Sunday ride, July 31, 2011 - Conococheague Creek Crawler

Dear Friends,

We do have a ride for Sunday, and if it gets really steamy out there we can always jump in the creek for relief!

Please download and print out your own cue sheet and GPS file for Sunday's ride directly from the DCCenturyRides blog, http://dccenturyrides.blogspot.com/

Just click on "Cue Sheets" (on the left side of the page), and you'll find them there!  When you open a pdf file, just click on "Print" to print the cue sheet.  If you're unable to print the cue sheet yourself, let me know and I'll bring a hard copy to the ride start for you.  I won't be bringing extra copies of cue sheets to the ride start unless you email me directly and advise me that you're unable to print out your own.

Here's the scoop:

SUNDAY, JULY 31, 2011

"THE CONOCOCHEAGUE CREEK CRAWLER," starting from Springfield Middle School, Williamsport, Maryland.  MEETING TIME 7:30 am.  This ride heads north through rolling Cumberland Valley farmland into Franklin County, Pa.  You'll have many opportunities to "bond" with the meandering Conococheague Creek throughout the ride, and we'll have a leisurely lunch stop at Arturo's in Quincy.  On the return route we will ride through the Martin's Mill Covered Bridge http://william-king.www.drexel.edu/top/bridge/CBMartin.HTML and cross the old stone Wilson Bridge over Conococheague Creek http://www.washco-md.net/slideshow/images/Wilson-1.jpg  (both closed to automobile traffic).  101 miles, with an 83-mile short option that still includes the lunch stop.  Estimated elevation gain 5500 feet.

 

Here are directions to the ride start:

 

SPRINGFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL, 334 Sunset Avenue, WILLIAMSPORT, MARYLAND

From DC Beltway, take I-270 north approx. 32 miles to Frederick.  Take I-70 West to 81 south.  Take the Williamsport exit #2 onto US11 South.  Turn left onto S. Clifton Drive at the first traffic light.  In 0.8 mile the road turns right and becomes Sunset Avenue.  Springfield Middle School is 0.1 mile on the right.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Crista

Saturday Ride - RUSA 209K Permanent, "Four Presidents"

Dear Friends,

    

We're riding the "Four Presidents" RUSA Permanent on Saturday, starting from McDonald's in Shepherdstown, West Virginia at 07:00.  It's a very challenging 209K route (130 miles), beginning by heading northwest through Bedington, Sleepy Creek and New Hope on its way to Berkeley Springs.  Leaving Berkeley Springs, the route climbs up onto Horse Ridge and rides along the ridge for five miles before plunging down to the Potomac River, where it crosses into Hancock, Maryland.  The route then climbs up Tollgate Ridge into Fulton County, Pennsylvania, continuing to head north through the villages of Dickeys Mountain and Big Cove Tannery, to a lunch stop in McConnellsburg.  After lunch the route turns south as it climbs over Tuscarora Mountain, rewarding the rider at the top with spectacular views of many ridges to the west and followed by a delightful descent through the Buchanan State Forest into the Little Cove Valley.  Continuing south back into Maryland, the route picks up the Western Maryland Rail Trail at Little Pool for a few (3½) flat(!)  miles, and then follows US40 over Fairview Mountain into Clear Spring.  At last the terrain mellows out as the route passes through Williamsport and Sharpsburg on its way back to Shepherdstown.

The ride name "Four Presidents" pays homage to four US Presidents who played a role in shaping the rich history of the countryside through which the route travels:  George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln.

The scenery is truly spectacular and, in the words of Dr. deMento, "there's lots of downhill".  Estimated elevation gain ~ 10,000 feet.

RUSA rules require that all riders be RUSA members and officially registered for the permanent. If you'd like to join us you'll need to contact me as soon as possible, preferably today but NO LATER THAN THURSDAY MORNING, to request registration and release forms.  I'll then email those forms to you and you'll need to print them out, complete them, and email the registration form and SIGNED release form back to me by Friday morning.  Then I'll email the control card and cue sheet to you and you'll need to print those out for yourselves.  Please be sure that you've read and understand all the information regarding riding a RUSA permanent, available on the Permanents page of the RUSA website, www.rusa.org, before registering for the permanent.  Note:  If you haven't registered for the permanent, please do not show up at the ride start to "come along for the ride," as it's against RUSA rules for anyone who is not officially registered to ride with those riding the permanent. 

We'd love to share the experience with you!

Crista

 

 

Weekend Rides, July 9 & 10, 2011

Dear Friends,

We're back in business and have two rides scheduled for this coming weekend.

Please download and print out your own cue sheet for Saturday's ride directly from the DCCenturyRides blog, http://dccenturyrides.blogspot.com/

Just click on "Cue Sheets" (on the left side of the page), and you'll find it there!  When you open a pdf file, just click on "Print" to print the cue sheet.  If you're unable to print the cue sheet yourself, let me know and I'll bring a hard copy to the ride start for you.  I won't be bringing extra copies of cue sheets to the ride start unless you email me directly and advise me that you're unable to print out your own.  I haven't had time to make up a GPS file but I still have a few highlighted printed maps left from the "good ol' days" and I'll bring them to the ride start.

SATURDAY, JULY 9, 2011

"THE PURCELLVILLE PRANCE," starting from Municipal Parking Lot A, Warrenton, Virginia.  **MEETING TIME 7:30 a.m.**  A classic horse country ride with hills-a'plenty but no major climbs.  We'll hit most of the usual horsey set locales, including The Plains, Middleburg, Mountville, Purcellville, Round Hill, Airmont, and Marshall, and we may even encounter a fox hunt in progress!  Lunch at Mom's Place in Purcellville.  Elevation gain ~ 7500 feet.  100 miles with short options of 55, 69, and 84 miles.

 

We hope to finish the ride and get down to the Hampton Inn in time to cheer in our buddies who will be riding the DCR "Firefly 400K" brevet Friday night and Saturday. For information regarding the brevet, please visit the DC Randonneurs website, www.dcrand.org.

 

Directions to the ride start:

WARRENTON MUNICIPAL PARKING LOT A

From DC Beltway, take I-66 west 21 miles to Exit 43A (Gainesville/Warrenton).  South on US29 for 11.5 miles where road forks near Warrenton.  Bear right at split, taking Warrenton exit (Bus. US29/15).   In about 0.8 miles turn left on Blackwell Rd (Sheetz on right at this intersection).  Continue straight on Alexandria Pike and at the top of the hill bear right onto Waterloo Street, then make a quick left onto Ashby Street.  Cross Lee St. and continue straight into Municipal Lot A.

 

 

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SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2011

 

On Sunday, we'll be riding the "RaceyataRocco's" RUSA 165K (103 miles) permanent populaire, starting at 8:00 a.m. from the Roy Rogers in Frederick, Maryland.  The route is an easy out-and-back jaunt over gently rolling Maryland and Pennsylvania countryside to our dearly beloved Rocco's in East Berlin. You MUST be a RUSA member and officially registered for the permanent in order to ride.   Because of the short time-fuse, If you'd like to join us you'll need to contact me by NO LATER THAN THURSDAY to request a registration form and release form.  I'll then email those forms to you and you'll need to print them out, complete them, and email the EXECUTED forms back to me by Friday morning.  Then I'll email the control card and cue sheet to you and you'll need to print those out for yourselves.  Please be sure that you've read and understand all the information regarding riding a RUSA permanent, available on the Permanents page of the RUSA website, www.rusa.org, before registering for the permanent.  Note:  If you haven't registered for the permanent, please do not show up at the ride start to "come along for the ride," as it's against RUSA rules for anyone who is not officially registered to ride with those riding the permanent. 

Crista