September R12 Hawk Mountain 200 Report

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results120908.pdf
... please let Tom know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted this week, and become final, pending RUSA/ACP certification.

Weather conditions at the start were warm and very humid, due to remnants of Hurricane Issac which had been lingering in the area for the better part of a week.  A strong cold front swept through in the middle of the afternoon, and triggered an impressive display of rain, wind, and some lightning.  Thankfully, the front came through very quickly, and the heavy rain lasted only about 20 minutes or so.

First finishers Matt Farrell, Bill Fischer, and Don Jagel were on the southeastern leg of the course when the storms hit.  With the favorable shift of wind when the front came through, they decided to keep riding and take advantage of the strong winds that pushed them along, despite the deluge of rain falling down on them.  The rest of the field was strung out between the Pine Grove and Jonestown controles as the front passed, generally meaning either the second climbing of the Blue Mountain or descending into the strong winds, pouring rain, and flying debris.  Tom Rosenbauer and Clair Beiler waited in Pine Grove for the worst to pass only to report a near-miss when a large branch fell within 3 feet of Clair as they tackled the Rt 645 climb.

Whether storm related or not, first-time participant Tim Creyts experienced the failure of a vintage 7-speed freewheel, which was problemmatic for most of the day and finally gave out completely and allowed freewheeling in both directions.  Despite the best efforts to make repairs, this unfortunately was the end Tim's ride -- just 20 miles from the finish:  just a tad far for a kick-bike.  Tim writes: "...The 'peloton' was mainly together for the first 10 miles or so.  Eventually, we hit Galen Hall road after about 45 minutes.... my body was not warmed up, so I went up this set of hills slowly. This was the first time I had used the bail out gear on the Univega for any length of time. ..."
Read the rest of Tim's very detailed report at:
 http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/TimCreytsReport.pdf

Special thanks to organizer and volunteer prerider, Andrew Mead, for putting together a fantastic ride -- without a doubt, one of the more challenging courses on the PA series, and arguably, one of the most scenic.  Special thanks also, to Bill Slabonik for manning all the controles and making sure every one cleared the course, safely.  Bill Slabonik, Keith Spangler, and Mike Lutz also completed prerides to make sure that the cue sheet was as accurate as possible and the course was in good shape.

Bill Olsen writes: "... Thanks again for the great ride yesterday.  Hawk Mountain didn't seem so long this year.  Perhaps it was the cooler temperatures and overcast that made the climb quite pleasant. ... Although I like the original Swatara Gap route, this new routing was a nice change, and makes this brevet a great training ride for anything we might encounter on other brevets.   There was even a silver lining with the rain we encountered at the Jonestown controle as the steady headwinds we had all morning changed to a tailwind when the front blew through ..."

Don Jagel writes: "...Thanks for putting together the Hawk Mountain brevet yesterday.  It was a day of good riding, good company, and good conversation.  What started as an overcast day with 100% humidity turned to 110% humidity (rain) by the end of the day.  Matt, Bill and myself encountered heavy, sometimes stinging, rain for the last 20 miles, or so of the ride, but it also provided a welcome tail wind.  As I write this, all of my equipment and clothing is drying in the sun.

For me, the big surprise of the day was the climb out of the Pine Grove control.  I had not really paid much attention when folks were talking about the route modification, and I did not look at that portion of the cue sheet until we were leaving the Pine Grove Turkey Hill.  Up to that point, I had just assumed we were going through Swatera Gap as was done in the past.  I have ridden the "new" climb a couple of times in the past, and knew that it was a grunt, but yesterday I did not have myself mentally prepared for it (my mistake).

Bill, Matt and I think you should consider updating the name of this brevet route to more accurately reflect the new nature of the course.  Hawk Mountain is relatively easy and constant grade, and is only a warm-up for the crux climb later in the ride.  A name like "AT Double-Cross", or "Blue Mountain Double-Cross" would suggest to potential riders in the future that there is more than one crossing of this geographical feature. [And if we keep the original route discription the same, which of course mentions the Swatara Gap, the Double-Cross is even more appropos! -Tom R]
Overall the ride was a fitting way for me to finish up an R-12.  It had heat, humidity, rain, and climbing, all of which added to the sense of satisfaction at the completion of the ride.  Thanks for organizing and running the show, and many thanks to Bill S. for being at the controls to make sure everything was going smoothly. ..."

Newly minted randonneur Eric Dahl began his first brevet by riding to the start from Newark, DE setting out around 9:30pm Friday evening.  He arrived at the Pancake Farm around 5:45 after a mis-cue in his route extended it to around 75 miles and catching a few winks along the side of the road.  Eric then went on to complete the brevet in fine form with a 9:00 finish.  After grabbing some serious chow at the Turkey Hill finish and debating whether to press on Saturday, he finally set out for home around 5:30pm and felt like he could finish by midnight for a 27-hour 400k finish.  Did he make it?  Eric replies at 12:06am:  "Yes he did.  Albeit, after a certain point, I had to coax myself to keep on riding with skittles.  My brain was very tired and my feet hurt and all I wanted to do was lie down.  But I made it back just a few minutes ago."    We will see more of this randonneur.

If you have any other comments, you can forward them to Tom or Andrew for inclusion to the message board ride report.

Next up, we head back to the Weisel Hostel in Quakertown on October 20 for the classic 150/200k rides followed by a post ride BBQ -- come share your epic tales of the past season, and start looking forward to the 2013 calender of events:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/Schedule2013.html

-Andrew Mead, Organizer
-Tom Rosenbauer, RBA

Hawk Mountain 200k

*** Update #2 (9/7) ***
Don Jagel has put together a webpage that shows all of the SPOT GPS trackers on a single page:
http://bike.talloakfarm.com/HawkMtnTracking_2012.html

*** Update #1 (9/6) ***
The cuesheet has been updated to Draft 9, dated 9/6/12.  This update includes some minor corrections and clarifications from the recent volunteer prerides.  Based on the current weather forecast, it looks like it would be good idea to laminate your cuesheet!

In order to help coordinate the volunteers, 5 SPOT GPS trackers will be handed out to selected riders.  The PA Randonneurs tracking website is at this link:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0JXj7NgpxYWaQgJcA8DlIkgTYPyi0UShe

Norman Smeal's SPOT tracker:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=01Gh9BrVF6lvpQ0Vq772UOLKctxTULtSL

Don Jagel's SPOT tracker:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0tQoTNm99cmz6M7ns7sbZqIrKGBaT0MWp

*** Original Post ***
Pennsylvania Randonneurs presents The Hawk Mountain 200 for the September R12 series.  This year's route has been tweaked to avoid the traffic on Rt 72 through the Swatara Gap.  Event details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubSep2.html

A pre-ride course checkout was conducted this past Saturday and a confirmatory trip is planned for Wednesday.  The route features a few stretches of fresh pavement which offer great improvement over the former rough chip-seal and the tweaks are certainly memorable.  A final updated cue sheet will be posted on the PA Randonneurs website Thursday afternoon.  As always, follow this message board for any last-minute updates.

Reminder: Sundown is 7:21PM.  While it certainly is possible to finish before then, unforeseen circumstances may keep you out on course longer than anticipated, so lights and reflective gear are strongly recommended.  If you are out riding past sundown without lights and reflective gear, a DQ will be the least of your problems!

It's always a good idea to start with a hearty breakfast and The Pancake Farm in Ephrata is just around the corner from the starting location.  It opens at 5:15am ... directions are on the event webpage.

One final note:  please park along the east side of the K-Mart parking lot (furthest away from the Turkey Hill) so we minimize our impact on K-Mart's customer parking.

Those planning to clip in so far include:

*** As of 9/6/12 ***

1 James Aspras
2 Clair Beiler
3 Gavin Biebuyck
4 Jeffery S Butt
5 Jonathan Clamp
6 Timothy Creyts
7 Eric Dahl
8 Matthew Farrell
9 William Fischer
10 Scott Franzen
11 Donald Jagel
12 Eric Keller
13 J Michael Lutz
14 Andrew D Mead
15 William Olsen
16 Tom Rosenbauer
17 William M Slabonik
18 Norman Smeal
19 Keith A Spangler
20 Ivan M Umble

Drop me or Tom a note by Thursday, September 6th, if you would like to join the roster.

-Andrew Mead, Organizer
-Tom Rosenbauer, RBA

August R-12 Hawks Nest 200k Report

Preliminary results for the Aug 4th event have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results120804.pdf
Results will become final, pending, RUSA certification.

Last year, this ride attracted 16 riders -- twice as many as the 8 we had this year.  I know of at least 4 or 5 riders that were planning to ride, but had circumstances arise to keep them from clipping in.  Other potential riders probably took a look at the hot weather in the forecast, and had the good sense to stay at home in the air conditioning.  But that did not deter a handful of regular riders and 3 newcomers from clipping in, including yours truly -- who in truth, had doubts as to whether this was really a good idea, given my limited riding since June.  But despite some rather hot riding conditions in the early afternoon, all 8 riders finished for another 100% finish rate -- congratulations, and well done!

Of note, Kerin Huber from Pasadena, CA, took advantage of a business trip to State College to ride with us -- bagging 3 states for the new RUSA America Explorer award. Kerin writes: "...Thanks for a very nice route, Tom.  I really enjoyed the country roads, green hills, and beautiful views at Hawk's Nest.  Bill and Eric were nice enough to ride with me the whole time, so I had good company and didn't have to worry about getting lost.  I hope to ride another Eastern PA brevet some day. ..."

Philip Borba from Connecticut and Gerhard Dohne from NJ were also first time Eastern PA participants -- welcome, and hope to see you again, soon. Gerhard writes: "...This was my first PA Randonneur brevet and I just wanted to thank Tom and Bill and the others for the friendly reception in the morning. The ride was very scenic and really well laid out with lots of shade and stops in places where it was possible to refuel. Old mine road is tough as nails, in particular with a 39x25(go figure...). I was happy to finish with Bob and Norman, who kept me motivated on the hills in the latter part of the course - Thanks guys ..."

Phil Borba writes: "...I want to commend a nice piece of brevet work by RBA Tom Rosenbauer.  The development of the route and the organizing, execution, and followup for the brevet were superb.  The route was challenging but fair.  The cue sheet was very clear and it was nice that most turns were at “T” intersections, stop signs, or traffic lights.  The climbing was manageable, the countryside very pleasant, and the scenic vista from Hawk’s Nest was one of the best I have seen on a brevet.  (Note to future riders: take a camera and stop to take a picture at Hawk’s Nest.)  The route through eastern PA, southern NY, and western NJ was much prettier than I expected. I also want to send a public “thank you” to Kerin, Bill, and Eric for their willingness to slow their brevet riding down to my pedestrian speed.  I will long remember their camaraderie and good-natured conversation.   Their company turned a nice ride into a great brevet. Although this was my first Eastern PA brevet, I intend to do more brevets under Tom’s direction. ..."

Bill Olsen writes: "... Thanks again for continuing to run the PA R-12 series.  Yesterday was a scorcher which might have limited participation but we ALL had a GREAT time.  The cool breezes out of the shaded areas were a welcome relief from the "oppressive" sun (in those relatively few open areas of the course).  The "ever cheerful" Phil kept reminding us - but perhaps to reinforce to himself - that it was all about the camaraderie of getting out yesterday to ride together and enjoy each others' company, and in this respect the day was a winner. ..."

The real trick in organizing and running these events is to end up with the same number of riders that you started with -- and safety is always a primary concern.  To that end, I've been evaluating SPOT GPS tracking for use on brevets.  The SPOT tracker allows positions to be reported at a regular interval and posted to a website:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0JXj7NgpxYWaQgJcA8DlIkgTYPyi0UShe

PA1 through PA3, were Philip B., Eric K., and Bill O., respectively.  The website shows the last 50 or so positions that show up on the map for each rider.  You can page through the earlier positions, by clicking on the controls in the left pane.  The SPOT tracker has buttons to report preprogrammed status messages, or to call for help -- a nice safety feature for brevets that head out into remote areas without cell phone coverage.

For next month's R-12, we head over to Hawk Mountain.  But before then, we have the Endless Mountains 1000k on August 17th for those of you looking for a truly epic adventure.  Details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA1000K.html
Registration closes on August 10th.

August Events

*** Update 8/3/12 ***

We ran recently the Hawk's Nest 200k for the July R-12, the August 4th edition will be exactly the same and the previous course notes have been posted here:

http://parandonneurs.blogspot.com/2012/07/july-r-12-hawks-nest-200k.html

... the Rt 97 construction is completed, but those of you not familiar with the Rt 80 pedestrian bridge, the link above has some additional info to help you figure out how to get across.  Also, please take note of the parking directions -- the lot is right behind the dinner, around the corner, as shown on the map.

I spoke to the folks at the Water Gap Diner, and I made arrangements to have the cook there early, in order to get the grill warmed up -- so hopefully, they'll be ready for us this time and there won't be any delays in getting food ordered.

It looks like a hot numid day on tap, although the dew points today are several degrees lower in Hawley -- hopefully, that dry slot will hang in there for us tomorrow!  But I plan to pack an ice sock, just in case, along with a camelback to keep hydrated.

I have a couple of SPOT GPS trackers that I recently bought and have been evaluating them for use on brevets to help keep track of riders.  I'll be handing these out to a couple of riders at the start to carry along with them.

*** 200k Roster (as of 8/3/12)

1 Philip S Borba
2 Gerhard J.A. Dohne
3 Dawn M Engstrom
4 Kerin Huber
5 Eric Keller
6 William Olsen
7 Tom Rosenbauer
8 Norman Smeal
9 Bob Torres

*** Original Post ***
On August 4, we'll be headed back to Hawk's Nest for a 200k ride through the cool, shaded roads in Promised Land and along the Upper Delaware River.  Event details are at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubAug1.html
If you'd like to join the roster, please send me an e-mail by Thursday, August 2.

And two weeks later on August 17, the Endless Mountains 1000k offers you a truly epic challenge.  The Daily Randonneur's Ed Felker calls it the "...the toughest randonnee you'll ever love..." A link to Ed's ride report can be found here:
http://em1240k.blogspot.com/2010/09/em1000k-ride-reports-and-pictures-2011_29.html
Event Details have been posted here:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA1000K.html
Registration closes on August 10.

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

July R-12 Hawks Nest 200k Report

Preliminary results for the July 14th Hawk's Nest 200k have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results120714.pdf
... Results will become final, pending ACP certification.  Note: Due to the delay at the start, caused by diner being slow with breakfast, 10 minutes was credited to each rider.


The 14 riders that made it to the start with all their necessary equipment finished well within the time limit for another 100% finish rate on this course.  Jud Hand also made it to the start but somehow his wheels didn't.  So Jud generously offered to support the ride as a volunteer by sweeping the course in his car and meeting all the riders at each controle -- thanks Jud, for your unexpected help and tremendous display of camaraderie and randonneuring spirit!


Special thanks also, to Organizer Bill Olsen (flying solo this time with the RBA on vacation in California).  And thanks also to volunteer Chris Roth for helping out at the start and finish controles.


Don Jagel writes: "..The ride was the perfect way to start the first day of vacation.  The weather, and company could not have been better.  I spent most of the day riding on and off with Norm and Bob.  The real "icing on the cake" was the surprise at Hawks Nest.  Now that the construction is done it is possible to relax and take in the views when passing through on glass smooth asphalt.  I was sorry that Jud was not able to ride, but I sure did appreciate the effort he put in to make to every control except Hainesville, and he was even there to greet us at the finish.  Thanks Jud! Tomorrow I am leaving for driving up to Canada to start officially start my vacation.  I will be riding up through northeastern Quebec, then across Labrador for several weeks.  I will start riding on 7/17.  If anyone is interested, I will be posting a log and photos as I go, whenever I can get web access.  I will also have real time GPS tracking as I go.  I will be posting at 
http://bike.talloakfarm.com./
 ..."


Ted Smith writes: "...Bill, I wanted to thank you for putting on a great ride.  As expected it was
challenging but very enjoyable.  Looking back, I don't remember the difficulties of the climbs or the cursing under my breath as I turned the pedals over in the sun.  I remember some great downhill segments over smooth pavement on roads free of cars.  I was even able to beat my top speed ever on two wheels as well!  Also, riding along in the paceline for many miles on the back half or the ride was thoroughly enjoyable. If I wasn't moving so soon I would definitely clip in more with the PA
Randonnuers.  The two rides that I have ridden with the group were some of the best rides I've been t on, period, since I moved to New Haven three years ago. Here are some pictures of the bear that I saw...."

Nigel Greene's  ride report has been posted at:
http://eprider.blogspot.com/2012/07/hawks-nest-200k-playing-in-street.html
... and his photo album is here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58781331@N07/sets/72157630582719340/


On August 4th, we'll be headed back to Hawk's Nest for the August R-12.  Drop me a note if you would like to be added to the roster.  Also, I've already have heard from a number of riders interested in the Endless Mountains 1000k -- please let me know by the end of July if you're planning to join the roster, too.


-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Updated Rider List

Below is the list, as of this morning, of those who are planning to ride this Satuday.
I may have missed someone so if you aren't on the list and planning to ride, please let me know.

 The forecast looks great for this weekend, especially once we get up into the Poconos. Walk-ons are ALWAYS welcome and I'll have extra controle cards at the Diner on Saturday morning.

Bill

*** Rider Roster (as of 7/12) ***

- Bill Olsen (Organizer)
- Chris Roth (volunteer)
- Eric Keller
- Rick Collins
- Jon Clamp
- Ted Smith
- Nigel Green
- Don Jagel
- Jud Hand
- Clair Beiler
- Mary Johnson
- Bob Torres
- Norman Smeal
- Jimmy Aspras
- Rick Carpenter
- George Metzler

July R-12: Hawks Nest 200k

With the hot summer weather upon us, the Hawk's Nest 200k course will be heading north into Promised Land, where the temperatures are typically several degrees cooler.  Most of the route is shaded, which will also bring some relief from the heat.  Riders typically finish this course about an hour faster than other Eastern   PA 200k's.  Event details are at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubJul1.html

If you liked to join the roster, contact organizer Bill Olsen at:
randonnerd@gmail.com

Course Notes:
-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.

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

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

*** Rider Roster (as of 7/2) ***
- William M. Olsen  (Organizer)
- Chris Roth (volunteer)