Eastern PA 300K / 200K
Water Gap
Saturday May 2, 2009
Water Gap
Saturday May 2, 2009
General Info
This ride is a randonneur style event sanctioned by RUSA and ACP. Choose between an ACP sanctioned 300k or RUSA sanctioned 200k course.
First time riding with PA Randonneurs? Read an overview of what to expect on your first PA brevet. All participants are obliged to follow the rules for riders as well as PA and NJ vehicle laws. Unlike organized century rides, the course will not be marked -- riders will need to navigate with a cue sheet.
Start/Finish Location
Weisel Youth Hostel
7347 Richlandtown Road
Quakertown, PA
(215) 536-8749
DIRECTIONS
Traveling far? Friday night accommodations are available at the hostel. Make reservations on the registration form. Several chain hotels are also available in nearby Quakertown.
Registration
Mail Registration Form -or- Register On-Line
Pre-registration required.
All riders must sign waiver
New for 2009:
No more surcharges for on-line registration!
$5 discount for PA Club Members
Event runs rain or shine.
Refund policy: 90% before event. 50% for no-show
Schedule
4:00AM Sign-in, Bike Inspection, Breakfast Buffet
4:50AM Rider meeting
5:00AM Riders depart (20 hr. time limit)
Daylight hours: 5:58 AM - 7:58 PM
Post Ride
Showers available at the hostel -- bring your own towel. Join us for pizza/pasta and share your epic stories, tales, and goals for the coming year. Relax in the hostel's comfortable great room or porch. A dormatory in the hostel is available to rest before traveling home.
This ride is a randonneur style event sanctioned by RUSA and ACP. Choose between an ACP sanctioned 300k or RUSA sanctioned 200k course.
First time riding with PA Randonneurs? Read an overview of what to expect on your first PA brevet. All participants are obliged to follow the rules for riders as well as PA and NJ vehicle laws. Unlike organized century rides, the course will not be marked -- riders will need to navigate with a cue sheet.
Start/Finish Location
Weisel Youth Hostel
7347 Richlandtown Road
Quakertown, PA
(215) 536-8749
DIRECTIONS
Traveling far? Friday night accommodations are available at the hostel. Make reservations on the registration form. Several chain hotels are also available in nearby Quakertown.
Registration
Mail Registration Form -or- Register On-Line
Pre-registration required.
All riders must sign waiver
New for 2009:
No more surcharges for on-line registration!
$5 discount for PA Club Members
Event runs rain or shine.
Refund policy: 90% before event. 50% for no-show
Schedule
4:00AM Sign-in, Bike Inspection, Breakfast Buffet
4:50AM Rider meeting
5:00AM Riders depart (20 hr. time limit)
Daylight hours: 5:58 AM - 7:58 PM
Post Ride
Showers available at the hostel -- bring your own towel. Join us for pizza/pasta and share your epic stories, tales, and goals for the coming year. Relax in the hostel's comfortable great room or porch. A dormatory in the hostel is available to rest before traveling home.
Ride Description (updated 3/15/09)
The Water Gap edition of the PA300 combines the Classic and Hawk's Nest editions of prior years. This year's edition of the Water Gap 300k is similar to the 2008 edition, except we'll head north on the PA side of the Delaware Water Gap Recreation area and return back on the NJ side.
Taking advantage of the light traffic in the early morning hours, we head directly through Bethlehem towards the first controle stop in Danielsville -- this is just a post card drop, so if you need to top off your supplies, be sure to stop at the convenience stores along the way. We then make our first crossing over the Applachian Trail at Little Gap. After an exhilarating descent past the Blue Mountain Ski resort, we follow the valley road which offers spectacular views of the mountain ridge off to our right. The 200k riders will split off and head over Wind Gap and past Lake Minsi to Portland while the 300k riders will continue on into Cherry Valley and the controle stop in Water Gap. From Water Gap, we head north along River Road along the NJ side of the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area, crossing at Dingmans Ferry to the PA side of the park for the return trip south back to Water Gap. But first we'll make a controle stop at the Layton General store which has been re-opened under new management. We make our next crossing of the Appalachian Trail, this time, along the I-80 bridge pedestrian walk way (where we actually ride on the trail).
After a controle stop in Water Gap, we follow the Delaware river down through Portland where the 300k and 200k routes converge and cross back into NJ and head over to Hope and points beyond which include several challenging climbs. After a controle stop at the pizzeria in Great Meadows, we have one more challenging ridge to cross before we head down to Asbury, Bloomsbury and on to Riegelsville following along the Muscenetcong river valley. We return to PA at Riegelsville where we pick up Rt611 and Rt412 enroute to the straight shot back to the hostel along the shores of Lake Nockamixon.
There are several steep, extended climbs. A triple or 39x27 is highly recommended.
The Water Gap edition of the PA300 combines the Classic and Hawk's Nest editions of prior years. This year's edition of the Water Gap 300k is similar to the 2008 edition, except we'll head north on the PA side of the Delaware Water Gap Recreation area and return back on the NJ side.
Taking advantage of the light traffic in the early morning hours, we head directly through Bethlehem towards the first controle stop in Danielsville -- this is just a post card drop, so if you need to top off your supplies, be sure to stop at the convenience stores along the way. We then make our first crossing over the Applachian Trail at Little Gap. After an exhilarating descent past the Blue Mountain Ski resort, we follow the valley road which offers spectacular views of the mountain ridge off to our right. The 200k riders will split off and head over Wind Gap and past Lake Minsi to Portland while the 300k riders will continue on into Cherry Valley and the controle stop in Water Gap. From Water Gap, we head north along River Road along the NJ side of the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area, crossing at Dingmans Ferry to the PA side of the park for the return trip south back to Water Gap. But first we'll make a controle stop at the Layton General store which has been re-opened under new management. We make our next crossing of the Appalachian Trail, this time, along the I-80 bridge pedestrian walk way (where we actually ride on the trail).
After a controle stop in Water Gap, we follow the Delaware river down through Portland where the 300k and 200k routes converge and cross back into NJ and head over to Hope and points beyond which include several challenging climbs. After a controle stop at the pizzeria in Great Meadows, we have one more challenging ridge to cross before we head down to Asbury, Bloomsbury and on to Riegelsville following along the Muscenetcong river valley. We return to PA at Riegelsville where we pick up Rt611 and Rt412 enroute to the straight shot back to the hostel along the shores of Lake Nockamixon.
There are several steep, extended climbs. A triple or 39x27 is highly recommended.
300K: Cue sheet and Map/Profile (revised 3/15)
200K: Cue sheet and Map/Profile (revised 3/15)
Registered Riders
Message Board
Preliminary Results
Ride Report
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300k Historical Records
May 10, 2008 Results Ride Report
April 21, 2007 Results Ride Report
June 10, 2006 Results
"Classic" Course Record: 12:32 Nate Morgenstern
"Hawk's Nest" Course Record: 12:42 Nate Morgenstern
May 10, 2008 Results Ride Report
April 21, 2007 Results Ride Report
June 10, 2006 Results
"Classic" Course Record: 12:32 Nate Morgenstern
"Hawk's Nest" Course Record: 12:42 Nate Morgenstern