Although I haven't witnessed this myself, we had a conversation this past Tuesday (Jan 3rd) about this ride at my bike club meeting as this is a ride a number of people in our club do each year. Yes about 5 miles or so, if I'm not mistaken, of gravel roads. Someone always seems to have a flat on that part of the ride. AND depending upon the weather in can be wet and cold. It's beautiful country but you need to be pretty self sufficient as you really are out in the middle of nowhere! The guys I ride with are some of the best in the area so I take their comments seriously when they talk about bad road conditions and flats!