Dear Friends,
We're not scheduling our customary Weekend Rides this weekend because the DC Randonneurs Frederick 400K brevet is scheduled for this Saturday, May 21, starting at 4:00 a.m. from the Hampton Inn on Opossumtown Pike in Frederick.
The cue sheet and GPS files for the brevet are posted at http://dcrand.org/blog/2011/05/17/cue-sheet-and-gps-files-for-may-21-frederick-400k-acp-brevet/. Registration will be open at the Hampton Inn on Friday from 6-8PM and Saturday from 3-4AM. Be sure to follow the parking instructions and do NOT park at the Hampton Inn unless you are a paying guest. Park instead at the farthest lot of the Pediatric Center across Taney Rd from the Hampton entrance. (Same place we parked for the 300K.) Please bring your bike with attached lights and your reflective gear to registration so they can be inspected.
Here's the official DCR ride description:
The Maryland 400K provides plenty of training opportunities (read: hills). Traveling through four states, it forms a clockwise semi-circle to the southwest, west and northwest of Frederick.
Starting at 4AM from the Hampton Inn and Suites on Opossumtown Pike in Frederick, Maryland, riders head south along the base of and then cross Catoctin Ridge and then the Potomac into Virginia from Brunswick, Maryland. Climbing up to Lovettesville, they continue south to Airmont and then tackle the climb over the Blue Ridge at Snickers Gap. Just east of Berryville, the route turns north and enters West Virginia, traversing mostly level terrain - and many railroad tracks - to Shepherdstown, where several excellent brunch possibilities exist. Riders then head northwest, remaining in West Virginia and following the Potomac, climbing and descending to and from the many creek bottoms before crossing the Potomac back into Maryland and a control in Hancock. A tough climb up to Tollgate Ridge and series of rollers in the orchards north of town bring the riders into Pennsylvania and the beautiful Little Cove Creek valley. Heading north, they traverse an endless march of rolling hills to a final slow climb halfway up Tuscarora Mountain. There is a fast descent to Cove Gap and then a few more rollers before a short breather north of Mercersburg. The hills return in earnest through the orchards and farmland around Edenville. After the Cumberland Valley Business Park, the trip to Newville and Big Spring follows less rigorous terrain through Amish farms. After refueling and relaxing at Kane's Subs in Newville, riders will encounter the final climbs through the Michaux State Forest and the truly popular descent into Gettysburg. Just south of Gettysburg, riders pick up the last 40 miles of the 300K route to return to Frederick.
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We hope to have a full schedule of rides for next weekend!
Crista
