2016 race across oregon route book and cue sheets

2016 Race Across Oregon

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Route Book and Cue Sheets

Table of Contents

Support Vehicle Route to Meet Racers ........................................... 2Start to TS-1, Almost Tygh Valley .................................................... 4TS 1 to TS 2, Moro .......................................................................... 6TS 3-TS 4, Almost Heppner ........................................................... 10TS 4-TS 5, Dale ............................................................................. 12TS 5-TS 6, Mt Vernon (Blue Mtn Mini Mart) .................................. 14TS 6-TS 7, Mitchell ........................................................................ 16TS 7-TS 8, Fossil ........................................................................... 18TS 8-TS 9, Imperial River Company .............................................. 20TS 9-TS 10, Near Petersburg ........................................................ 22TS 10-TS 11, Fairfield Inn .............................................................. 24Past RAO photos ........................................................................... 27


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SUPPORT VEHICLE ROUTE TO MEET RACERS Support vehicles are not allowed on the route for the first 28.2 miles. However, the support vehicles only have to drive 1.7 miles to reach the 28.2 mile mark of the race route, so you safely have time to cheer your racer as he/she starts out, then get gas, or other last minute supplies, maybe finish packing up and/or checking out. Maybe even have your last real meal for at least the next 30 hours or more. When you arrive at the support route, as you turn left onto 10th, zero your trip odometer. Find a good spot to pull over and wait for your racer to come by. From here to TS 1, you’ll now follow the racer’s cue sheet, using the “support mile” column for your mileage marks. Day One: There is no direct follow allowed on day 1, so leap frog support is mandatory from this point until 7PM, when mandatory direct follow night operations will be followed. Day Two: Beginning at 7 AM on Sunday morning crews may either direct follow or leap frog until 7 PM, when mandatory direct follow night operation will again be observed. Racers are generally safer when their support vehicle is behind them, but leaving your racer to get fuel or other supplies is allowed during the day. If leaving a racer for more than just a very short time, be sure they have basic supplies to fix a flat or other malady that may occur. The RAO course is remote, and you can’t rely on cell service for the racer to call for assistance. If you have any questions about how to support a racer, how to navigate the prescribed route, or any other race requirement that you may not be clear on, be sure to ask for clarification at the pre-race meeting. In the rolling hill country of NE Oregon it’s often hard to find someone to answer questions. Please note: This route book was prepared in March 2016, and the RAO route is subject to change before the race. Please check for updates at the pre-race meeting and/or communications from the Race Director about changes. If you have any questions, please ask for clarification.


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START TO TS-1, ALMOST TYGH VALLEY There will be a short parade start following a lead out rider before racing begins in earnest. Racers will climb up the Rowena Loops and over Rowena Crest. This segment has beautiful views of the Columbia Gorge and Columbia River, but racers will not have time to enjoy them if they intend to stay competitive. Racers will save some miles, and some climbing this year, by not going all the way down to Mosier. Instead racers will turn left on Marsh Cutoff Rd at mile 12.2.

At mile 13.0, (stop sign) racers will turn left and climb Seven Mile Hill, before descending back to The Dalles via a left at mile 21.7 (stop sign) on Chenowith Rd. At mile 22.3 racers will be joined by their crews who will begin providing leap frog support and navigation assistance. Upon exiting The Dalles the route turns south on Hwy 197 and climbs 2300 ft in the next 21.5 miles through rolling wheat fields up and away from the Columbia River. Racers will remain on Hwy 197 all the way to TS 1. At racer mile 49.4 (support mile 27.1) riders will summit Tygh Ridge then descend to the time station. Time Station 1 is at the yellow flashing light marking the intersection of Hwy 216 and Hwy 197. Racers and crew will turn left here toward Shearer’s Bridge and the Deschutes River.


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TS 1 TO TS 2, MORO This segment undulates up and down a bit for the first 5 miles with the White River to the right, but mostly out of sight, before dropping down to the Deschutes River. It is a fast descent with no sharp turns….. until you get to the bottom. When you see a railroad bridge over the road slow down because there is a 90 degree turn as you pass under the bridge. If you overcook the turn the best that will happen is a swim in the river… but you are not likely to make it over the guard rail and sharp boulders unscathed.

Be sure to stock your racer up on hydration at the wide spots in the road before crossing Shearer’s Bridge. The Grass Valley Climb (aka “Lauren’s Hill” after a 2010 RAO “Flying Aquarian” member who claimed this climb as her own and rocked it with a 10+ mph average…while riding in a skirt!) is likely to be warm and there is no stopping or support allowed from mile post 8 , just past Shearer’s Bridge, until mile post 13. Crews should take the opportunity to take in the sights at Sherar’s Falls while waiting for their racer to climb the 4.5 mile/1300 ft hill. Fishing at the falls is important to the Native American culture. Joseph Sherar moved here in 1871, improved the original bridge and 30 miles of road leading each direction. A post office stood here from 1868 to 1907, and again from 1922 to 1938. Joseph Sherar was postmaster from 1872 to 1883. Take some time to reflect on this site’s historical importance.


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After reaching Grass Valley turn right on Hwy 97. Crews should be sure their racer doesn’t miss the first left, Rutledge Rd, at mile 29.2, and the left on Lone Rock Rd at mile 35.6. From there on it is pretty straight forward following Lone Rock Rd all the way to Time Station 2, Moro.


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TS 2-TS 3, CONDON

Moro incorporated in 1899 and is the county seat of Sherman County. It’s the smallest county seat in Oregon. Moro is shrinking; the 2000 census listed the population at 337, and in 2010 it was listed as 324. Moro is noted for the national award winning Sherman County Historical Museum and for its numerous antique shops. Just north of Moro racers turn eastward on Monkland Ln. About 5 miles from Moro the route passes through Monkland. The post office here opened in 1886. Not much has happened here since the post office closed in 1919, the “town” did not participate in the 2010 census. At mile 6.3 racers bear left on Hay Canyon Rd, followed by a right turn at mile 9.0 onto Hwy 206. We will follow Hwy 206 until TS 4, nearly 75 mi. For the next several hundred miles RAO will be in the drainage of the John Day River and riding in and out of its various tributary canyons. The John Day River is the third longest river in the lower 48 states to not have a dam on its entire length. Because there are no dams, the flow fluctuates widely. The highest flow recorded was 43,300 cfs in January 1997, the lowest was 0 cfs on Sept 2nd, 1966 and again from Aug 15 to Sept 16, 1973. Much of the river has “Wild and Scenic River” designation and enjoys the protection that status offers. Hunting, fishing, boating, and biking are all popular here. Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Oregon’s newest, and at 8000 acres the second largest, is at mile 17, just before crossing the John Day River. For those in need, there are pit toilets at mile 17.4, on the left, just after you cross the John Day River at the bottom of a long descent. For those curious of which snow capped peaks you’ve been seeing, there is a “Mountain Identifier” monument at mile 25.7 on the left in a wide turnout. Condon is the County Seat of Gilliam County and has a population of 682. The downtown core is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The post office was opened in 1884. The main industry here, as one might expect, is farming and ranching. Time Station 3 will be at the stop sign in Condon where Hwy 206, and our route, make a right turn toward Heppner. It is strongly recommended that crews top off fuel at Fatland’s Tire Factory located right on the route, at the Time Station turn. (Just visible behind the stop sign in the photo on the facing page)


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TS 3-TS 4, ALMOST HEPPNER We continue on Hwy 206 toward Heppner dropping in and out of tributaries to the John Day River as we go. One of the biggest canyons is Rock Creek’s, with a thousand foot drop into it, and a daunting nearly 300 ft/mile climb back up the other side. Take good care of your racer, legs are tired, it’s likely to be hot, and this climb can take its toll…and there is more to come! We are passing through a sparsely populated region. At mile 25.9 we pass through Eightmile, post office founded in 1883 and closed in 1941 and at mile 32.6 we pass through Ruggs, today little more than a grain elevator and bird hunting destination. This segment ends with a 4 mile descent to Time Station 4, where the course takes a right turn onto Willow Creek Rd. If crews did not top off fuel in Condon, your last chance to do so is off route, about 2 miles ahead, in Heppner. If you are within mandatory direct follow hours (7 PM to 7 AM) your racer cannot continue without a follow vehicle and will need to wait for you to return to the course.

Willow Creek was the source of Oregon’s most deadly natural disaster. On June 14th, 1903, a thunderstorm caused a flash flood that caused the collapse of a natural debris dam on Willow Creek. A wall of water and debris raced through nearby Heppner with a flow of 36,000 cfs, killing 238 people, one quarter of Heppner’s population at the time. In 1983 a new concrete dam


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was built on Willow Creek to provide flood control, recreation, and irrigation. The Willow Creek Dam has been the subject of much controversy, a subject much too large to go into any detail in a race route book.


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TS 4-TS 5, DALE

Willow Creek Rd/Western Raite Lane will take us through the Blue Mountains toward Ukiah. It is part of Oregon’s Blue Mountain Century Scenic Bikeway; unfortunately for most racers this section will be in darkness. Within the first mile the route will skirt along Willow Creek Reservoir for about a mile. This is the new reservoir that replaced the one that failed and caused the largest disaster in Oregon history. Note that in July 2015 there was a report of 6 aggressive dogs chasing a ride near milepost 60 (about 8 miles into this segment). This segment ascends next to Willow Creek for the first 21 miles, and then climbs some more. At mile 22.6 the road name changes from Willow Creek Road to Western Raite Lane. Willow Creek Road continues as a right turn on a gravel road. Bear left (straight) on the paved Western Raite Lane. The racers will continue to climb to the highest elevation of the 2016 RAO. There are two false summits: the first, at mile 25.3 reaches 5304 ft. The second, at mile 27.4 reaches 5305 ft. The final summit and course high point is at mile 28.5 with an elevation of 5319. There are 150-200 ft descents between each of the high points. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all down hill from here. It isn’t. The road name will change again around mile 33.9 to NF 053. Just stay on the paved road for the final few miles through the Umatilla National Forest and then continue to the stop sign and right turn at mile 44.3 onto Hwy 395.


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Time Station 5 is in Dale at the former gas station. It will be dark but there is a street light there. It will be the only signs of civilization you’ve seen in a long, long distance. There won’t be cell service here, but send the text anyway. When your phone catches an errant signal somewhere along the route the message will be sent.


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TS 5-TS 6, MT VERNON (BLUE MTN MINI MART) The route continues south on Hwy 395 all the way to Time Station 6 in Mt Vernon. Along the way, racers will cross the RAO half way point at mile 12.7. Racers of recent versions of RAO will be on familiar territory until Long Creek at mile 23. Instead of turning toward Monument however, racers will continue south on Hwy 395 toward Fox and Mt Vernon. The last time RAO went up this formidable climb to 5123 ft, reaching over 11% at some points, was in 2008. We hope you enjoy this look back. ;-) At mile 29.8 racers will cross the segment high point. It will be downhill, at times reaching -10%, for the next 2.8 miles before climbing more gently, reaching 4714 ft at mile 37.9. From here the route descends the rest of the way to Time Station 6. Time Station 6 is in Mt Vernon, at the Blue Mountain Mini Market. This is a mandatory fuel stop. The owners of this establishment graciously agreed to extend their hours and stay open all night for us. Without their support and cooperation 2016 RAO would look much different. Be sure to voice your appreciation to them. While your vehicle is getting filled up, run inside and pick up a snack or two for the crew as well as replenish any racer supplies that are low. Upon exiting the Blue Mountain Mini Market, take the next right, onto Hwy 26 toward Mitchell.


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TS 6-TS 7, MITCHELL The route continues westward on Hwy 26. Racers follow the John Day River gently down its path for the first 29.9 miles. This is some of the flattest riding on the 2016 RAO course. You will pass through Dayville at mile 22.5, but it might just as well be called Nightville as you ride through.

At mile 28.5 the route passes through Picture Gorge, named for the high concentration of pictographs etched along the canyon walls.

At mile 29.8 the John Day River bends northward, while the route heads west and begins the first climbing in 50 mIles, a 24.7 mile/2200 ft climb up


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to Keyes Creek Summit. From there it is a quick descent to the time station, at times reaching –20% near Keyes Creek. Time Station 7 is at the right turn onto Hwy 207 on the western end of Mitchell. At 7AM direct follow becomes optional, but is advised because of the extra safety it provides to racers.


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TS 7-TS 8, FOSSIL At 7AM direct follow becomes optional but crews are advised to continue direct follow because of the added safety it provides to racers. The route now bends back northward to rejoin the John Day River. In this segment racers will have a net elevation loss, but climb an average of 99.44 ft/mi, achieving 4316 ft of elevation gain, at times reaching up to 11.3%, in the 43.4 miles to Fossil. Racers will start out riding 3 moderate climbs. The first climbs 600 ft and tops out at the 6.3 mile mark. The second climbs 500 ft and tops out at mile 11.8. The final climb before dropping to the John Day River climbs 500 ft and tops out at mile 18.5. The course rejoins the John Day River briefly near Service Creek. Originally named Sarvicecreek when the post office was established in 1918, the name was changed in 1929. The post office closed in 1956. Today Service Creek is a popular jump off point for river borne adventure on the John Day River and a resupply point for hunters and fishermen. At Service Creek you will leave the John Day River turning left on Hwy 19 and begin a 10.6 mile / 2150 ft climb. As the course nears the high point it passes next to several large county parks. After the climb you are rewarded with a nearly 9 mile descent to Time Station 8 Time Station 8 is in Fossil, at the left turn onto Hwy 218 toward Antelope/Shaniko. There is a bright yellow crosswalk sign at the intersection, but no stop sign for our direction of travel.


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TS 8-TS 9, IMPERIAL RIVER COMPANY Continue south from Fossil on Hwy 218, and climb 1000 ft in the next 5.4 miles. From the top of that climb, there is a fun 13.9 mi/2400 ft descent. Before descending all the way to the John Day River at Clarno, one small thing lies in wait. At mile 17.7 there is a rather small, but devilishly mean, 0.7 mile / 275 ft bump in the road, known as “Jeff Sorentino Hill”. Jeff had won the KOM title here in 2014 and earned naming rights.

After conquering Jeff Sorentino Hill, the racers cross the John Day River again, and begin the 8.3 mile / 2500 ft Clarno Climb. Be kind to your racer, his/her legs will be protesting this hill! After the Clarno Climb racers descend to Antelope. (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh’s followers took over this town in the 1980’s. It has never quite recovered.) After Antelope there is a twisting 3.9 mile / 950 ft climb to Shaniko.

Shaniko has a couple of quick turns, culminating at mile 42.1 with a left turn on Hwy 97. If there is a need, the store just to the right as you reach Sherman Hwy has a portable toilet out front.

After getting through Shaniko, at mile 43.7 take the right turn onto Bakeoven Rd. At mile 47.1 you begin a 17.3 mile roller coaster 2700 ft descent. At mile 64.4, as you pass a power substation on your right, the rollers stop and you finish off with a fast 3.8 mile /1000 ft twisting descent to Maupin and TS 8. Be warned that there is often gravel in the turns (caused by trailer wheels short cutting the corners and splattering gravel back onto the roadway.) As you reach the bottom of the hill and cross Bakeoven Creek, Time Station 9, Imperial River Company, is on the right, at river’s edge, just before climbing up to the bridge.


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TS 9-TS 10, NEAR PETERSBURG After the Imperial River Company continue up the short pitch to the Hwy 197 bridge over the Deschutes River. Turn right and cross the bridge; you will remain on Hwy 197 for the next 32.5 miles. Begin a 5 mile / 800 ft climb out of the Deschutes Canyon. Take the fun 2.2 mile / 600 ft descent past Tygh Valley staying on Hwy 197 (do not take the left turn into town) and then begin the 8.8 mile / 1600 ft climb up to Tygh Ridge Summit. This has the potential to be a hot miserable climb. From Tygh Ridge it is mostly downhill for the remainder of RAO. Crews should mark the right turn at mile 32.5 onto State Rd/8 Mile Rd. The turn is somewhat hidden on a right bend of Hwy 197 and racers will be traveling quickly with the aid of a descending roadway. Time Station 10 is at mile 40.4, 15 Mile Rd enters from the right. RACING ENDS HERE.

Record the time and call 210-464-5606. Have your racer relax and soft pedal the last 7 miles to the Fairfield Inn.


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TS 10-TS 11, FAIRFIELD INN There is no racing from Near Petersburg onward through The Dalles. The City Fathers frown on such “reckless behavior” and the Race Director wants to keep everybody happy. We want to be invited back next year! To calculate your official time, 20 minutes will be added to everyone’s TS 10 time, regardless of how fast, or slow, your racer rides the last 7 miles. No racing, no passing other racers. Be sure to stop at all stop signals and signs as you pass through town and obey all traffic laws. Smile and wave at passersby. Enjoy the scenery and reflect on your accomplishment; you’ll soon be finishing Race Across Oregon! Congratulations! The route follows State Rd/15 Mile Rd down to near the Columbia River then stays near the Columbia as it follows it through The Dalles. Don’t rush, don’t miss any turns, or flaunt any traffic controls. Be a good ambassador of cycling. Wave at motorists you happen to see. You have almost finished the toughest RAAM Qualifier! Spread the joy! You’ve got nothing more to do other than ride your bike a few miles through town. The crews need to stay alert and make sure their racer navigates the city streets correctly and doesn’t end up getting on a wrong road, or merge onto the freeway. 522.4 miles is far enough today, racers don’t need to add any bonus miles. There are photos of the key turns and a cue sheet on the following pages to assist crews. The Dalles is the county seat of Wasco County and the 2013 census listed the population as 15,158. The first post office was located here in 1851. The city was incorporated in 1857, and the city is been the major commercial center between Portland and Pendleton since. The area is one of the continent’s most significant archaeological regions. This natural crossroads been a trading center for Native Americans for over 10,000 years. In 1957, The Dalles dam was completed and inundated Celilo Falls and changed the Native American way of life forever. The Lewis and Clark Expedition camped in the area Oct 25-27, 1805. Within 5 years the first fur traders followed. Hudson’s Bay Company (British) Pacific Fur Company (American) and the Northwest Company (CDN) all had a large presence here in the early 1800’s. By the early 1840’s pioneers began to arrive via the Oregon Trail. The steep canyon walls prohibited wagon use beyond. Until the Barlow Rd over the shoulder of Mt


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Hood opened in 1846, pioneers wishing to continue to Fort Vancouver, Oregon City, and the Willamette Valley had to raft supplies via the Columbia River and its perilous rapids. The completion of Bonneville and The Dalles Dams have tamed the once wild river into a series of lakes and provided the region with cheap electrical power, while impacting fish runs and a native way of life. In 1984 The Dalles became the site of the first, and still largest, case of bioterrorism in the U.S. when the followers of Bagwhan Shree Rajneesh attempted to control an election by incapacitating the local population. The Salmonella attack infected 751 people with severe food poisoning.

Mile 5.5, LEFT turn from left turn lane onto Lincoln St

1 block later, RIGHT turn onto West 3rd St. Beware of crossing traffic from the right!


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Mile 5.9, bear RIGHT onto W 6th Street

Mile 6.9, LEFT on ASH St. Two streets in less than a block, take the second, just before the Chevron gas station.


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PAST RAO PHOTOS

2016 race across oregon route book and cue sheets

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