Saturday is the DC Randonneurs Urbana ACP Brevet, and it's an extremely scenic and challenging route. We'll follow up on Saturday with a fairly mellow ride in southern Maryland.
SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2010
DC RANDONNEURS URBANA ACP 200K BREVET, starting promptly at 7:00 a.m. from the Waffle House in Urbana, Maryland. Here is ride designer and organizer Lynn Kristianson's tantalizing ride description:
The Urbana 200k reverses direction this year, but quite likely will retain the same degree of difficulty and feet of climbing, if in a different order.
The brevet begins at the Urbana Waffle House (8906 Fingerboard Rd, Frederick, MD 21704). Checkin starts at 6am and the brevet starts at 7am. Get there early and have a hearty breakfast to carry you through the day! From Urbana, the route slides down to the Monocacy and across the valley to the first significant ridge of the Marlu appellation. After the fast descent to Jefferson, there are several creek crossings with the attendant downs and ups and then a fairly easy grade over South Mountain at Gapland.
Several hard rollers involving Antietam Creek and tributaries bring the riders to Sharpsburg and a short tour of Antietam Battlefield. The terrain moderates after this with a gradual rise out to Williamsport for a control at the KOA on the beautiful Conococheague Creek. The route then heads north and loops around Hagerstown on mostly rural roads to a control in State Line PA.
A long slow downhill into Leitersburg passes through dairy farms and across mill creeks until some very hard rollers appear outside of Smithsburg. Then there is the long arduous climb over South Mountain and Catoctin Ridge with a several false summits to keep things interesting. The Frederick county line commences the long descent through Catoctin State Park into Thurmont.
The route does a long flat haul eastward on MD 77 and turns south for a control at the 7-11 in Union Bridge. It will be a welcome break to prepare for the various hills - long and slow and short and steep - from Libertytown to Bartonsville Road. Cresting the last interminable uphill on Bartonsville, there is a brief pause to catch the view before a very long downhill along Reichs Ford Road. One last uphill on Ijamsville brings the riders back to Fingerboard and the final miles to the finish at J & P Pizza.
For more juicy details, visit the DC Randonneurs website, www.dcrand.org.***************************************************************
SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2010
"ST. LEONARD CENTURY," starting from Southern High School in Harwood, Maryland. Please note MEETING TIME is 7:45 a.m. (15 minutes later than our usual). A pleasant jaunt in southern Maryland, visiting scenic Lower Marlboro, the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, Chesapeake Beach, and the ever-lovely Fairhaven. Lunch in St. Leonard. 101 miles, with 57-mile and 77-mile short options.
Here are the directions to the ride start:
SOUTHERN HIGH SCHOOL, 4400 SOLOMONS ISLAND ROAD, HARWOOD, MARYLAND
From DC Beltway, go East on US50.
In about 11 miles, take exit 16 and go south on MD424 Davidsonville Rd.
In about 3.5 miles, cross MD214 in Davidsonville (MD424 becomes Birdsville Rd. )
In about 3 miles, go right on MD2 @T.
In about 2 miles, right into high school parking lot.
Please park in the large main parking lot, NOT in the small faculty lot.
Note: there are restrooms at the Citgo just south of the school at the intersection of MD2 and Harwood Rd.
Crista
202-365-3738
