Bear Howard Gravel Race

We love the spirit of the west and this is our homage to an Arizona legend.  Jessie "Bear" Howard who was, a bear of a man. At 6’4” it was said he could “whip just about anyone” even in his twilight years. The stories began with his arrest and time spent at San Quentin, later escaping and finding his home at Oak Creek.  He earned his nickname when he began killing bear for the Babbit meat market and Sante Fe Rail Road.  The name "Bear" inflated and outgrew the man, but like the extinction of Arizona’s grizzly he so lustily aided, Bear Howards end in 1910 marked the end of an era…..until now! In the spirit of adventure and exploration, like Bear Howard himself, we came up with an event to leave you feeling legendary (if only in your own mind). Sure the stories that follow around the campfire will be exaggerated and inflated, fueled by whiskey and grandeur, but we promise you adventure and a good time with this classic loop around Flagstaffs peaks.

For 2023 we have changed up the format a bit by starting and finishing in the town of Flagstaff. It took some time but finally got approval on the course we have been wanting, by adding a challenging out and back climb up Saddle Mountain, north of the Peaks. This added some distance to make it an even century, YOUR WELCOME! We have also added two shorter distances at 60 miles and a a very pleasant 30 mile loop. All legends start somewhere, who will be Arizona’s next Bear Howard Legend.