the Mason Dixon line to Elkton, MD. One of PICL’s most versatile venues, Fair Hill was once owned by the du Pont family. At nearly 6,000 acres, this park is host to some world-class horse facilities and steeped in history. The old-growth forests and scenic pastures make for a great race venue. Riders will be treated with fun, twisty single track separated by practice fields used by Olympic equestrians. This setting makes for some amazing adventure riding and racing, so try one, try the other, or try both.
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*Schedules are tentative and subject to change.
Friday
3:30 PM Pre-Ride Open**
4:30 PM GRiT Ride (MS & HS courses - sign up here)*
6:00 PM Pre-Ride Closed (bike lights strongly recommended)
Saturday
7:00 AM Pre-Ride Open (MS & HS courses - bike lights required)**
7:30 AM HC/TD Mtng at PICL trailer^
7:30 AM Last Call for Pre-Ride Start
8:00 AM Pre-Ride Closed & All Riders Off Course
8:15 AM Staging V/JV3 Boys
8:30 AM Racing Begins
9:00 AM Adventure Open
9:35 AM Staging JV2 Boys
10:40 AM Staging 9th Grade Boys
11:40 PM Staging ALL HS Girls/HS Fun Lap
1:00 PM Staging ALL MS Girls/MS Fun Lap
1:00 PM Last Call For Adventure
1:55 PM Staging 8th Grade/MS Advanced Boys
3:00 PM Adventure Closed
2:50 PM Staging 7th Grade Boys
3:25 PM Staging 6th Grade Boys
4:30 PM Racing Ends
5:00 PM MS & HS Awards
Sunday
8:00 AM Adventure Open
8:00 AM Merchandise Open
10:00 AM Merchandise Closed For Awards
10:00 AM End of Season Awards (full schedule below)
11:00 AM Merchandise Re-opened
1:00 PM Last Call For Adventure
1:00 PM Merchandise Closed
2:00 PM Adventure Closed
*Meet at the GRiT Tent
^Each team must have a HC/TD/Delegate present.
**Riders/coaches on course during pre-ride must have their number/coach plate affixed to their bike. Ride groups are expected to maintain NICA ratio guidelines. Riders may not pre-ride alone. Pre-rides are for course preview, only, and should be ridden at a responsible pace.
AWARDS SCHEDULE
GRiT ride photo-op
Coach photo-op
Super Adult Volunteers
Super Student Volunteers
Special Service Award
PICL OG Graduates
Seniors
PICL Student Advisory Council Members
Teen Trail Corps Captains
Overall Teen Trail Corps Awards
Teen Trail Corps Team Awards
Individual Race Awards
Overall Race Team Awards
Super Team Awards
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Online registration closes the Tuesday before the event at 8:00 PM. No day of registration.
In order to participate in this race/adventure ride, students must be fully registered in NICA Pit Zone - the parent dashboard profile will show a GREEN check mark and it will say “Registered” under THIS specific race/adventure ride in Pit Zone.DO NOT check-in at the Information tent. Riders will get race plates from their Head Coach/Team Director prior to their first event.
DO NOT LOSE YOUR RACE PLATE! You will use this for ALL events. There is a $10 fee to replace plates if lost or forgotten. Replacements are available at the Information tent.
If you have not been invited to register yet in the NICA Pit Zone, please contact your Head Coach/Team Director. Independent riders, please contact PICL Registration at registration@pamtb.org. For questions regarding the NICA Pit Zone, please contact NICA’s Registration Services at registration@nationalmtb.org.
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*Teams electing to pre-ride PICL courses prior to event weekend are subject to venue day use/parking fees and are expected to get permission from landowners/managers prior to arrival. As always, please use care while riding private and public trails as our representation of PICL greatly impacts relationships with PICL venues and their park/trail users.
Fair Hill NRMA Contact Info: Fairhill.DNR@maryland.gov
Day Use Fee: $5/car for out of state
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Fair Hill NRMA Day Use Event Fee: $10/vehicle for Saturday’s event only
CASH ONLY
Persons wishing to expedite Saturday’s parking process may pay their fee on Friday afternoon. A car marking will indicate pre-payment to Saturday parking volunteers.
Once on-site, park in designated areas, only - see the Infield Map and follow the directions of all on-site parking volunteers, staff and signs. Handicap parking is available in the gravel parking lot.
Parking is NOT permitted in the Pit Zone unloading/loading area.
Please be respectful of all parking volunteers and staff. Inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated and will result in immediate expulsion from the event.
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Pit Zone is open for unloading ONLY during the following times:
Friday: 3 - 6 PM
Saturday: 7 - 8:30 AM
• NO parking in the Pit Zone.
• NO bike riding in Pit Zone - WALK your bike.
• NO grilling, smoking, fires, alcohol, gas generators, or dogs unless clearly marked service dogs in Pit Zone.
• Conflicts and/or disputes should NOT be dealt within the team Pit Zone area. -
Volunteering is one of the best ways to get involved on event weekends. Stay close to the action while helping to ensure the event is a success. Positions are available throughout the event. There’s a spot for everyone!
Once you’re signed up, fill out the volunteer waiver, so you’re ready to roll upon arrival.
Not sure which position is right for you? Check out the descriptions and training videos, HERE.
Still have questions? Email PICL Volunteering at volunteer@pamtb.org.
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GRiT rides are a staple of every PICL event!
Join us at the GRiT Tent
Pretzel Yoga Game: Get in the right mindset for your race - meditate and stretch before you race hard!
Bike skills games: We are looking for 1-2 talented female students to lead this game. Are you a track stand superstar? Amazing at bunny hopping and other skills? Come lead this fun activity with other female students!
Gear Exchange
Learn more about GRiT awesomeness, HERE!
Questions? Email PICL GRiT at grit@pamtb.org.
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Flowy Fun awaits with the Fair Hill Adventure Ride. This year's 8.6 mile course is a lot like last year's course but even better! We have upgraded 2 sections to get in more singletrack and less gravel!
Plus, we’ve added a poker ride with a twist.
Click here to learn more about Fair Hill Adventure.
Saturday 9 AM - 3 PM (Last call 2 PM)
Sunday 8 AM - 2 PM (Last call 1 PM)
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Alabaster Coffee Roaster and Tea Co. - A specialty coffee roaster in Williamsport, PA focused on ethically sourced and direct trade coffee. (And parent of student-athlete on Lycoming Co. Composite!) - Saturday only
Moe’s Slice of Life Pizza Truck - Saturday only
KOI On The Go - Saturday only
The Tricycle - Saturday only
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There are plenty of trails to explore at 5,656 acre Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area. Check out the covered bridge and download the trail map, HERE.
Nearby Newark, DE and its surrounding communities offer many places to eat and drink, as well as park, trail, and biking opportunities. The Greater Wilmington & Brandywine Valley also has plenty to explore, as does Cecil County, MD.
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Camping is available on-site at Fair Hill and can be booked through the league on BikeReg here. Camping is located at McCloskey Youth Campsite, which is approximately 1 mile from the infield. A map of the camping area can be found here. Both tent and RV options are available.
Reservations are limited to the first 100 RVers and 300 tenters. ONE PERSON per reservation, $7/person/night collected by PICL via BikeReg for Fair Hill. Be sure to review the Event Notes on BikeReg for details, as well as the “Fair Hill Camping Rules” below.
Susquehanna and Elk Neck Parks offer other camping options about 30 minutes from Fair Hill, as does Woodlands Camping Resort in Elkton, MD.
If you’re looking to secure traditional lodging, Newark, DE and Elkton, MD have many hotels, airBnBs, regular old BnBs, and more lodging options in close proximity to Fair Hill. Some options in Elkton include La Quinta, Hampton Inn, and Holiday Inn. View a list of accommodation options through Cecil County Tourism’s Directory.
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It is your responsibility to understand rules related to the venue, event, and NICA competitions.
Penalties will be assessed to individuals and teams for breaking/disregarding rules at NICA events. Penalties can include, but are not limited to, loss of individual points, loss of team points, time penalties, and event expulsion. Please read and understand the General Event and Venue Rules (below), as well as the PA Handbook.
Inappropriate behavior is not tolerated toward any volunteer, staff member, or other community member. Such behavior results in immediate expulsion from the event.
General Event and Venue Rules• Garbage - PICL has reserved an on-site dumpster for this event. YOU are responsible for getting your refuse into PICL’s on-site dumpster before leaving the venue.
• Staging is for riders and coaches, ONLY. Parents can head to the start, finish, and fan zones!
• Grill only in designated areas.
• NO dogs in the Infield or Pit Zone unless clearly marked service dogs. Leashed dogs are permitted at the venue.
• NO inappropriate language.
• For Drone Policy, see Rule 4.14 in the PA Handbook.
Camping
For PICL events being held at established campgrounds, please follow all campground rules regarding check-in, check-out, quiet hours, etc. which are set and enforced by the campground staff.
For PICL events that offer camping at the venue via a partnership with the venue hosts, the following rules apply:
• You MUST pre-register.
• Camping is on your own/at your own risk.
• Camping is ONLY family camping - riders MUST camp with parents.
• Quiet time is 9 PM to 7 AM.
• NO gas generators overnight.
Pre-Ride
• DO NOT pre-ride on event weekends outside of designated pre-ride times on event schedule.
• Yield to event staff at all times.
• All coaches and riders MUST be fully “practice ready” in Pit Zone AND have their number/coach plate affixed to their bike. No unregistered riders are allowed on the course during designated pre-ride times.
• Pre-riding in the days and weeks leading up to the even weekend is permitted. If the course is on private property, please obtain permission from the land manager/owner beforehand.
NICA and PICL Reminders
Event details are subject to change. Please check back often for the most current information.PICL reserves the right to modify or cancel events should it be deemed necessary to do so. The league will notify event attendees via email and social media should modifications be required. Please make sure that you are receiving these communications; see FAQs for more information.
Safety
Incident reports are mandatory whenever a student-athlete or coach is injured during a NICA activity if any of the following occurs:
• Medical care is received
• Time lost from work or school
• Time lost from practice beyond day of event
NICA Insurance coverage is for registered student-athletes and registered coaches injured while participating in sanctioned PICL/NICA event activities; see FAQs for more information. -
Camping Rules:
- Review the Event Notes section of BikeReg for additional guidance.
- Keep off the ruins.
- RVs and tent sites are close to one another, but separate. Please follow directions, signs and volunteers.
- Stay off the ruins.
- Tents are “walk in” - you won’t walk far, but you will leave your vehicle along the main road.
- DON’T go on the ruins.
- Please pack up early on Sunday so you can vacate the campground before the awards.
- Did you get the note about the ruins? (Seriously, though…you’ve been warned. Let’s keep everyone out.)
- Parental supervision required, no exceptions. League staff and team coaches are not responsible for student athletes outside of pre-ride and race day responsibilities.
- Camping is provided by the park, the league’s role is to assist in organizing the masses.
- Campsites are primitive. No hookups for RV’s – boondocking, only!
- Pack in/pack out trash - trash service is not provided. Campers are expected to transport their trash home or to PICL’s dumpster on-site for the weekend.
- The way we treat and leave the venue is directly tied to their willingness to continue to extend this invitation and opportunity to PICL. Please be respectful.
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This EAP form and its contents are intended for use ONLY by trained NICA Coaches and Event Staff for the purpose of holding NICA Activities and Events. This EAP form is intended to be shared only by a NICA Licensed Coach and Staff Member via a NICA official communication or webpage. If you have not received these materials directly from NICA, NICA does not warrant, either expressly or impliedly, the accuracy, timelessness, or appropriateness of the information contained in these materials and, further, NICA disclaims any responsibility for content errors, omissions, or infringing material and disclaims any responsibility associated with relying on the information provided in these materials.
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Our goal is to maintain the health and safety of our participants, volunteers and staff by following, to the best of our ability, guidance from the CDC, state and local health departments as appropriate for NICA at the national, league and team level.
If you have been in contact with someone who has had a positive Covid test in the past 14 days, or if you have any symptoms, please stay home.