Hawk's Nest 200k

*** Update #1 7/28 ***
I completed a volunteer pre-ride on Wednesday 7/27.  The weather was nearly ideal, although the humidity seemed to increase just  south of Port Jervis -- I think a rain shower came through before I did. Here are a couple of things I encountered that you should be aware of:
- There is a 4-mile stretch of fresh chip seal starting at Canedesis -- it was being laid down that day, and the tar was still very sticky.  It was nearly unrideable --  I was beginning to think that we might have to cancel.  But in talking to a workman, I found out that the tar was fresh that day, and that a sweeper will be coming through the next day to clean off the excess stones.  There should be a 1-foot wide shoulder clear of tar/stones for most of the 4-mile stretch.  There still might be some "sticky" areas, but I'm hopeful that conditions will improve over the next couple of days as the road gets swept and the tar dries and gets covered with dirt.
- At Hawk's Nest, there is road construction that has the road closed to a single lane with a temporary traffic light.  The single lane is rather long and the light is a bit on the short side.  But you'll have a enough time to clear the construction if you wait for the light to turn from red to green.  You should get at the end of the line of cars that will be waiting there, so they don't have to maneuver around you.

If you've never been across the Rt 80 bridge near Water Gap, it's a little bit tricky.  You need to look for a sidewalk/ramp about 50 yards past the Rt 80 underpass which you will cross under.  The picture below shows the ramp on the left, which is in between the road you will be traveling (on the right) and Rt 80 (far left):

You will be facing on-coming traffic as you go across the bridge.

The Water Gap Diner will be opening at 6AM if you'd like to top off with a good breakfast before the start.

*** Original Post ***
The weather forecast is calling for another heatwave this weekend, for the the July 30th R-12 event.  But the Hawk's Nest 200k course will be heading north into Promised Land, where the temperatures are typically a couple of degrees cooler.  Most of the route is shaded, which will also bring some relief from the heat.

Reminder: Parking is behind the Water Gap Diner -  Directions are posted here:

http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/WaterGapParking.pdf

*** Rider Roster (updated 7/28) ***
- Glenn Ammons
- Shane Beake
- Gavin Biebuyck
- John Capriotti
- Jonathan Clamp
- Margaret Green
- Monty Green
- Nigel Greene
- Doug Haluza
- John Hsu
- Donald Jagel
- Houston Joost
- Chris Nadovich
- Bryan Nelson
- Patrick S O Donnell
- William M. Olsen  (Organizer)
- Clint Provenza
- Tom Rosenbauer (Volunteer Preride)