R-12 Series
Hawk Mountain 200k
Saturday September 12, 2015
General Info
This ride is a randonneur style event sanctioned by RUSA, offered to promote participation in the R-12 challenge.  In the spirit of randonneuring, minimal support is provided before, during, and after the ride.

First time riding with PA Randonneurs?  Read an overview of what to expect on your first PA brevet. All participants are obliged to follow the rules for riders as well as PA and NJ vehicle laws.  Safety is a primary concern ... please read and carry these Safety Instructions with you.

Start/Finish

K-Mart parking lot
1127 S State St.
Ephrata, PA
(717) 738-4221
DIRECTIONS

A good breakfast is available at the Pancake Farm -- Highly Recommended! Opens 5:15 AM.

Traveling far? Overnight accommodations are available at the:
Hampton Inn  
380 East Main Street
Ephrata, PA 17522
(717) 733-0661
Make your own reservations by calling the hotel directly. 

Registration
Pre-registration required
Registration Form
All riders must sign waiver
Registration Closes on Septermber 10 at 5PM

For PA Club Members:
$10 due at sign-in

For Guests
:
$15 due at sign-in

Schedule

6:30AM Sign-in and Bike Inspection opens
6:50AM Rider meeting
7:00AM Riders depart (~13:30 hr. time limit)

Daylight hours: 6:38 AM -  7:16 PM

NOTE: Riders finishing after 7:16 PM without lights and reflective gear will be disqualifed.

Start Controle
- Arrive at least 30 minutes before scheduled start time.
- Sign-in, pay fee to organizer, and collect brevet card.
- Get bike inspected
- Rider meeting, 10 minutes before scheduled start time

Finish Controle
- Get final stamp and store receipt validating finish time.
- Return to start location
- Initial sign-in sheet and record finish time.
- Sign brevet card and deposit it along with store receipt in Andrew's car window (blue Honda Odyssey).

Post ride gathering
Ephrata Diner (717) 738-7381
3687 Rothsville Rd
Ephrata, PA 17522
Pablo Software Solutions
Cue sheet 
Map and Profile
Message Board 
Membership List

Preliminary Results

Ride Report and Pictures
Ride Description (updated 8/10/15)
Travel west away from the abruptly steep pitches of the Delaware River Valley to the gentler terrain of Lancaster County.  The ride begins from the same K-Mart in Ephrata that serves as the start/finish for the Spring Forward & Fall Backward brevets, but covers entirely new terrain on predominately rural back roads. 

We'll first head north and east into Berks County through Wernersville and Shoemakersville as the route skirts around Reading.  Once through Shoemakersville, the day's first big challenge looms ahead:  the Blue Mountain.  You'll have plenty of time to ponder this crossing as the route continues its northeasterly track to a controle in Kempton.  Heading north along Hawk Mountain Rd from the controle offers more time to check out the climb.  The route crosses the Appalachian Trail at the base of the climb, signaling the beginning of a two mile grunt to the summit of the Blue Mountain.  The adventurous may wish to check out the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary visitors center while on top.  Otherwise, the reward for the climb comes with a screaming two mile descent to the Schulykill River.  Check your food and water as you approach Auburn as this will be the last amenities you'll see for a while--as in the next 20 miles. 
After passing through Auburn, the route climbs to the top of Summer Hill which offers views of the Blue Mountain to the left and Second Mountain to the right as the route meanders to the next controle in Pine Grove. It's all downhiill from here as the saying goes as the route passes through the Swatera Gap along the Swatera Trail. The first few miles of the trail offer a compacted crushed limestone surface before returning to pavement on an abandoned stretch of Rt. 443. We join the Appalachian Trail and cross the Swatera Creek to arrive at a quick information control before heading southward toward the finish. Riders of past events will appreciate that the trail offers the most generally downhill passage through the Indiantown Gap. As we near the finish, enjoy the late afternoon scenery of the Middle Creek Wildlife Refuge (which offers another nice visitor's center) before finally returning to Ephrata.

There are several steep, extended climbs.  A triple or compact crank is highly recommended.


Historical Records
Sep 08, 2012    Results   Report
Sep 17, 2011    Results   Report

Sep 11, 2010    Results   Report

Course Record:  Don Jagel 8:38