ok, ok

Thursday May 28, 2009 by Terri Gooch

I know I said that I would post the route book for the new route as soon as we received our permits from ODOT and the Forest Service…..I KNOW. But then three weeks ago we had to drive the route to get ready for camp – and then two weeks ago we rode the route again with the RAO Training Camp – since all of the Forest roads were still snow covered we had to take a few detours. George and I talked seriously of making some radical changes to the route – giving it a much easier start for instance by going out the old Columbia Highway to the Dalles (ok, ask the campers how easy that was with the howling cross wind the first day….Martha said it was her worst day on a bike, ever….that’s pretty bad)

Well the one change that seems to have stuck is one that leaves out FR53 out of Ukiah – instead we will stay on 395S until Long Creek where we will turn right onto 402. We will retrace the RAO route from that lonely intersection – instead of taking the forest road and doubling back on a portion of the route before we turned toward Hardman and Spray. This section of 395 is probably the most beautiful spot on the entire 395 highway. Of course most racers will be on it at night….figures.

George and I are headed out on the route again this weekend to drive and ride it all again – yes AGAIN…. I’ve already got my change request into ODOT and it looks good for the approval. I’ve also received notice that 395 will be chipsealed or re-chipped this month – but all should be finished by June 30. I just hope the road gets enough traffic to get the excess off the shoulder by race time.

Thanks everyone for your patience while we sort out the new route – it’s much harder than I anticipated changing things up like this…everyone on camp agreed however that the new route is expectational in it’s beauty and remote-ness. I guess I might have to steal the 508’s tag line – cause we’re really going to be ‘out there’


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