Pennsylvania Randonneurs Message Board: Blue Mountain 400k

*** Update #3 (5/17) ***
Rider Roster with hostel reservations has been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/Roster.pdf

Hostel Dorm assignments:

Family Dorm:
- Kate Marshall
- Victor Urvantsev

Men's Dorm
- Friday night arrivals before 10PM
- Lane Giardina

Women's Dorm
- Friday night arrivals after 10PM
- Hugo Safar

If you are staying at the hostel, please get your bunk ready as soon as you arrive, to minimize disturbing anyone trying to sleep.

If you are not staying at the hostel after the event, I encourage you to at least take a nap and resting before getting into your car for the drive home.

*** Update #2 (5/15) ***
The cuesheet update posted earlier this week (draft 12) is final -- so you can go ahead and laminate it to keep it dry from the chance of showers, currently in the forecast.

Reminder: the bike inspection checklist has been recently updated:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/BikeInspectionCheckList.pdf

You will now need to have 2 taillights securely mounted to your frame -- not to a fabric loop on a bag, and not to the back of your jersey (which I've been seeing more of, lately). I also want you to have some sort of redundant headlight but this doesn't need to be permanently mounted. You can carry your spare in a bag. In general, a head lamp attached to your helmet is not sufficient for a backup, unless you have a way of securely mounting it to your bike.

And with the extended amount of riding in the dark that is typical for most riders on a 400k, there is safety in numbers -- so please make an effort to find a riding partner at night.

A selected number of you will be given SPOT GPS trackers to carry with you -- this helps the volunteers to be in right place at the right time. If you are given one, your friends and family can follow your progress at this website:
http://bike.talloakfarm.com/spot_map.html

Please note that the SPOT trackers automatically turn off after 24 hours, so the later finishers will need to cycle the power and enable the tracking feature at some point during the event. Norman will be double checking the SPOTS near Limerick, to make sure they have all been reset near the end of event.

We have a fantastic crew of volunteers to support you:
- Janice Chernekoff will be checking you in at the start, cooking you breakfast, and sending you on your way.
- Norman Smeal will be sweeping the course near Limerick
- Jon Clamp will be greeting you at the finish and he'll be serving my new vegetarian chili -- hope you like it!

And most importantly, be sure to have a ***Safe Ride ***!

*** Update #1 (5/12) ***
The cue sheet has been updated to draft 12, dated 5/12/13, with corrections from a volunteer pre-ride completed by Norman Smeal and Bill Fischer on May 11th. In following their progress with Norm's GPS SPOT tracker and looking at the weather radar, it looks like they encountered some heavy downpours between the Blondies controle and Lickdale. Bill reports:

Mile 68.4 - West Bowmans Rd is now signposted

Mile 82.6 - Zions Stone Church is closed with a hard barrier and the signpost is laying on the ground. It's unclear why it is closed (we believe they are trying to limit turns during the Rte 309 construction). In any event, riders will need to dismount and walk around the barriers of this unmarked road.

Zions Stone Church construction barrier

Zions Stone Church road marking

Mile 99.0 - Rte 61 has construction and a hard barrier has been erected in the center lane of Rte 61 which cannot be crossed. The best option:
As you approach Rte 61, walk up dirt path to your Left which leads to the Geisinger Medical parking lot. Cross to the end of the parking lot which will get you beyond the barriers and allow a safe crossing of Rte 61. Riders can then proceed Right in the (closed) shoulder of Rte 61 to make the turn onto Rte 2010. The Adamsdale Rd signpost is down but there is still a Rte 2010 signpost visible. The map below shows a bird's eye-view of this detour (click on the image to bring up a larger view):