New Blue Redux 400K -- Course Notes

On Saturday, 15 May,  event volunteers Greg Keenan (on a fixie), Steve Schoenfelder, and Chris Nadovich  conducted a pre-ride of the New Blue Redeux 400K course. As a result of information gathered on this ride, there are some course changes. The cues have been updated. The latest cue sheet is version 5 with RWGPS route modified 2021-05-16 19:08:02 EDT.

Pre-riders horse around on the bridge to the Bear Hole trail

 

It was a most excellent cool-warm-cool Spring sandwich of a pre-ride. We started out with downright cold (mid 30s) temperatures, ended cool in the clear and chilly early morning hours, and caught some sunburn from the many pleasant hours of warm sunshine during the mild daytime temperatures. We can only hope that the day-of-event weather is just as agreeable.

Flowers and trees are definitely in bloom. All of us had some trouble with allergies. If only there was a simple technology we could use for protecting us from harmful particles in the air.

In the spectrum PA Rando courses, I would call this course "moderate". There are some tough climbs, of course, but they aren't as frequent or relentless as the climbs incorporated into the 200K and 300K this year. If  I could finish this 400K with ample time in the bank, then I think most anybody can. As with any brevet, keeping yourself fed and hydrated is paramount. The course passes through many remote areas with zero services. Pay close attention to the suggestions on the cue sheet and plan ahead so you won't be caught without food or water.

PreRide Course notes:

Mile 2.1 -- We found the wooden bridges on the Two Rivers trailway to be quite slippery when wet. As the group will still be together at this point, please be careful to hold your line on the bridges, especially if it's been raining or heavy dew, and to go through the chicanes and bollards with ample space between riders.

Mile 7.9 -- By now most riders should be familiar with the trail entrance here. As the cue says, it's just past the electrical substation, which is lit up. The paved parking lot at the trail entrance is not lit. There are several trail like paths here.  The real trail is the middle one: a paved path that doesn't have a private drive or do not enter sign.

Mile 52.5 -- The controle at Blondies is an old favorite for a sit-down meal. The food is great, but many riders might feel it's too early in a 400K to be sitting down for a meal. No worries. We didn't sit down. We did, however, use the convenient outdoor seating area (with bathroom access) to strip layers and refill water bottles.

Mile 68.4 -- Instead of Blondies, consider the Boyer's Food Mart at Orwigsburg. It's a little hard to spot on the left (by the Santander bank), but it's a great place to grab something to eat. Juices by the entrance, fruits and baked goods just beyond.  There's a bathroom immediately after the checkout.  Jersey barriers for drying clothes.

Mile 87.5 -- There's a Turkey Hill just off course to the right. This has been the controle in the past. It's the last service you'll see for quite a while. If you haven't stopped at Blondies or Boyers, you pretty much have to stop here for something. That said, since you'll soon be bumping along on the rail trail, maybe you shouldn't fill your belly too much.

Mile 93.3 -- Who's riding a fat bike? They'll be happy with this horse trail. Everybody else will have a saddle sore 911 bumping along a few miles on the pock-marked gravel and dirt surface. Hang in there. There are some downhill sections that merit caution.  Keep pedaling steady through the soft stuff and you should be OK. But riding a fat bike on a 400K doesn't seem so silly now, does it?  Nevertheless, Greg on his fixie with 28 mm tires says: "I had no trouble".

Mile 116.7 -- There are at least five pizza joints, two Turkey Hills, and a Subway in Palmyra. Take your pick. The easiest is the Turkey Hill at mile 119.

Mile 142 -- Follow the cue directions to get through on the left side of the parking lot by the bike service shed. After this bit of confusion the Warwick/Ephrata opens up to a very, very nice multi-use trail.  The whole thing is quite pretty with trees and other interesting touches. Most of it has a wide, very smooth, crushed stone surface. If you have any of those pies left over from Boyer's, this is the place maybe you'd want to picnic for a while. Maybe take a nap. Rest up for the steep climb when you exit the trail.

Mile 172.1 -- I think it's easy to miss this right turn onto Harmonyville Rd, especially in the dark, but beyond here there's no excuse for missing any turn.  Until the unmistakable tee left onto Laurelwood (181.8), you pretty much remain on Harmonyville Rd, which is marked as such.  There are lots of twists and turns and crossings, but it's really just still Harmonyville Rd. Even after you reach the town of Harmonyville, you still want Harmonyville Rd.

Mile 181-226 -- The course finishes with a Series of 24 hr Wawas: Pottstown (181), Phoenixville (188), Harleysville (211), and Quakertown (226).  Take advantage of these for mental and physical replenishment through this difficult segment most people will ride late at night.

Mile 194 -- Downtown Phoenixville is hoppin' on a Saturday night.  What a hoot. Look out for drunks on foot and in cars. The main street is blocked off pretty solid, but we were able to sneak through the small gaps between the barricade and the sidewalk.  The crowd wasn't too thick. We never had to walk the bikes.

Mile 201.8 - 202.1 -- Germantown Pike is freshly paved. You will be tempted to bomb down it at full speed. But be aware that at the bottom of the descent there is a left onto Skippack Creek Rd just before the bridge. Even if traffic is clear and all looks well, do not make this left turn at speed. Slow down. A lot. The beginning of Skippack Creek Rd after the left is terrible. Very bad surface.  Even worse than the Swatara Horse Trail.  Take your time to pick through it and then suddenly, poof! ... relatively smooth pavement begins again.  There are a few potholes (and horse droppings) on the park roads (204.5), but not nearly as bad as the beginning of Skippack Creek.

Mile 233.4 -- You've been on the Saucon Rail Trail for a while (a wide, fenced-in path through the woods that is a little rougher than the Ephrata, but a lot smoother than the Swatara) when you'll see, straight ahead, an uncompleted trail section that's blocked off. The detour takes you left into the parking lot of Saucon TWP park and library. Keep in mind that you're trying to get back to the trail -- to find the far end of that straight, uncompleted section.  GPS and Cues are good, but there are so many confusing paths and it will be dark. Your first goal is to make it through the tunnel by the library. Once you get through that, bear right toward the woods with the big parking lot on your left.  When you pass through the gate, don't miss that right turn up the ramp that takes you back into the woods. This right turn is across from the soccer field. If you miss the turn, you will be taking a lap around the field.

Mile 241 -- Countryside Lane. The final big climb. No shame in walking. 

Mile 246.8 -- Childrens Home of Easton is the first right turn immediately after the bridge.  There's a sign there that says Children's Home, but we noticed that the light is out. The road is also marked Private Drive. There are some speed bumps and soon you'll see the segregated bike lane painted on the pavement, an extension of the D&L Trail, so not really a private drive entirely.  You will not be happy about the climb, but it avoids climbing on 25th street. 

Mile 247.5 -- Speaking of 25th Street the T-right here can be difficult with traffic, but most of you will be on it late enough to make it much easier. If you are one of the speedier riders and the traffic is still coming up the hill, please wait till you see no cars from your left before you proceed.  You will be turning left very soon up the hill and you don't want to contend with cars overtaking you and passing you on your left.

Ride Report: Hawk's Nest 300K

The second event in the 2021 Pennsylvania Super Randonneur Series, was a "full value" 300K version of the Hawk's Nest brevet that began at 5AM in the decidedly  cold and windy parking lot of the Easton, PA, Holiday Inn Express.  Of the shivering bunch that clipped in at that pre-dawn hour, 14 of the 17 completed the whole course within the time limit for a 82% completion rate. Congratulations to all who attempted the challenging course!  Preliminary results have been posted on the website.  Please review the results and let us know if they align with your memory.  The results will be submitted to RUSA after receipt of postal control cards and careful review. They will become official once certified.

Despite the beautiful weather later in the day, it was decidedly cold and windy at the pre-dawn start outside the Holiday Inn.   The low temperature seemed to drop further as the riders climbed up the front of the Pocono plateau, dropping into the high 30s, with wind-chills making the May Day seem more like a date in February.  Not anticipating these conditions, several of the riders were a bit under-dressed and paid a price. The cold and wind gave Chris Maglieri numb feet, but with some supplies he acquired at the Pickerel Lake General Store (chemical hand warmers, plastic bags, and electrical tape) he was able to revive his feet and soldier on. Unfortunately this brilliant fix was not enough, as he shortly ran into unrelated mechanical difficulties.

 

Chris Maglieri uses rando ingenuity to keep his feet warm.

 

In fact, two different riders were forced to abandon because of mechanical problem. Soon after he had repaired his feet, Chris had a rear-hub issue that affected his gears and brakes. Sean Connelly suffered a shifter cable failure. Both of these issues occurred in a remote section of the course, precluding a quick trip to a nearby bike shop for repair. Consequently, both riders were forced to abandon. 

Unconcerned about the possibility of shifter failure, Greg Keenan kept warm by completing the challenging course on a fixed gear. Good pedaling Greg! Those derailleurs are so overrated.

Despite the frosty and blustery beginnings,  by the time the riders reached El dred, the sun was shining bright, temperatures had moderated, and the stunning vista from the Hawk's Nest fully lived up to its promise. 

Trio of riders (Joe Ray, Greg Keenan, Dawn Engstrom) each with their own unique way of experiencing the Hawk's Nest. (Steven J. Schoenfelder behind the camera)

First finisher Josh Armstrong made full use of  gears to set a new course record at 12 hrs 59 mins, nipping four minutes off the previous mark set by Tim Creyts in 2019.  It should be noted that this version of the Hawk's Nest 300 course has a smidge less climbing than the edition Tim faced. On the other hand, Josh's record setting time included two laps of the Pump Track in Port Jervis.   This 300K event was also Josh's first-ever brevet!  Congratulations and welcome to randonneuring Josh.  

Two other riders relatively new to the sport, Brad Layman and Jeremy Seig, completed their first 300K.  Excellent work.  

It bears repeating that randonneuring events, especially the longer events, cannot be run without the support of volunteers. Iwan Barankay,  Brad Layman, and Steve Schoenfelder helped organizer Chris Nadovich set up food and gear. Steve also ran the start while Iwan did bike inspections.  Out on the course, RBA emeritus Tom Rosenbauer ran a roving secret control with water and snacks. Bill Olsen staffed the Blairstown control later in the day providing encouragement and sustenance for the slower riders. Bill also helped clean up and pack up at the finish, along with some help from Dawn Engstrom.  Thanks to these volunteers, quality events can happen. 

Please consider volunteering at a future event. Both the upcoming 400K and 600K are badly in need of more helpers. Contact the Organizer to volunteer. 

Iwan Barankay writes:

A glorious day once the toes thawed at around 11am. Very rewarding scenery. Thank you for the careful route and the wonderful hospitality at the start and finish.

Iwan also contributed the Haiku of the Ride:

Gusts swaying resolve
Asphalt acne from times when
Roads like us were young

 

Iwan at the Roebling Aquaduct fighting the cold with Sheldon Brown helmet vent covers.

Vadim Gritsus writes:

Thank you for organizing yet another perfectly orchestrated PA brevet. My late arrival due to road closure outside NYC in combination with a failed front tire pressure sensor were surely looking like the ride would be going bad. However it actually went amazingly well! Things improved immediately after I spotted Tom offering delicious candy bars at a secret control as well as his luxury ride as a bike rack. Never underestimate his dedication!

Tom made another much-needed appearance, this time on his bike intercepting me just before one of the controls and pacing me through difficult miles. The weather was pretty cold for the better part of the morning, however things dramatically improved later on. This surely provide a big opportunity to dial in your outfit based on almost 35 degree span during the ride.

This was a combination of previously ridden roads but somehow felt very new and exciting. A pleasant bonus was to see 21% on my GPS during that infamous climb.

Once again, thank you for organizing this beautiful event!

A randonneur's view of Port Jervis (photo by V Gritsus)

Regarding Vadim's photo, Tom Rosenbauer writes:

The gritty post-apocalyptic ruins make a striking contrast to the clear ski and pristine mountains in the background. A barren landscape that is completely void of any life is a metaphor for the lonely emptiness one can experience at a low point of a challenging brevet.

Joe Ray writes:

Thanks to you, Tom Rosenbauer and Bill Olsen for yesterday’s 300k.  It was a tough finish for me, but with Greg having handicapped himself a bit on fixed gear I had someone to cover the last 30 miles with.  Coming up Northampton had me reminiscing about the 2019 600k flat-tire finish, but I’m glad we still had plenty of time in the bank yesterday.   As bad as that wind was for the first half, the course was pretty and I really love the stretch following the Lackawaxen down to the Delaware Aqueduct.  Hotel breakfast and swapping enjoyable stories and thoughts there this morning with Steve and Greg got me at least partly back on track. 

 

Steven J. Schoenfelder writes: 

Thanks to ride organizer Chris Nadovich and volunteers Tom Rosenbauer and Bill Olsen for making the Hawk’ s Nest 300K an epic ride.

The theme of the first leg of our journey was headwinds.  The gusts of the prior evening turned Two Rivers Trailway into a cyclocross course that included a quick dismount to clear a horizontal pine tree. Wind Gap lived up to its name, but offered some relief at the Turkey Hill where Dawn and I could go through our gear and realize that we didn’t bring enough clothing to contend with the wind chill.   

We battled our way over the Appalachian front, battered by headwinds as we inched up the ascents.  Just as I was feeling that I would never get warm again, and all was lost, we were greeted by rando legend Tom Rosenbauer at Controle 4 who restored us with water, delicious pastries, and kind words of encouragement.  It was the turning point that I desperately needed to salvage my ride.  

By Eldred, the sun was coming out, skies were blue, and the winds were now behind us.  And..we finally caught other riders: Joe and Greg.  Soon, it was party time at Hawks Nest where we enjoyed camaraderie,  great views, sunshine, and photo ops. 

That positivity powered me through the ensuing miles.  The new pavement on the infamous Old Mine Road climb made it seem easier than ever before.  Maybe I will be able to pedal over the dreaded Millbrook Road climb!  But alas, after a short stretch of 14-16% grade, I looked up the road, and unclipped, keeping my streak of never pedaling over that climb alive. 

I felt exhausted and defeated after crossing the Appalachian Trail, but knew that we would achieve our goal of arriving at the Blairstown controle in daylight.  We were greeted by volunteer Bill Olsen at the Inn who provided a helpful weather update, encouragement, and his special brand of humor to spur us on.  I would likely still be in Blairstown if not for Dawn who charitably pulled me through the remaining  31.5 miles.   

We were pleased to find Chris and Bill at the finish, ready to revive us with hot soup and pickles.  And so the journey from misery to Hope, and Foul Rift to achievement was complete.

For those of you who want to experience the spectacular Hawk's Nest vista as part of a "pint sized" 200K brevet, the shorter version will be offered in July. 

On the other hand, for those of you seeking a SR medal, the next event in the Pennsylvania Super Randonneur Series is the New Blue Redux 400K on 22 May. Full information is available on the 400K Event Web Site.

Hawk's Nest 300K -- Pre Ride Notes (updated)

*** Update 1

I found a way to allow the kinder-gentler return route to Easton that avoids some of those nasty climbs on Foul Rift Rd and finishes with the nice descent on Marble Hill. In exchange there is a slightly different approach to the Old Mine Rd climb in Flatbrookville. We leave NPS615 using Pompey  at mile 139. This leads over to a segment of Old Mine by the river that we rarely ride. It's a nice road, although a little longer than the usual way -- which is what allowed the elimination of the nasty Foul Rift section. 

Latest cue sheet is now Version 4, with RWGPS last updated  2021-04-23 10:19:43 EDT

 *** Original Post

Hawk's Nest 300K PreRide 18 April 2021 by Chris Nadovich

The course has been updated to reflect route changes decided by this pre ride. The latest cue sheet is  Version 3, RWGPS Route last modified 2021-04-19 16:07:49 EDT. Full info and online registration available at the event web site.

Course notes:

Mile 2.1 -- Two Rivers Trailway. Watch for bollards and gates! Bridges can be slippery when wet.

Mile 8 -- Returning to the rail trail, it may be difficult to spot the entrance at night. As the cue says, it's just past the electrical substation, which is lit up. The paved parking lot at the trail entrance is not lit. There are several trail like paths here.  The real trail is the middle one: a paved path that doesn't have a private drive or do not enter sign.

Mile 21.3 -- Murder Cows!

An unusual traffic scene

Mile 29.2 -- National Park Drive. Here there is a crumbling bit of roadway across a creek. This is why the road is closed. I walked it because I was a little terrified by the look of the subsidence. That and I wanted a picture.

Crumbling roadway on National Park Drive.

Mile 29.2 -- National Park Drive. Only about half the descent is gravel. The second half is paved, so you and your guardian angel might consider going a little faster on the solid ground. Or not. There are often oblivious pedestrians wandering around the fast, paved decent. Be aware the descent ends in a T-stop with PA611.  

Mile 44.7 -- The Winona Falls Turkey Hill Controle is almost the last real convenience store you'll see for the next 50 miles. There is a General Store at Pickerel Lake about 15 miles from here, but otherwise nothing. I mean there's pretty much nothing for the next 50 miles other than that one General Store where you can buy Gatorade and shotgun shells.  Plan accordingly

Mile 73.4 -- The 402 Cafe was not open. I hope you stocked up at  the Winona Falls Turkey Hill.

Mile 113.0 -- The routing through Port Jervis / Matamoras is the new Sleepy Hollow Road route along the river that passes Riverside Creamery (mi 115.2) just before crossing the bridge into Matamoras, PA out-n-back to the Turkey Hill control. Old time PA riders should turn off autopilot for this. The route is better than the old tour de US-6.

Mile 116.2 -- Matamoras Turkey Hill. This is the last convenience store you will see for 50 miles. Plan accordingly. 

Mile 117.2 -- Railroad Ave is a narrow path, initially paved, immediately next to the RR tracks. When it reaches the park it becomes unpaved. The gravel is better than National Park Drive. You pass a BMX "Pump Track" at around mi 117.7 (why not take a lap?). After the Pump Track the roadbed of Railroad Ave gets even dicier and skirts close to the RR tracks. Keep a lookout for the yellow gate posts on the right indicating the exit from the trail and back to civilization over the brand new bridge on US-6.  If you miss the yellow gate exit, you'll end up crossing a RR trestle, which would be bad. 

Yellow Gate on right exiting from Railroad Ave

Mile 144.1 -- Old Mine Rd. Freshly paved!  Still a tough climb. Stay away from those deep, v-shaped drains. If your wheel hits those, you are going down. 

Mile 146.3 -- This is the beginning of the big climb up Millbrook Rd, which is your reward for just finishing the big climb up Old Mine Rd.  If you've not climbed Millbrook from this side, it's worse than you've heard. If you have climbed it, it's worse than you remember. Fortunately it's smoothly paved and followed by almost 6 miles of descent.

Mile 153.9 -- Blairstown, NJ.   Dale's Market is open till 8PM. After that, only the Blairstown Inn is open. I hope you stocked up at the Matamoras Turkey Hill.

Mile 155.7 -- Heller Hill Rd. You thought the climbing was done when you summited Millbrook?

Mile 166.5 -- Passing a 24 hour Quik Check convenience store. 

Mile 170.6 -- Foul Rift and River Rd, the full experience, all the way into Easton along the river. No, we don't switch back to 519 this time. Sorry. You need to do those little, annoying climbs. 

Mile 184 -- Riding Northampton St through the center of Easton isn't that bad, even considering the two moderate hills it crosses. The section between 3rd and 4th is closed in this direction for restaurant seating, but you can easily weave your way through the barriers or take the sidewalk. I recommend not riding backwards through the one-way car lane -- I've seen this attempted (by cars!) and it can be real trouble. Beyond 4th St take the main lane with confidence. If there's any traffic, it will be calmed by the plethora of traffic lights. The one thing to remember is to stay away from the parked cars. People like to sit in those cars, the ones with the opaque windows and the lights off, to do the stuff they do, and then these people open their car door suddenly without looking. The street is pretty wide. If you firmly take the lane, you should be able to keep away from those scary car doors without causing the minimal traffic too much concern.  

Ride Report: Pagoda 200K

 

The temperature was on the chilly side, with some brief sprinkles during the partly cloudy day, but the warm rando camaraderie more than made up for the raw weather.  Of the 27 riders that clipped in at the start/finish, 25 completed the whole course within the time limit for a 93% completion rate.  Congratulations and well done to all!  Preliminary results have been posted on the website.  Please review the results and let me know if they align with your memory.  The results will be submitted to RUSA after review and will become official once certified.

Gavin pauses at the Pagoda controle

 

It almost seemed like the before-times, with a staff of fully vaccinated volunteers providing "hostel quality" food and beverage services at the start, finish, and Pagoda controls while riders congregated (with some distance) in the outdoor pavilion to trade war stories. 

Organizer Chris Nadovich set up and ran the start, Steve Schoenfelder operated a "secret" control at the Pagoda, then raced back to the finish to check-in returning riders. And volunteer veteran Len Zawodniak  fed them their choice of freshly grilled veggie or beef hamburgers. As if that wasn't enough experienced rando volunteer power, RBA emeritus Tom Rosenbauer lent a hand as well.

Alongside the usual group of veteran randonneurs, there were five totally new RUSA members doing their first randonneuring event ever.  It shows the right stuff to pick such a difficult course for your first brevet, and their results showed they were up to the challenge.

The five new riders were Seth Hallam, Steve Handleman, Brad Layman, Angela Martinez, Michael Panzitta, and Garrett Redmond.   Welcome to Randonneuring!

Four of the five new riders finished well within the time limit to become freshly minted randonneurs.  The one exception was Steve Handleman, who was riding very well, but abandoned in comradeship with ailing Iwan Barankay so he could drive Iwan home to Philly. To accomplish this good deed,  Steve rode back from the Macungie control to fetch his car. That means he rode back over the mountain at Chestnut Hill, and back over the mountain at Applebutter. Clearly Steve is a very strong rider who knows the rando maxim that just because you've abandoned the ride doesn't mean you stop riding. Well done Steve! I expect we'll see you clip in and easily complete your first brevet very soon.

Another of those freshly minted randonneurs, Seth Hallam, unleashed an incredible ride,  zooming  up and down those 9000 feet of climbing and 125 miles of road (and gravel) in an incredible 7:47 (think 747 jetliner speed). This smashed the course record by almost an hour.  Former record holder Chris Magliari was also in the field. Chris beat his previous record as well, but was about 10 minutes slower than Seth. If Magliari didn't stop and take pictures all the time, who knows what the result would have been!?

One of the many interesting sights on the Pagoda 200K captured by Chris Magliari

Karl Chen writes...

Thanks Chris for organizing this great brevet.  The scenery was amazing.  The cuesheet cues were A+.  This was the most challenging ride I've done to date.  And it is good preparation for a more challenging one, training both legs and logistical skills.

George Retseck writes...

A great day on the bike thanks to the tireless volunteers who made it happen! Thank You!!

Tom Rosenbauer writes...

Thanks for putting on another top-notch event this past weekend.  It was great meeting up with the riders at the finish, both familiar and new.  I'm looking forward to riding this course some time, and have put that on my bucket list.

The Pagoda 200K is the first brevet in our 2021 Super Randonneuring series. The remaining events are the May 1st 300K,  May 22nd 400K, and June 5th 600K brevets.  Details about these and all other Pennsylvania Randonneurs events  is available on the club website. 

Pagoda 200K (update)

***Update 1:

A second pre-ride of the Pagoda 200K was conducted by Steve Schoenfelder on Saturday 10 April. While most of the course was still in fine shape, Steve discovered that the Turkey Hill in Coopersburg has locked its doors. It's unclear if this is a temporary or permanent shutdown. Nevertheless, we have altered the course and moved the Coopersburg control to the Exxon / Dunkin' up the street. 

Steve also scouted a somewhat better approach to the finish control. After crossing the 25th street bridge high over the Lehigh River, make the first right into the Easton Children's Home private drive. Then after the speed bumps, make a quick right onto the bike trail connector. This is a steep and short downhill section. Go slow.  Then almost immediately T sharp left onto the D&L Trail which leads directly to the iron bridge into Hugh Moore Park. This route through the Children's Home avoids the left turn across 25th street which can be a little troublesome when traffic is heavy. 

The Cue Sheet and RWGPS route have been updated with these changes. The latest cues are version 3 and the latest RWGPS route was last modified 2021-04-10 19:52:13 EDT. These are available from the GPS/Cuesheet link on the event page.

 

Original Post:

Last year, the  Pagoda 200K was a somber affair. It was the last brevet organized by PA Randonneurs before the Great COVID Pandemic shut down our sport of Randonneuring for many months. To add insult to injury, the congenial start/finish at the Cask brew pub was made doubly impossible when Cask closed its doors permanently that month. 

Fortunately, a year later things are feeling a lot more optimistic.  Pennsylvania Randonneurs is are able to offer this great event again in April 2021 to kick off our full ACP sanctioned Super Randonneuring series of 200, 300, 400, and 600K brevets. Information and online registration is available for all these events.

For the 2021 edition of the Pagoda 200K, the start/finish has been moved to the outdoor pavilion at the National Canal Museum in Hugh Moore Park, Easton, PA. Socially distanced food will be available both at the start and finish. Water and snacks will be available at the Pagoda control, roughly the midpoint of the course. The plan is to have coffee and breakfast stuff at the start, and a BBQ at the finish with burgers (veggie or beef) and other goodies. All other controls are info controls, so if you don't want to enter a convenience store, you don't have to. 

Spectacular scenery (and hills) near Huff's Church.

 

The scenery on the Pagoda 200K is spectacular. All cyclists know the word "scenic" is code for hilly, and the Pagoda certainly has both scenery and hills in abundance. Although there are steep and sustained climbs from the beginning to end of the route, most riders find that the relentless rollers in the last third of the course, starting soon after Daniel Boone, are the most taxing. Try to remember that there is a 12 mile descent starting at around mile 105, including a long, slightly downhill rail-trail segment, where you can rest and recover to prepare for the last grunt to get over South Mountain at Countryside. Since the start/finish location is at the river, once over Countryside, it's an easy 5 mile coast to the finish. You can do this! 

Course Notes -- 

A pre-ride was conducted on 5 April by Chris Nadovich. As a result of the pre-ride, several small course updates and typo corrections were made to the cues. The latest cue sheet is Version 2, and the latest RWGPS route was modified 2021-04-5 22:36:30 EDT. Both are available online.

Other course notes are as follows:

• There were no road closures or detours seen anywhere on the course. 
• Roads were largely clean of winter debris. The one exception was the approach to the Pagoda on Skyline Drive. The weird, right-side but ride-on-the-left "bike lane" is littered with sticks, rocks, and broken glass. It's OK to use this bike lane for the climb when moving slow, but I would consider using the real vehicle lane for the fast descents just before the Pagoda. Whatever you do, use caution.  
• The condition of the Schuylkill Trail was good. I saw no mud and most of the surface was quite smooth. There were very few soft spots. 
• The short cut through the Little Wunder Street alley in Reading has been eliminated.  Instead we navigate to Cherry St without having to dodge toilet seats and piles of syringes. The pay phone is still there on the corner, if anyone needs it -- otherwise just ride on by.
• When you do get to Cherry St via 10th, be aware it's a very small alley at that point, easy to miss. Look for the upside-down one-way sign dangling above the entrance. Cherry St has several stop-signs at intersections with cross traffic and limited view distance. Please stop at all the signs and look both ways. 
• If the weather is nice, there are several interesting pubs on Cherry that have some outdoor seating.    
• Although it's easiest, navigation wise, at the Danial Boone park loop road to follow the signs to the Visitor's Center control, and then follow the signs back out to the Exit at the road, you can actually save considerable distance on the exit by starting a second lap of the loop road and then exiting at the locked gate about a quarter of the way around. Of course, if you miss that gate exit, you'll end up doing a bonus loop.
  
• The Saucon Rail trail is also smooth and clean, but there are a few sections of softer gravel that those of you with skinny tires might find to be somewhat squirrely. Again, use caution.  
• The course has many fast, twisty descents. Please don't ride faster than your guardian angel. 

 

Ride Report: Portland Paxinosa 200K

 

After a rough February with snow and ice causing the cancellation of our R12 event for the month, everyone was ready to ride their bike on a sunny day in March.  It wasn't particularly warm, but it was sunny and a lot warmer than it was in February.  Of those that clipped in at the start/finish at Portland, PA, all 21 of 21 completed the whole course within the time limit for a 100% completion rate.  Congratulations to all!  Preliminary results have been posted on the website.  Please review the results and let me know if they align with your memory.  The results will be submitted to RUSA after review and will become official once certified.

As it turned out, the closure of NPS615 and State St had little impact on the riders. Although a detour alternative was offered (and pre-ridden, see below),  all riders I spoke to reported that they chose to simply brave the "tilted barn" on NPS615, and the construction gear on State Street. Much ado about nothing, it seems.

Still tilted on the day of the ride.

Kudos and thanks go to Jimmy Aspras who volunteered to check out the course Friday afternoon/evening before the event. Finishing up a little before midnight, Jimmy grabbed some sleep in his car, and officiated the start at 6AM.  It should also be noted Jimmy's pre-ride of the course scouted both NPS615 alternative detours (one of them hilly, the other upaved and still somewhat snow covered) in the dark. He did all this riding on a fixed gear fat bike.  This is rando!  

Thanks also to Tom Rosenbauer who assisted at the Paxinosa control (Sue Proulx's control sign still serving us well... but where were the brownies?!?), and to Bill Olsen who staffed the finish control for the first few hours.

I'm always impressed when a new randonneur turns up at a tough Winter brevet for their first-ever 200K. This is exactly what Jeremy Sieg did, finishing the difficult course with such aplomb that you'd think he's been doing this stuff for many years. Welcome to randonneuring Jeremy! Clearly you have what it takes.

 

Riders puzzled over the info control question in Wind Gap. The correct answer was "too many".

Iwan Barankay writes...

What a spectacular brevet today. Fantastic scenery and I loved the secret control at your home. So nice to see Tom Rosenbauer there - a bonus surprise. Coffee taste so great and I was impressed to see Lara bars, a true upgrade yet a departure from classic Payday.  The hills kept coming but they were gentle and I think  the cool temperatures made climbing easier. I stuck to the route to go past the "leaning barn" which was still standing and I enjoyed that empty stretch of  road which compensated for the somewhat busy River Rd sections. I wanted to  burn through all the controls since I brought all my foods and drinks with me (including half a gallon of Gatorade balanced on my aero bars with slender    rubber bands) but no Hercules could resist the calls of the pies and Walnut bread at the penultimate control. Looking forward to the next one. Oh and last bit not least thanks also to Jimmy Aspras for sending us off at the start.

Iwan's special Gatorade reservoir attachment technology

Portland Paxinosa 200K (update)

*** Update 2:

It appears that a "tilted barn" is the hazard that has caused 10 miles of NPS615 to be closed just past the right turn in Flatbrookville at the T-right mile 75.2 at the base of the newly paved Old Mine Road descent. You can read the news story here.  The barn in question is at mile 79.2 of the route. During the pre-ride, this tilted barn did not impede passage of a bicycle on NPS 615, but riders should consider the risk of the situation. 

Tilted barn that has NPS 615 closed for 10 miles.

The official detour is to T-left at mile 75.2 and to stay on Old Mine Road around the other side of the mountain. This routing is not that much longer than the official route and maybe only slightly hillier.  It's a perfectly nice detour and you can't go wrong by taking it.

 

***Update 1:

The info control in Blairstown (mi 65.5) at Dale's Market was not correctly highlighted on the cue sheet.  This has been corrected in version 4 of the cuesheet.   Be aware that there is a control in Blairstown, NJ at Dale's Market.

 

Original Post:

This is a classic tour of the the Delaware Water "Gaps", both the namesake "big water gap" between Mt Minsi and Mt Tatamy, and the "mini water gap" at the Paxinosa ridge.  The route extends all the way north to Dingman's Ferry, and as far south as Easton, PA, hugging the Delaware River most of the way. 

Eating any of these pies is not required.

 

The route start/finish is at the center of this figure-8 course, allowing you to resupply from your car at the halfway point if you prefer not to enter any business for food/drink, like, for example you won't need to enter the Hainsville General Store that specializes in Home Made Pies. No need to do that.  All controls are either staffed or are Info controls.

This version of the route is now on all paved roads. Even the infamous Old Mine Rd that lay in ruin for decades has now been resurfaced. 

 

The Walpack Inn is Out

A pre-ride was conducted on 3 March by Chris Nadovich. As a result of observations on that pre-ride the course cues have been revised. The latest cuesheet is version 3 and the RWGPS was last modified 2021-03-4 10:24:09 EST. 

Course Notes:

It's still winter on Marshfield Drive, so this gravel climb (and the gravel descent on Shady Lane) have been deleted from the course. There in no longer any unpaved road on the course. And a major climb has been eliminated. On the downside, the course is now 2 miles longer, but those miles are all flat and pretty. 

Most of the winter debris has been cleared from the roads. Most.   The Old Mine descent was smooth but sticky. Look out for sticks and rocks on the shoulders, especially on 611 South out of Water Gap. Some riders will hit this stretch of 611 at dusk, when the debris will be harder to see. 

There was a lot of black ice during the first hour of the pre-ride when temperatures were near 20F.  The weather should be warmer on the day of the event, but definitely keep a lookout for black ice at the start and end of the ride if the temperature is below freezing. There is a lot of snow melting on the shoulders leaving puddles that freeze over at night. 

There are two "Closed Roads" on the course as of the pre-ride inspection date. These both bear special discussion. 

Mile 54.4 -- The first possible blockage is just before returning to Portland at the crossover point. The old State St bridge -- a 100 year old bridge that was in disrepair and closed to traffic for the last decade, inconveniencing no one,  has suddenly become a priority to repair. (?) The course does not cross this bridge, but there is now a collection of parked cars, dumpsters, rebar, and construction equipment blocking the end of Jacoby Creek Rd.  As of the date of the pre-ride it was possible to thread one's way, on foot (watch your step!), through all this junk and emerge safely onto State Street beyond the bridge construction.  If, for some reason, this clutter transit is not possible for you (or you want to avoid it), backtrack to Middle Village Rd, which takes you over to 611 (Traffic!), turn left (northbound), then follow signs for 611 Portland, then left on River Road to rejoin the route with hardly any bonus miles.

Mile 75.2 -- This blockage presents more imagined psychological terror than concrete fear of tripping over construction gear. At the base of the freshly re-paved Old Mine Rd descent, the course does a T-right. As of the date of the pre-ride, there's a sign to the right that says: Closed to Through Traffic.  If you choose to ignore this sign and make the right turn anyway, you'll ride for about 10 miles in quiet, trafficless solitude, wondering if you will encounter a blockage or hazard that will turn you around. During the pre-ride there were a few snow drifts that made it partway across the lane, and a section of telephone wire that was rather "droopy" crossing the road, but other than the "Road Closed" signs, nothing seemed to impede traffic. No bridges were under construction. No trees were down. No rock slides. Nothing. That having been said, the real terror is that you'll ride about 8-9 miles and find you do need to turn around. If that happens, the only choice is to ride all the way back to mile 75.2 and now go left, rather than right, at the base of the descent. That will take you around the other side of the mountain on Old Mine Rd -- a perfectly good route -- that rejoins the course at Blevans Rd (mile  84.9) for a possible 20 bonus miles. The pre-ride based recommendation is to think positive, turn right, and follow the usual route passed the Road Closure sign to enjoy that beautiful, quiet road. But if you can't stand the thought of possibly needing a 20 mile backtrack/detour, you can turn left at the base of the descent and enjoy the alternative route that is a little longer and hillier (but not much more) than the main route.