Martin's Country Market is located along W. Main St (US 322) just west of downtown Ephrata, and just one block from the St. Boniface Craft Brewery.
Park your car in the large market parking lot. Park near the main road, away from the market, and near the main entrance sign. Registration is in the parking lot.
Suggested parking locations for the start/finish are public places, with theft and vandalism a real possibility, especially in cities. Park during the event at your own risk. Please do not leave valuables in your car during the ride.
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.
We won't be hosting our traditional gathering at nearby St. Boniface Craft Brewer. That said, the brewery is open and has some outdoor seating options.
From the scenic farmland of Lancaster County, we 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 Hawk 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. 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 before heading to a quick control in Lickale. From here the route passes through scenic farmland along the final leg. 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.
Date | Finishers |
---|---|
2011-09-17 | 22 |
2012-09-08 | 18 |
2013-09-07 | 19 |
2018-09-08 | 33 |
2020-11-07 | 18 |
This ride is a randonneur style bicycle event under the sanction of Randonneurs USA and Audax Club Parisian. Completing this event can help you train and qualify for Paris-Brest-Paris and earn RUSA and ACP awards. You need a current RUSA membership to ride this event. You can sign up for RUSA here.
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 local vehicle laws (PA, NJ, NY). Safety is a primary concern. All riders must sign a waiver. Please read these Safety Instructions.
To receive credit for finishing a randonneuring event you must complete a brevet card as required by the rules. PA Randonneurs accepts traditional brevet cards filled out with stamps/signatures and backed up with merchant receipts. PA Randonneurs encourages use of the eBrevet cell phone app. (Version 1.3 minimum required) as an electronic brevet card assistant. Nevertheless, you must check into all controls on the app -- or provide traditional proof for each control. Your finish time and finish code from the app must be written on the paper card, along with your signature, or you may be disqualified.
These events are not for beginners. The courses are hilly. You may face extremes of weather: heat, cold, wind, rain. The roads are unmarked and open to automobile traffic. There will be night riding in the longer events. There is no sag wagon. Complete several ordinary century cycling events before starting a 200K brevet; complete several 200Ks before starting a longer brevet.
The online URL for this event info page is
https://parando.org/info/event/2018-09-08/200
For all other information about Pennsylvania Randonneurs, visit our web site https://parando.org/