Blue Mountain 400k

**** Update 1 ****

A pre-ride course checkout was completed yesterday by volunteers Bill Olsen, Chris Nadovich and Gil Lebron.  An updated cuesheet has been posted to the website.  You will want to make sure you have the Draft 3A cuesheet as there is a minor re-route near the Lickdale controle to avoid a small quarry that was dumped on the roadway of the original route.  At mile 143, we still get on the Appalachian Trail, but heading south instead of north.  At the end of the pavement approaching the steel bridge over the Swatera Creek, turn sharply right and will walk your bike up a small pathway to SR 72 and then turn left on 72 and head down to the Lickdale controle. Do NOT cross the creek!

View of the AT sign at end of Swatera Trail

Technically, we will be taking the Appalachian Trail south for about 100 feet, up a small grade toward the highway and away from the Swatera Creek.

The AT intersection with SR 72 (looking north)

Space is tight, so exercise EXTREME caution when you reach the top of the path BEFORE venturing onto the roadway.

One other noteworthy discovery:  Services between Morgantown and Quakertown are non-existent after 11pm.  There is a 24-hour McDonalds in Morgantown just after the control that features padded seating that makes for a decent rando-nap.  This has been noted on the updated cue sheet.  We have also noted some 24-hour food services in the Linfield area, around mile 221.6 on the cue sheet.  There is a Wawa about 0.4 miles off course to the right along Ridge Pike.  The always enjoyable Limerick Diner is another quarter mile beyond the Wawa.

Entrance to the Perkiomen Trail @ mile 230.1

Since most riders will be making this turn in the dark, the photo above shows the entrance to the Perkiomen Trail at mile 230.1.  Exercise caution since your headlight will be the ONLY light around.

Finally, in light of the time most riders will be riding there is no charge for those wanting to grab a few winks in the hostel dorm Saturday night/Sunday morning.  You safety is our number one concern and we want to assure that you're rested before getting in the car to drive home after the ride.


**** Orignial Post ****
The May 14th Blue Mountain 400k has once again been significantly updated for this year's edition. From the hostel, the route crosses the Delaware at Riegelsville and heads generally upriver on the New jersey side to Belevedere where Skoogie's Deli serves as the controle.  The route then turns west, crossing the Blue Mountain at Wind Gap to follow the Cherry Valley to the next controle at Blonde's Restaurant.  Riders continue west through Schuylkill Haven and Pine Grove where they pick up the Swatera River Trail for what promises to the be easiest way to travel from the north side of the ridge to the south.  The trail officially closes at sundown, which happens to coincide with the closing time for the controle in Lickdale.  From Lickdale riders head east, but follow a gentle arc into Lebanon and Lancaster Counties to avoid the much maligned Old SR 22 with its cracked pavement and return via an old favorite passage along Harmonyville Rd through the French Creek State Park.  A controle in Morgantown as well as several other options for food and beverage along the way should allow riders to remain well fueled all the way back to the hostel in Quakertown.    Details have been posted at: http://parando.org/PA400K.html

A pre-ride is planned for May 11 so watch this space for any updates and details.

A 200k option is also planned using the Lackawana course.

The 400k riders will start at 4:00am.  The 200k riders will start at 5:00am, still nearly an hour before sunrise so remember to bring your lights and reflective gear.  

Organizers Bill Olsen, Guy Harris, and Chris Nadovich will once again be on hand to take care of you.  Chris will have breakfast items available 1 hour before the start, and as usual, there will be post-ride food available.  Please take a moment to double check the hostel reservations and course option I have listed for you.

Pre-registration is required for both rides.  Use the Pre-Registration Form.

400k Roster (as of 5/12)
1 Charles J Arayata  + F Nt
2 Dan M Barbasch  + F/S Nt
3 Gavin Biebuyck
4 James Bondra  + F/S Nt
5 George Brandt  + S Nt
6 Geoff X Brunner
7 Jan P Dembinski  + F/S Nt
8 William Fischer  + S Nt
9 Michael J Gorman
10 James R Haddad  +F Nt
11 Guy Harris  - organizer
12 Greg Keenan  + S Nt
13 Eric E. Keller  +F Nt
14 Robin C Landis  + S Nt
15 Gil Lebron  - volunteer
16 Nicholas Manta  + F/S Nt
17 Chris Nadovich  - volunteer
18 William Olsen  - organizer
19 Walter J Pettigrew
20 Calista Phillips  + F/S Nt
21 Joseph Ray  + F/S Nt
22 George Swain  + F/S Nt
23 Bob Torres  +F Nt


200k Roster (as of 5/12)
1 Daniel Aaron
2 Richard G Carpenter
3 Patrick Gaffney  - volunteer


Tom Rosenbauer - Eastern PA RBA
Andrew Mead - Eastern PA RBA Designate

Water Gap 300/200k Report

Preliminary results for the 300k have been posted at:
http://www.parando.org/PA300k_Results160430.pdf
... and for the 200k at:
http://www.parando.org/PA200k_Results160430.pdf
Please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA certification.

Starting 2 hours before dawn, a mostly overcast day greeted the riders as they traveled through Bethlehem during the early daylight hours.  22 of the 24 300k and all 7 200k starters made it to the finish in good time. Two of the unofficial 300k finishers decided to follow the 200k course back to the hostel once they reached Water Gap. Congratulations to all, and well done for that good result.  Of note, official RAAM finisher Geoff Brunner once again has clipped-in with us as he prepares for RAAM 2016.

 Joe R writes: "...Thanks for a scenic and challenging day yesterday! This was my first water gap 300k but I had done the 200k version last year so parts of the route were familiar while the stretch north of water gap were only partly familiar because of car trips many years ago.  We enjoyed such pretty terrain up Old Mine Road and along Walpack Valley.  I was especially pleased when The climb on the return to Water Gap that I had built up mentally into this monstrous thing proved to be quite do-able.  Looking forward to the 400k!. ..."

Newd S writes: "...Thanks to you and all the volunteers who worked the event.  It was a great course, well managed, planned and laid out.  The scenery was beautiful and wildlife plentiful.  A small herd of deer crossed right in front of me.  The last deer was a little skittish about jumping the berm at the road edge and ended up running alongside of me for about 50 yards before it decided to beat a hasty retreat.  The rough road conditions at the end of the ride took its toll.  My rear derailleur took a hit and would not hold the chain on any of the cassette sprockets except the hardest.  Had to manually hold the shift lever to get any incremental gearing.  Challenges make the ride interesting ..."

Ed B. writes: "...Thank you Tom, Andrew, Chris, Guy, and Bill for Saturday's 300K Water Gap brevet.  I really enjoy this route and liked the improvised out and back section up to Hainesville.  The hot out of the oven apple cider donuts at the Water Gap were off the hook.  I have finally learned how to ride that sneaky challenging last section back off the river to the Hostel.  I enjoyed the Brevet.  Thank you very much...."

First finisher Bill F. writes: "...Tom and Andrew - As always thanks for a wonderful brevet Saturday.  For some reason I decided to go off the front at a ridiculously fast clip and paid dearly for my exuberance while crawling up Gallows Hill at the end.  I have to give a BIG thumbs up to the new Apple Pie Cafe control - the service was fast, friendly and the omelette was excellent!...."

Eric Q. writes: "...Beautiful ride this weekend. Thanks so much for all your efforts along with the volunteers'..."

Your safety is the number one priority on an Eastern PA event.  Please mention any safety hazard you might have spotted or near-miss incident your saw.  Your feedback will help us to improve things for next time. Yes, that Old Mine Road is way overdue for a fresh ribbon of asphalt, and no, there is no federal funding available to pay for it -- talk to your congressman.  And I know the same is true for Gallows Hill Rd, along with just about every other road in Bucks County

Special thanks to a superb crew of volunteers who made this event possible: Chris N, for the Friday night setup and checking in riders in the evening and for cooking breakfast, checking in riders, and getting everyone on their way; and Bill O and Guy H. for preparing the postride meal, and manning the finish.  This crew also performed the preride course checkout, and suggested the out-and-back course change.

The Eastern PA spring series continues with a newly revised Blue Mountain 400k and for those looking for something shorter, the Lackawanna 200k on May 14th.   We are still looking for some additional volunteers to be out on course and to help with the finish at the hostel -- if you'd like to take your turn to help out, you can sign up at:
http://www1.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=pa_volunteers2016

Tom Rosenbauer, Eastern PA RBA
Andrew Mead, Eastern PA RBA Designate

Water Gap 300k/200k

**** Update 2 (4/27)  **** 
The Brodhead Creek bridge at mile 69 of the 300k is not passable. Draft 2 of the 300k cuesheet has been posted with a reroute to avoid the bridge.  The reroute is now an out and back segment from Water Gap to Hainesville on the NJ side of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DWGNRA).  The good news is, you don't have to worry about the sticky road reported by Chris N.  The bad news is, you will be descending Millbrook Rd at mile 83.  As noted on the cuesheet, extreme caution is needed here -- it is a steep descent on a very rough road with large potholes.  If you hit any of the larger craters at speed, it most certainly will ruin your day.

A second preride was completed by organizers Bill O. and Guy H. this past Wednesday.  Bill reports: "...Guy and I enjoyed the out and back reroute...going upstream makes one appreciate how much more climbing there is going that direction and how nice the trip home is. Guy and I were treated to a nice view of a bobcat, and as I descended Millbrook Rd,  I was treated to the sight of a red-tailed hawk who decided to glide down the road in front of me.  If one keeps one's forward velocity in check on the descent, a nice safe line can be picked out all the way down. However one should not get complacent since the last 100 yards, just as one sees the 'stop sign ahead' sign, is very rough.  This applies equally to the return climb as to the descent. In some ways, having the relatively traffic-free at lower speeds but hillier NJ side of the DWGNRA offset the flatter but busier PA side. We also didn't see any "lily-white" asses hanging out the side of minivans - as has been my 'reward' for riding the PA side (ok, only experienced twice...the same number of times I've seen bobcats on the Worthington State Forest side)..."  Guy H. adds "... Water Gap to Flats Deli is not the worst out-and-back. And, as Bill said, the warm spring days seems to bring out the other wildlife on the PA side. The Portland eagle was missing from its perch as we rode past the power plant but when we stopped a little down the road we saw it circling around. The bobcat was a real treat - my first in NJ!..."

**** Update 1 (4/26)  **** 

A pre-ride of the 300k route was undertaken by Chris Nadovich on Sunday.  His notes:

Mile 17.3:  The New Street bridge is under construction. It's narrowed down to just two "cattle chute" lanes. It would not be possible for a car to pass a bike safely. My recommendation is for
riders to "take the lane" firmly. Traffic is very light that time of day, so you might not block anyone. Nevertheless, take the lane.

Mile 33.4:  Rt 248. There's a sign that says road construction begins 4/25, along with other construction zone signs, but no detours signs were seen.

Mile 69.35:  The bridge across the Brodhead Creek on River Rd, just North of DWG is under construction.  I had no trouble crossing the perfectly intact bridge. They haven't started work in earnest, but according to a neigbor the plan is to completely re-deck the bridge in the next 60 days.  We are watching this situation and will provide a detour in the event the bridge become impassible to cyclists.

Mile 78.5:   Community Drive is sticky -- as in, lots of twigs and sticks all over the road. At first I didn't think the sticky areas were hazardous. I rode through them with neglect. But then a quantum of stickiness, that is to say, a stick, lept up from the pavement and caused my front fender to explode. Not good. Many minutes were wasted re-attaching and re-aligning the bent metal. I could have crashed. The cue sheet says "rough road".  It should say "exceedingly sticky road". Avoid all sticky areas. Ignore this warning at your peril.

128.0 The Water Gap Diner is now called "The Apple Pie Cafe". They were not open 4/24 (still active construction) but signs promised a grand opening 4/25. No worries, the Village Farmer has an awesome outdoor BBQ on weekends. 
Note: The Water Gap controle is an open controle, and you may use any of the restaurants or mini-marts on Broad St as a controle.

A preride of the 200k route was also conducted by Pat & Cecily Gaffney.  They note:

Overall the course is in very good shape.  Many of the spots that are usually full of debris and gravel this time of year were in pretty good shape.  I referring specifically to the shoulder on Blue Mountain Drive and the should on 611 between WaterGap and Portland.  It was nice to be able to use those shoulders rather than having to be out in the lane.

We did notice a large pothole that could cause problems in the turn at mile 25.6, riders, especially in a group, should use caution here.  

There was a fair amount of gravel in the turn at mile 33.5.  

The roads on the final leg, leading into the hostel, are in their normal state of disrepair, but did not seem any worse than last month.  We did notice a good size divot that could cause some issues in the turn at mile 120.1, riders should be careful there.

**** Original Post **** 

Fog over the Cherry Valley.  Photo by Greg Keenan.

On April 30 we return to our Rando Headquarters again for the Water Gap 300k.  This route explores the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.  Event details are posted on the website:  http://parando.org/PA300K.html

For anyone who has never ridden this route, we cross the Delaware River on the I-80 bridge at mile 127.  There is a pedestrian path which doubles as the Appalachian Trail alongside the traffic lanes.  You want to find this sharp left turn as the road you're traveling becomes an on-ramp for the interstate shortly after the pedestrian ramp.

The path follows the handrail back across the bridge.

A 200k option that skips the out and back into the DWGNRA is also available for those wanting something shorter.

Please note that both routes pass through downtown Bethlehem and thus start at 4:00am so that riders can safely pass through town before the hustle and bustle begins.

Organizers Bill Olsen, Guy Harris, and Chris Nadovich will be on hand to take care of you.  Chris will have breakfast items available 1 hour before the start, and as usual, there will be postride food available.  Please take a moment to double check the hostel reservations and course option I have listed for you.

300k  Registrations (as of 4/30)
1 Daniel Aaron
2 Eoghan Barry
3 Ed Bernasky
4 James Bondra
5 George Brandt
6 Geoff X Brunner
7 Alfred Dolich
8 Douglas Ernst +Fri/Sat Nt
9 William Fischer
10 Michael J Gorman
11 Nigel Greene
12 Jeffrey A Gregg
13 James R Haddad +Friday Nt
14 Doug Haluza
15 Guy Harris - organizer
16 Erica Jacobs +Fri/Sat Nt
17 Greg Keenan
18 Eric E. Keller +Fri/Sat Nt
19 Robin C Landis +Friday Nt
20 Gil Lebron
21 Chris Nadovich - volunteer
22 William Olsen - organizer
23 Walter J Pettigrew + PAR memb renew
24 Joseph Ray +Fri/Sat Nt
25 Steven J Schoenfelder
26 Paul G Shapiro
27 Bob Torres +Friday Nt

200k Registrations (as of 4/30)
1 Dan M Barbasch +Fri/Sat Nt + membership renew
2 Cecilie Gaffney volunteer
3 Patrick Gaffney volunteer
4 Eric  K Hannon Ford +Friday Nt
5 Althea Grace Pineda
6 George Michael Retseck
7 Edward T Schantz 

Tom Rosenbauer - Eastern PA RBA
Andrew Mead - Eastern PA RBA Designate

2016 PA Fleche - Worth the Wait

Photo by Greg Keenan

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://www.parando.org/PA_Fleche_Results160419.pdf
...Results will be submitted this week, and then become final pending ACP/RUSA certification.

Deciding to postpone a randonneuring event is one of every organizer's  toughest decisions.  Thankfully, the decision to exchange a day of snow, freezing rain, bitter cold, and wind for clear skies and moderate temperatures proved to be the right decision this year even though several teams were forced to shuffle members and one team had to forego the fleche entirely.  Eight teams who started on their adventures safely reached the Weisel Hostel.  Seven of those arriving within the allotted 24 hours.   Congratulations to all of the captains and teams.  Well done!

Three Rivers of Guiness

Captain Bill Fischer scrambled to keep a viable team roster and return for his 8th PA Fleche.  The team visited three Pennsylvania rivers (Delaware, Schuylkill, and Susquehanna) and sampled a little Guiness in its 360k adventure.  Bill reports:

Given the perfect weather resulting from the prescient rescheduling, I'm sorry to report that our fleche, while incredibly enjoyable, didn't provide any memories that would fall into the "epic" category. Of course it's pretty simple to have an enjoyable, calm, stress-free fleche when you're riding, as I was, with 2 amazing rando-dudes Chip Adams and Gavin Biebuyck.

After alerting the waitress at Muellers Too about the rash of randonneurs they would be seeing Sunday morning, we crossed the Delaware river at Milford (after denying Gavin a stop for croissant).  We decided to forgo the morning traffic on NJ 29 and navigated the Delaware and Raritan canal trail to New Hope.  For those that have not experienced the D&R, it's primarily hard packed dirt, enjoyable to ride and really pretty.   As we crossed the bridge back into PA, we were astounded by the number of fishing boats on the Delaware and realized that the Lambertville Shad Fest is coming up in a couple weeks.

After controlling in New Hope we passed the mansions of Southern Bucks County en route to one of the best Fleche Controls of my life at the Craft Ale House in Limerick (this, unsurprisingly was a recommendation form Gavin}.  After sampling some stout, ale and lager we quite happily set back out into remarkably bright sunshine en route to our Schuylkill River crossing and eventual arrival at our 3rd river, the mighty Susquehanna.     

Chappeau!

After ascending river road and passing the Turkey Hill ice cream factory, we took Chip on a tour of (what seemed like) every freaking Turkey Hill convenience store in Lancaster and Berks counties.  We quite happily arrived at the wonderful Americana Diner in Boyertown with a 2 hour time "cushion" and utilized the "cushions" in their comfy booths where we slept fitfully until poor Gavin awoke with a cramp.

Shivering in the cold, we remounted and, after waiting until the appointed time at our 22 Hr control in Green Lane, climbed up to Red Hill and followed new (and relatively smooth) roads through Trumbauersville to the finish.     

It was wonderful to see everyone smiling and safe at the hostel.  Thanks Tom and Andrew for another incredibly well organized Fleche.  The schedule change must have been a real headache but thanks for all the extra work to keep us safe.  Jane Brown apparently spent all night cooking some of the best Chili I've ever tasted (oh and Joe was there too).

Fistful of Xanax

After two previous fleches with the Sinister Nuts, Captain Bob Torres decided to try his hand at the helm.  He kept most of his team together during the rescheduling only to succumb to a last-minute personal emergency that prevented him from starting.  Acting Captain Gil Lebron stepped up and led the team to a flawless finish, enjoying nearly every minute of the allowed 24 hours. 

Les Flecheurs de PA

 

For those of you who can't recall seeing the Les Flecheurs team at the hostel on Sunday, you're not crazy.  Gary Mass and his team started on Friday and finished on Saturday as most of the other teams were just getting started.  The team ran a tightly controlled route, one of two that required a 2-sheet card.  

Another postcard!  What should we say this time?

A link to their GPS track with pictures included can be found here: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/8540275

Les Jeunes Chirots Errants

CJ Arayata decided to step up his fleche game and try organizing a team of wandering pups.  He lost one to the event reschedule, but brought his team of 4 successfully to the finish.  He summarized their ride:
Les Jeunes Chiots Errants successfully wandered the rolling landscape of Southeastern PA (and a bit of Delaware), but not without some trials and tribulations, of course. We started out by enjoying practically car-free roads and surprise bike lanes leaving Philadelphia, through Chester and into Delaware. Everyone was really enjoying the scenic route and nice roads, but the experience soured slightly when I crashed on the way to our second controle in Hockessin. I got a bit scraped up, but Jono and the rest of the team helped clean me up and made sure myself and my bike were good to go. Turns out the fall had also torn a slight hole in my rear tire sidewall; a tire change was in order during our lunch stop in Little Britain. The next leg to Millersville was a hard one, but Sheetz revived all. We made it to Hershey a bit after nightfall, and a note to self that grocery stores are *not* the best controles. Living up to our namesake by wandering the aisles looking for ready-made food, single-serve portions, and the bathrooms...
The overnight segment to Shartlesville was actually very pleasant and quiet. Although the very slight climbing upwards did take its toll on us, we experienced random warm fronts that took the chill off. The truck stop was a great recommendation (thanks for that, Andrew!), and we all got some much needed food and rest time. Running parallel to 78 during the night, it was funny to see signs that said "64 Miles to Allentown" and joking with the team, "Hey guys, want to ride 64 miles to Allentown? Oh wait....."
We were quick through Allentown in order to hustle to Riegelsville, and made it into Mueller's with about a half-hour to spare (6:30AM). Was glad Tom was there to greet us! Some food and chatting with The Sinners and Sinister Nuts, and we were ready for the home stretch back to the hostel. Even though climbing to finish was bad, the rough roads approaching the hostel were worse! But we were naturally all smiles turning into the hostel driveway. A successful flèche in the books.
 As usual, CJ thoroughly documented the adventure.  You can see his pictures here:  https://goo.gl/3xArGn

Now You've Gone Too Far

Eric Keller notched his 4th PA fleche and showed that he's learned a few things over the years.  His was the only team to start at 8am Saturday so it could beat the breakfast rush on Sunday.  Team member Steve Schoenfelder writes:

Thanks so much for hosting and organizing a great event! 

Postponing the flèche for a week was a great decision as we enjoyed blue skies during the day and cold, but dry conditions after dark.  My GPS computer recorded a high of 80 degrees and a low of 32 degrees during the NYGTF team ride: quite a temperature swing!  And thanks to the frigid nighttime temperatures, staying awake during the wee hours of the morning was no problem at all.

As the weak link, I was nervous about letting the team down on my first flèche, but thanks to the support and encouragement of our experienced team members, I had a memorable and enjoyable time.  I ride solo on many brevets and perms as I often have trouble keeping up with the faster kids.  It was great to ride a team event where riders were not as inclined to drop me like a wet sack of sand.

Captain Eric Keller designed an awesome route that meandered 229 miles through the mountains and valleys of central and eastern PA, connecting his driveway in Boalsburg, PA to the Weisel Hostel at the finish.  He was kind enough to incorporate plenty of challenging climbs to keep us warm as temperature plummeted after sunset.  And, we found many mysterious “EM” symbols stenciled onto the shoulder of the road along the way-I am still trying to figure out what these mysterious markings mean.

Looking fresh and chipper in Lewisburg.

 Quesadilla Quest, etc.

 

The Quesadilla Quest team was led by first time Captain Zach Goodrich and gets my vote for over achievers.  The route may have been "only" 360k (necessitating 17 controls), but it featured significant climbing, many miles of unpaved surface, and even a little bit of single-track.  Imagine all that and throw a tandem into the mix and you can understand how this team couldn't quite manage to reach the hostel in the allotted time.  

Zach reports: Team Quesadilla Quest, etc. began their journey at Rolando’s Diner in Binghamton, NY at 9am on Saturday. Despite our bellies full of eggs, homefries, and watered down coffee - thoughts of burritos, enchiladas, and chimichangas drove us forward in pursuit of the finish.
Chris N. and James H., were each on single bikes, while Erin R. and I rode tandem. We left the beautiful Parlor City cruising at a good clip down NY-7 towards Hallstead, PA. We reached our first controle in New Milford just around our scheduled time. After an efficient stop, we left a small valley and headed upwards over a few hills, skirting Tingley Lake on pleasant roads, several of them unpaved. In a short time, we arrived in Kingsley where we joined Martin’s Creek, which we would follow to its confluence with Tunkhannock Creek in Nicholson. We rode on several dirt roads, following the creek on the opposite side from US-11. The short undulating hills and bumpy surface surly slowed us down, but it was nice not to worry about heavy traffic coupled with poor road conditions on US-11. We rode without the stress of traffic on Creek Rd, Sheepy Hollow Rd, and other variations until reaching Nicholson and the Tunkhannock Viaduct, which is part of a section of the Lackawanna Railroad between Binghamton and Scranton.
After getting some photos, we departed once again and rolled up and over several hills, criss-crossing US-11 through La Plume, Factoryville, and Dalton. A rear flat on the tandem cost us much of our banked time from the start, but we shrugged it off and made our way towards Scranton. The road leading into Scranton was one of the few roads in the northern section of our route that I had not ridden before, and its approach included a steep climb up to the “lip” of the Lackawanna Valley before descending. The descent was sharp and quick, and although it was fun, it left us feeling like we did more climbing than descending.
After winding through the City of Scranton, and checking off 2 controles to keep our minimum distance, we started a challenging climb out of the valley and into the Poconos. These roads were familiar and pleasant, but even so the ascent was long. Several quiet residential roads gained elevation rapidly moving southward, but abruptly gave way to Elmhurst Blvd which looks to be an old gravity railbed, although I’m not sure. We wound our way up out of Dunmore via a shallow, consistent grade, following the Roaring Brook mid-slope until we reached Blue Shutters Rd. Although we were starting to get tired, the team was in good spirits and motivated by the fact that our next controle, the North Pocono Public Library, would be closing in less than an hour.
We left Blue Shutters for an unmarked, unmaintained, jeep trail which made up much of our remaining elevation to the library. This road was one I was hesitant to include as it was essentially a mountain bike climb, but thankfully we made it through without issue. We all picked our lines as if riding single track. Chris, Erin, and I probably had the easiest time navigating rocks, tire ruts, and small downed trees with our wide tires, but James tackled the ascent like a cyclocross pro. We made it up the mountain and into the Library with 20 minutes to spare. The controle was a good stop for filling up water, but the tray of baked goods on display in the library’s meeting room left Chris feeling like the cookie monster (although he did not act on his desires). We left the library heading westward, feeling pretty cool with official library stamps on our brevet cards.
23 miles of riding through the upper Lehigh watershed found us in Bear Creek, where we refueled on pizza and our spirits were renewed. After a 1.5 mile jaunt on PA-115, we descended a short gravel road to Whitehaven Road, where we cruised along to the Frances Walter Dam, a large flood control structure at the north end of the Lehigh Gorge. The dam road spit us out onto PA-940, where we stopped for a quick bite at the Whitehaven Wawa, and got our lights and vests set up. We made the final descent to the Lehigh Gorge and hopped on the D&L trail for 23 miles to Jim Thorpe. The D&L was the only lengthy section of flat road we had encountered yet on the route, and though it was crushed stone, we were able to get into a rhythm and put some time in the bank. The trail made for a pleasant, traffic-free night ride. It was nice to forget about the cues for a while and tell stories. The gorge was abundant with wildlife, much of it unseen but evident. We passed by several napping porcupines, luckily none of which were directly in the trail!
We braved the short and unpleasant stretch of US-209 from Jim Thorpe into Lehighton and got back on the D&L trail. A bridge proposed in Jim Thorpe will eventually connect the section of trail between Lehighton and Jim Thorpe, eliminating the need to ride 209. We exited the trail after passing under I-476 in Bowmanstown, and took refuge in the Bowmanstown Diner where we filled up on hearty diner food and copious amounts of coffee.
After a reasonable Diner break, we took again to the night, just slightly now behind the minimum pace, but determined to make it up. The following stretches of road took us through Palmerton, and then following the north face of the Kittatinny Ridge and the Aquashicola Creek. Stars were visible, and the moonlight illuminated the long mountain to the right of us. We were able to move at a brisk pace through the Aquashicola Valley, up until the last two miles where we made our climb up into the Wind Gap. Arriving at the Turkey Hill, we were again just off of the minimum required pace, but this controle was the turning point in my mind. The miles that followed were many roads I had not ridden before, and in worrying about getting our team to the finish in time, I neglected to keep up with proper nutrition.
We left Wind Gap for Belvidere, taking the most direct route up and over two stream valleys, then finally descending to the Delaware at the hairpin turn on Riverton Rd, a familiar location for PA Randonneurs. The roads quiet and pretty at night, but very slow going. Chris and James moved on at a consistent pace, but the tandem began to slow. The real mistakes in the route design began to manifest themselves just east of Belvidere, where we grinded up and over a sizable hill to Oxford. At this point, I had fully entered the limits of bonktown. It wasn’t far until our next controle in Bloomsbury, but we moved slowly over the next few hills, as I struggled to stay awake and coherent. Despite the lack of sleep, almost 21 hours of riding, and the fact that Erin had ridden 50% further than she had ever before, she was the vibrant cheerleader keeping us together and keeping me awake.
Just before 7am, we reached our Bloomsbury controle with 53k remaining. Because we had two controles yet to visit, and a long climb up Lodi Hill Rd remaining, we came to the ugly realization that we would not finish the ride in 24hrs. Although we were all certainly disappointed in timing-out, we were glad to take our time relaxing and refueling at our next stop, the Milford bakery, our planned 22hr controle. We made the short steep climb up Lodi Hill from the delaware, and finished out the last miles to the hostel during a beautiful morning.
As a relatively new randonneur, and the route designer for our team, I was probably overly ambitious regarding number of controles, road quality, and climbing (especially climbing for a tandem). I had designed the route using many of my favorite low-traffic roads and trails in NEPA and strung them all together. We estimated about 50 miles of the route to be dirt or gravel, and delorme put us up above 18,000 ft of climbing.
Although the route was fun, scenic, and low traffic as was intended, it was just too much for our team to fit into 24 hours. I did received some useful input from veteran Chris N. who joined our team late in the game, it was too late to make significant changes to the route.
I have to say that all of my teammates truly exemplified the randonneur mentality on this ride. They accepted the challenge with a smile and there were no complaints throughout the duration. We fought with very minimal time out of the saddle until it was clear were were not making it in under the allocated time. Thanks to Chris, Erin, and James for making it a great ride despite the difficulties. I was very lucky to have both fun and stoic teammates. Congratulations to James and Erin, for which this was their first ride over 200k. Of course, many thanks to Tom, Andrew, and all of the volunteers for all of their work, and for waiting to greet us at the finish. I’m looking forward to attempting the fleche again next year. 
In case anyone was wondering, we did stop for generous portions of Tex-mex on our way home :)

Photo by Chris Nadovich.

As so aptly observed by 3-time PA flecheur Chris Nadovich, "It was really an enjoyable route. Our Capt'n Zachary created a gem. But some of the dirt roads were actually the faster miles. There were many big climbs packed end to end, and lots of controles. In the end, we just couldn't fit all that fun in a mere 24 hours."

Sins of the Fleche, Too

In what had originally begun as a two-team effort, first time captain Kate Marshall guided the Sins of the Fleche Too team on a sweeping tour of the Jersey pine barrens with little fuss or drama.  A word of caution to the SOTF One team for the future:  you'll need to ride quickly if you put Kate and Victor behind you.  We heard reports of daytime rolling averages in the 17 mph range.  

You guessed it, a WaWa control.  Photo from Chris Newman.

Kate starts her story:
Gather two wheeled ones and listen afresh 
To the Quest for the Cup and Sins of the Fleché

 You can find the rest of her excellent account and pictures on her blog:  

http://psycles-kttrue.blogspot.com/2016/04/sins-of-fleche.html

Chris Newman compiled her pictures here.

Photo by Patrick Chin-Hong

The Sinister Nuts

Nine-time fleche finisher Bill Olsen and his band of fixed-gear nuts returned for another overnight adventure, each year seemingly convincing some unsuspecting randonneur to try the fleche on a fixie.  This year's victim was Robin Landis.  While he pedaled to the finish, walking was a different matter and required a rather unique method for dismounting the bike.

Congratulations to all participants for making this year's fleche another success.

Finally, a hearty thank you is due to Jane Brown for preparing the arrival banquet enjoyed at the hostel and to her able assistants Joe Brown and Jim Holman.  Most everyone arrived with a big appetite; no one left hungry.  The Browns have been supporting the fleche for a few years and raising the bar each year.  It is volunteers like this who make our events so memorable, successful, and possible.  Want to help?  Check the volunteer sign-up page or contact Tom or me.

The PA300/200 is coming up soon.  Event details have been posted:
http://parando.org/PA300K.html

Tom Rosenbauer
   Eastern PA RBA
Andrew Mead
   Eastern PA RBA Designate

Fleche Postponement

The Eastern PA Fleche has been postponed until next weekend (4/15-4/17) due to the weather forecast that has firmed up for snow and rain on Saturday, followed by black ice conditions during the night time hours as temperatures drop into the lower 20F's.  The deadline to make changes to the rosters has been extended until next Wednesday, 4/13 -- any registered riders who can no longer participate will get a full refund.  The hostel has been booked by another group for both Friday and Saturday night, but you will still be able to leave your car there ahead of time. Although the dorms rooms will not be available on Friday and Saturday, you'll still be able to rest in the dorm on Sunday, if you like.

I already have heard from a number of teams captains indicating that they would still be able to participate next weekend.  Please let me Andrew and me know of any changes to your team status, start day and time, or roster -- thanks.  

Hopefully, the long-term forecast for next weekend will hold up for the 60F temperatures, which would be around 30 degrees warmer than what's called for this weekend!

-Tom  Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Lackawanna 200k Ride Report

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://parando.org/PA200k_Results160319.pdf
Please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA certification.

Although spring was a mere 24 hours away from the start of the event, it was a decidedly cold day for a ride.  And although there were some peeks of sun during the day, the plentiful sunshine in the forecast did not materialize.  But thankfully, the strong gusty winds from the frontal passage the day before had at least abated.  All 28 starters made it to the finish in good time.  Congratulations to all, and well done for that excellent result, to start the Eastern PA spring series.  Of note, there were several first time participants, including:  Timothy C. and George R. who both notched their first brevets.  Shawn B. who has recently moved into our area from San Francisco, clipped-in for his first PA event, and writes: "...My first ride with the club was great. The route may have been my toughest 200k. PA sure does hit your legs hard with those leg-breaker hills. Everyone was super nice and I look forward to future rides...."

 CJ writes: "...I had a good ride on a now-familiar course with flèche teammates Shawn and Jimmy. It was Shawn's first PA ride, and I think he now has a much better idea of what we are about here in Eastern PA! We yo-yo-ed through the middle of the pack for the beginning part of the day, but as the miles grew on and the hills didn't stop coming, we were showing our bruises. However, we made it through the last leg to finish before dark, which was my goal when I started out the day. The weather, while never really warming up, seemed to stay comfortable for me and *both* of my teammates (see pictures for the disparity of their clothing choices, hah)...Kudos goes to Chris, Bill, and Guy for ensuring yet another smooth hostel stay with warm meals and good company. ..."
CJ has posted many nice photos at: https://goo.gl/zEPPRU

Nigel G. writes: "...The Pennsylvania Randonneurs delivered again. I believe this was my first time riding this course and it was fun to see so many familiar locations coming from the opposite direction. The climbing was a reasonable challenge for an early-season ride. And the only bonus miles I picked up were totally due to my lack of attention as I was busy chatting with James Haddad. Luckily we were on a flat stretch and were able to get back on course without too much of a delay.
The 77 miles to the first control with food was an interesting change. However I think I like that because it gave me time to build up a cushion of time to sit down and enjoy a meal at the bagel diner. Plus the places to get food along the way were well marked on the cue sheet. Finally I enjoyed the food at the beginning and at the end. Good selection, nice and hot, and plenty of it. Thanks to everyone who contributed and special thanks to Bill Chris and Guy for their work at the beginning and at the end of the ride ..."
You can read more of Nigel's thoughtful reflections on his Iron Rider blog at:
http://eprider.blogspot.com/2016/03/on-last-day-of-winter-lackawanna-200k.html

Jimmy A writes: "...Just wanted to send out a thank you to everyone who organized the ride and made yesterday possible including you, Andrew, Bill, Guy and Chris. The ride started out cold and stayed relatively cold for most of the day with the exception of the sun breaking through here and there throughout the day. As I have come to expect with PA brevets, the route included a lot of climbing, though I did not think Gallows Hill was quite as bad as it was talked up to be - it's the steep rollers elsewhere on the course that took their toll on my legs. I enjoyed the more gentle climbs, including the climb out of Milford at the beginning of the day (I was thankful the entire way that we were not riding up tunnel road again) and the climb up River Road after the Portland controle which I thought provided some of the best views of any PA brevet I have ridden so far. Thanks for a great event! ..."

First finisher Ed B. writes: "...I want to thank you, Andrew, Guy, and Bill for putting on a wonderful Brevet and especially to Guy's wife for the tasty soup at the completion! I can normally sort of keep up with Gavin, Bill, Chris, Matt and others on the climbs but I joined The Old Men who Get Fat in Winter Team and simply could not maintain their pace on those early testy climbs; so, I resigned myself to lumbering along at my pace simply enjoying the day out on the bike. This running of the Lackawanna 200K seemed longer and harder than I remember and it was indeed a good challenge on what I thought was a great route.  Thanks again...."

Eric Q. writes: "...Beautiful ride this weekend. Thanks so much for all your efforts along with the volunteers'..."

Your safety is the number one priority on an Eastern PA event.  Please mention any safety hazard you might have spotted or near-miss incident your saw.  Your feedback will help us to improve things for next time.

Special thanks to a superb crew of volunteers who made this event possible: Chris N, for the Friday night setup and checking in riders in the evening; Bill O. for cooking breakfast, checking in riders, and getting everyone on their way; and Guy H. for preparing the postride meal, and manning the finish.  Guy and Bill also performed the preride course checkout, and suggested the couple of route tweaks along with making sure the course was as safe as possible.

The Eastern PA spring series continues with the Fleche on the weekend of April 9th.  This year, we have 9 teams and a record number of participants.  And after that, the SR series continues with the 300k and a shorter 200k on April 30th.  There are still some volunteer opportunities we're looking to have filled for the 300k -- if you'd like to take your turn to help out, you can sign up at:
http://www1.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=pa_volunteers2016

Tom Rosenbauer, Eastern PA RBA
Andrew Mead, Eastern PA RBA Designate

PA SR Series Begins: Lackawanna 200K

*** Update #1 (3/13) ***
The cuesheet has been updated to draft 5, dated 3/13/16, with the following changes:
1) Route tweak at mile 92.4
2) Moved controle 5 to a new location

A volunteer preride was completed this past weekend by Bill O. and Guy H.  Guy reports: "...Great day to be out and we took full advantage of it! Very nice evening with the spring peepers and crescent moon through the broken clouds. I enjoyed the last few miles after Old Bethlehem Road into hostel "backwards" (this was new to me). With the time change people should finish before dark...."  Bill adds: "...The mild winter has left the road in quite good shape for this time of year. The usual fine gravel but nothing too significant except for a couple of areas [outlined below]...."  Traffic along the river from the Post Office up to the Millford bridge was surprisingly courteous - Guy and I were not necessarily over in the far right but were on the right half of the lane and it appears that cars recognized we were riding outside of potholes and gravel and gave us good berth when passing. Gallows Hill wasn't any worse than previous years (but it isn't any better either) and we were passing that section just after dusk when it was too light for one's headlights to be effective and yet dark enough for the passing car lights to blind one. Next week, with an hour more light (and faster riders than me) this should not be an issue. ..."

Food/Hydration
Please note that the first two controle stops are info-type controles.  The first is at a post office, and although the second one is at a general store, the hours of operation are somewhat erratic, so you shouldn't count on the store being open.  Although the number of services available are a bit sparse, there are the following good opportunities to replenish your supplies:
-Mile 23.1: Milford Bakery -- almost a must stop for coffee and baked goods!
-Mile 38.6: Minimart off to your left as you cross Rt 31 at the traffic light
-Mile 52.7: Nykun's food market at the junction of Old Cemetery Rd and Rt 46.
-Mile 76.8: Controle 4 is the Portland Bagel and Deli, which closes at 2PM.  If you arrive after then, there is a Minimart at the end of the pedestrian bridge and food market you can use instead for a controle and supplies.
-Mile 86.7: A deli and other stores are available in Belvidere.
-Mile 106.9: Deli on your right.  This was the original controle 5, but the proprietor is not especially rando-friendly.
-Mile 111.0: Controle 5 Borderline Cafe.

Additional course notes:
The following outlines some areas that you should take extra caution and care:
-Mile 12.8: Headquarters Road after the bridge barrier down to the Erwinna post office. The road is rough with some parallel, diversion grooves. Since you may find yourself bunched up with other riders and full of energy at this point, please give yourself enough room to look for and maneuver around these hazards.
-Mile 52.5: As noted on the cuesheet, there is a short stretch of rutted dirt road on a downhill.  If you are unsure of your ability to handle this, please dismount and walk this stretch.
-Mile 113.9: Gallows Hill from Rt 212 to Hunter Rd. No worse than normal here but it is bad across the entire road and there is some traffic.


*** Original Post ***
The PA Randonneurs return to the Weisel Youth Hostel near Quakertown for the beginning of the 2016 traditional SR events.  This year's 200k is the Lackawana 200k to be held on March 19.

Starting from our rando clubhouse, we first pass through Tinicum township as we drop down to the Delaware River.  The first controle stop is just a postcard drop on Headquarters Road, but we'll soon pass through Milford NJ where our favorite bakery will be open for coffee and baked goods.  The northern extent of this route parallels portions of the Lackawanna Cutoff, a modern marvel in the early 1900's.

We then continue our journey north through the quaint town of Little York, where we then begin a long gentle climb up Sweet Hollow Rd and a descent on Tunnel Rd to the Musconetcong River, which we'll ride along all the way to Port Murray, where the second major climb of the day awaits.  After dropping down to Great Meadows, where you can replenish your supplies, we'll ride along Shades of Death and pass Ghost Lake and the Fairy Hole.

Johnsonburg marks the northern extent of the route, and as we ride west, what looks like a small ridge is actually the man-made railroad bed of the Lackawanna Cut-Off.  Many tunnels go through this rail bed, and we'll see a several of them after Blairstown.  Several are identified Points of Interest on the cue sheet offering a good reason to revert to "traditional" brevet navigation practices.

As we head back into PA into Portland across the pedestrian bridge, the Lackawanna Cut-off RR trestle can be seen looking south down the river.  And once the Station Rd bridge is fixed, we'll also be able to ride past the Paulinskill Viaduct - when it was completed in 1910, it was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world.

Upon arriving in Portland where we stop at the Portland Bagel and Deli, we begin our return trip southbound along the Delaware River through Belvidere and Reigelsville.

Event details and a link to the event sign-up are available on the event page http://parando.org/Lackawanna200k.html. All riders planning to clip in for this classic event must pre-register.  The pre-registration deadline is Thursday, March 17 at 5pm.

Riders are also reminder to review the status of both their PA Randonneurs AND RUSA memberships.  You must be an active member in BOTH to receive the discounted entry fee. You can check your RUSA status at the RUSA website and your PA Randonneurs status on the membership roster.

Finally, a reminder to all that deadlines for the fleché are approaching.  Team Captain registrations are due on March 18 with route submissions due one week later.

Roster (as of 3/18/2016)
1 Michael Anderson - NM Reg + Friday Night
2 Charles J Arayata - Reg + Friday Night
3 Jimmy Aspras - Reg
4 Eoghan Barry - Reg
5 Ed Bernasky - Reg
6 Gavin Biebuyck - Reg
7 Shawn Bowles - Reg + Friday Night
8 Timothy S Conheeney - NM Reg + Friday Night
9 Timothy Creyts - Reg + Mem Renew
10 Chris Errico - NM Reg
11 Matthew Farrell - Reg
12 William Fischer - Reg
13 Patrick Gaffney - Reg
14 Michael J Gorman - NM Reg
15 Nigel Greene - Reg + Mem Renew
16 Jeffrey A Gregg - Reg
17 James R Haddad - Reg + Friday Night
18 Eric  K Hannon Ford - Reg + Friday Night
19 Guy Harris - organizer
20 Greg Keenan - Reg
21 Gil Lebron - Reg
22 Kate R Marshall - NM Reg + Friday Night
23 Rudi Mayr - Reg + Mem Renew
24 Chris Nadovich - volunteer
25 William Olsen - organizer
26 Eric Quinn -  Guest
27 George Michael Retseck - Reg
28 George Swain - Reg + Friday Night
29 Bob Torres - Reg
30 Gilbert Torres - Reg
31 Victor Urvantsev - NM Reg + Friday Night

The list indicates those who have requested hostel accommodations.  "NM" means that a current PA Rando or RUSA membership is missing.    You can always choose to update both/either membership to receive discounted registration fees for the rest of 2016.