Yes folks, our last event for the 2007 season will take place next Sunday.
I finalized the route today, and am happy to report that while a few changes have been made, seasoned hill-climbers should still find plenty of exercise to their taste.
We will start from the GWB bus station in Manhattan at 7h00am, like for the Spring event. The venue proved popular and practical, and the fact that it virtually eliminates riding through the City seems to have attracted a good few riders from across the water. So if it ain't broke, why trying to change it?
Good news is that for the moment, it looks like the South Path will be open on the George Washington Bridge, and that means no stairs to walk. I am keeping fingers tightly crossed...
Stage 1 uses the traditional route over Rt 501 to Piermont then Nyack for a gentle warm-up, after what real works starts on the back-roads leading to 9W and the Hudson valley. Controle # 2 comes at mile 35, earlier than on former editions so you are warmly recommended to start on time if you don't want to miss the cut-off at that controle. The controle place is a pleasant restaurant-cum-deli located in Stony Point, it shouldn't be too difficult for their food to beat my back-of-the-trunk roadside service of last Fall.
You then continue along the river till Bear Montain State Park, where you leave 9W and start the long and gradual ascent over the eponymous mountain. New this Fall, the route leads you up Perkins Drive for an Info Controle at the summit, where great views await (and maybe a bit of breath catching too). Thank you for taking it easy in the descent, chances are there will be some traffic and the road is not that wide.
Then the usual route resumes over Seven Lakes Drive and up to the rotary where you leave the main road and enter Arden Valley Road, in my opinion the highlight of this event. If it were not for the road, you would be forgiven to think that you are riding through genuine primeval forest never touched by man. Civilization returns as you reach Rt 17, and civilized miles indeed await along Rt 17 to Monroe. Yes folks, I traded the extra climbing up Perkins Drive (2 miles long, at about 8% average) against the abandon of the infamous roller-coaster along Orange Turnpike. Who says RBAs are sadists?
The tried-and-tested Crossroads Cafe will be looking forward to serving you at the mid-point controle in Monroe, and by then you might be looking forward to it too. Climbing resumes just afterwards, then a succession of easy sections and short, steep climbs leads you to Rt 106 and the long and classic ascent(s) through Harriman State Forest. Once at the top, the usual route brings you to Congers for the penultimate controle at Angelo's Pizza. And then, it's again familiar territory over 9W, through Nyack and Piermont, and 9W again to Englewood Cliffs followed by back roads back to the bridge. There is just a small novelty, you will have to visit Nyack Beach State Park so to be able to claim your 200k distance - 200 kilometers exactly at my odometer.
It seems that this Indian summer might have delayed foliage colour change a bit, there was still a lot of green around today. But at that time of the year things can change very quickly, so I guess you will have more colours next Sunday.
As of today we have 15 pre-registered riders, so there is room for a few more. Let me remind that lighting and reflective clothing are required on this event.