Cover photo courtesy of Sammy Berryman
The Idaho Panhandle Gravel Series returns in 2026 with three events: The ¾ Minus Cykeltur on May 2, the Monarch Grind on June 27 and Aether’s Traverse on Aug. 15. Donations generated through the series benefit the Pend Oreille Pedalers and KRFY, Panhandle Community Radio.
The routes and format for each event will be essentially the same as they were in 2025, with a few minor changes. The ¾ Minus Cykeltur has a route deviation that adds a couple of miles to avoid a road on the previous course that has since been paved. The start/finish for the Monarch Grind has been moved a couple of blocks over from Clark Fork High School to the Squeeze Inn. Parking will still be at the high school. The post-ride meal and awards presentation for Aether’s Traverse will take place on top of the mountain at the Sky House this year, rather than at Schweitzer Village.
As in 2025 for the ¾ Minus Cykeltur, rather than logging a time for the entire ride, participants will be timed on certain segments and results will be based on the cumulative record of these segments. This format allows participants the option to ride casually and stop to enjoy the aid station offerings while still testing themselves on the timed segments if they like. The best aid station wins a coveted rotating trophy. This proved to be a popular and entertaining format last year and we’re looking forward to doing it again this year.
As always, route modifications dictated by conditions on the ground are possible. We had a severe snowmelt and rain-flooding event followed by a windstorm in the fall of 2025 that may have affected road conditions, particularly on the Monarch Grind route; our spring reconnaissance will flesh these out. That said, we’ve mapped out all the routes for 2026 and they are available, along with all other series information, including registration, at Panhandlegravel.com. (Idaho Panhandle Gravel Series)
