RAO Route
Route Map:
Route Profile:
Download a pdf copy of the 2008 Route Book (requires the freely-available Adobe Reader.)
*Download the 2008 RAO Route for Delorme Street Atlas*
David Bradley has made a copy of the 2008 route available for those of you with Delorme Street Atlas … just like RAAM.
A word of warning from David: Street Atlas will reroute the course off of Forest Rd 48 if you allow it to recalculate the route!!! If that happens you can never get it back! Also the exact placement of the TS in Maupin and Prineville may be off a block or so.
As always, use this at your own risk, the only thing we can guarantee is the accuracy of the official route book (above).
*Download the 2005 RAO course for your Computrainer* (these are large 2+MB files): 3d or pc1
General course description:
Start to Time Station #1
Maupin, OR (mile 120.0): This section of the course is identical to last year. RAO will start at the Portland Airport Holiday Inn. After following the bike path to Marine Drive the course goes under I-84 and enters Troutdale. The neutral start ends here and the racing begins as you head up the steep hills toward Hwy 26. Relay riders must ride the first 20 miles without an exchange.
Follow vehicles are not allowed until the route turns onto Hwy 26. Hwy 26 is in excellent condition. The shoulder is wide and once through the town of Sandy there won’t be much traffic. Rolling hills continue to Rhododendron which finds you at the base of your first major climb – Mt. Hood (elevation 3995 feet). The 10 mile climb maintains a relatively easy 6% grade and has a great shoulder.
Lots of turnouts for relay exchanges make for some awesome early racing. At the summit, you’ll pass painfully close to the finish line but you’ll have to continue straight to Hwy 35. After a brief descent, the course crosses two more summits – Barlow (elevation 4161 feet) and Bennett (elevation 4647 feet) before starting that “incredibly wonderful rippin’ downhill”. There’s a hard right turn on FR 44 just past Little John Sno-Park. Climbing begins immediately and continues for 6 miles. 44 is fun. Little to no traffic, rolling hills and a long, fast descent to the outskirts of Dufur. There has been some new logging on FR 44, so be aware of the possiblity of logging trucks.
Bearing to the right of Dufur leads you to Hwy 197. 10 miles of steep rollers eventually top out at Tygh Summit (elevation 2,665 Feet). After a great 5 mile descent, continue straight through the flashing yellow light on 197S to Maupin, TS # 1. Do not go through Tygh Valley as in years past. After a brief flat section in the Valley you’ll face a 4 mile climb. The climb is worth it because in a few more miles you’ll begin a steep zig-zag descent into Maupin and TS #1.
Time Station #1 to Time Station #2
Fossil (mile 190.1): The Maupin Visitor’s Centre and the Maupin Chamber of Commerce have agreed to sponsor TS #1 again this year. While riders don’t have to stop, be sure a crew member calls or signs the racer into our only manned time station. The rider won’t be stopping as this fast descent into town is the only brief rest for quite some time -because, of course, racers have to climb out of the Deschutes River Valley. You accomplish this via the 25 mile climb up Bakeoven Road to Bakeoven Summit.
After a quick downhill from Bakeoven Summit (elevation 3516 feet), you’ll find yourself at a T intersection. A left turn takes you to the bustling metropolis of Shaniko…population 25…pick up Route 218 at Shaniko Stage Stop. This road is an absolute blast to ride. No traffic and some awesome hairpin descents. It’s 36 miles between Antelope and Fossil. There are no flat sections. ‘Nuff said.
Fossil to Time Station #3
Long Creek (mile 269.2): Relax your legs on the flats out of Fossil. About 5 miles out of town you’ll begin the 4 mile climb to Butte Creek Summit (elevation 3,788 feet). Begin a well earned 10 mile downhill to Service Creek and continue straight on Hwy 19 to Spray and Kimberly. At Kimberly the course turns left toward Monument and Long Creek on Rt 402. Terrain has been relatively flat from Service Creek and remains so to the town of Monument. This ends three miles past Monument when you begin a 10 mile climb. A 9 mile rolling downhill takes you to Long Creek and Time Station #3…You are halfway!
Long Creek to Time Station #4
Prineville (mile 404.8): This part is uh…scary. You immediately begin climbing when you turn right on 395. In five miles you reach one of the highest elevations of the race – an unnamed summit (elevation 5,075 feet). Two miles later you descend into Fox only to climb to another unnamed summit (elevation 4,687 feet). From here the course is, for the most part, either flat or rolling downhill to the town of Mt. Vernon where you’ll turn right on Hwy 26W. There is a long, flat to Dayville and the beautiful John Day Fossil Beds followed by a fairly intense climb to Keyes Creek Summit (elevation 4,369 feet). There is a fantastic 5.5 mile descent which will speed you past Mitchell. Ride the momentum as far as possible as you are about to ascend Ochoco Pass (elevation 4,720 feet). From Ochoco Summit you finally get a respite with 30 miles of downhill and flat to Prineville.
Prineville to Time Station #5
Timberline Drive/Hwy 26 at base of Mt. Hood (mile 529.9): From Prineville you’ve got 40 miles of flat riding to Madras. Whoops! That was 2005! Now the RAO route continues as such: Just after racing through downtown Prineville proper we will take Hwy 26 toward Madras/Portland. This section is about 12 miles shorter than the previous route to Madras, and offers less traffic. The course is what I would consider rolling through the Crooked River National Grasslands National Park. We re-join the old route at a right turn back onto RT 97 just before the city of Madras. In Madras you’ll rejoin Hwy 26 and after a short climb out of town begin a fast descent into the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. In Warm Springs you’ll pick up Route 3 – a sharp, steep right turn toward Ka-nee-Ta. Tough to see but use The Indian Head Casino Sign on the corner for your landmark. This is a desolate landscape with some really challenging climbs.
The descents in Warm Springs are hairy and are true markers of what lies ahead. Expect headwinds. A left turn on to Route 216 begins the climb to toward the eventual finish at the top of Mount Hood. The next 15 miles mark the change from high desert back to pine. Merge onto Route 26W and continue on for three miles to the right turn at Forest Road 43. This is not a well marked turn – follow the route book closely! After about 5.7 miles of rolling downhill, you arrive at a T intersection – turn left and begin a 8.8 mile section on Forest Road 48 toward White River Sno-Park and Hwy 35. While this section is a steady ascent, expect nothing over 7%. When you arrive at Hwy 35 turn left and enjoy a fast section that includes Barlow Pass (elevation 4161 feet) and a much safer merge with Hwy 26W. A moderate 2 mile climb takes you to Timberline Lodge Drive and TS #5.
Timberline Drive/Hwy 26 to Finish
Timberline Lodge: You have 5.5 miles to go. All of it up. The gradient varies but it’s a constant climb with no let up. There are good pull outs for relay exchanges. RAO does not have a no pass zone this year – the sprint finish line is at the top… Relay teams I hope to see some salami worthy racing, strategy and sportsmanship up these final miles. Solo riders…I don’t know what to say…though I’m sure you’ll have some choice words for me…