Burke Mountain, VT – Burke Mountain debuted in the hill climb racing scene in September 2007. I have ridden up Burke several times, usually on a mountain bike when I hit the Kingdom Trails.
This climb is tough, I suspect many find it more difficult than Mt. Ascutney. The average grade is slightly less, but there are sustained sections that are much steeper than any comparable sustained section on Mt. Ascutney.
For this reason, it is hard to find a rhythm on this climb. Except at the start area, it is all up too. Around the 2 mile mark, there is a section that approaches 20% grade for at least a few tenths of a mile.
I find it difficult to keep the front wheel on the ground. This grade is comparable only to the east side of Lincoln Gap in the Green Mountains. The race starts at the ski lodge base area, although in earlier days, the mass start race was neutral until after rounding the corner onto Mountain Road.
The profile below starts at the base lodge of the ski area. There is a slight drop approaching Mountain Road. Once the fork to the Toll Road is taken, the grade immediately kicks up to 14% and stays there until the 20% grade section.
The rest of the climb hovers in the 12-15% range. Ski runs are crossed several times on the way up, offering fantastic views and giving you a psychological boost in showing how dramatically you have gained vertical despite crawling at just a few miles per hour.