|
For 2007, Northern California
AIDS Challenge will feature an entirely new route
that will take cyclists
on some of the most scenic, historic, and beautiful
roads in the country. Although the entire route will
still be a little over 300 miles long and span 4 days
of cycling, the terrain will be quite a bit more varied
than in previous years. The first three days feature
terrain that varies from gently rolling to pretty darned
steep and include some of the more (in)famous climbs
in the area with names like “Cardiac Hill” and “Resurrection.” Here’s
a preview of what to expect:
Day 1 (Thursday, May 17,
2007) - Sacramento to Calistoga
(~70 miles)
NorCal
AIDS Challengers will rally bright and early in Davis,
the most bike friendly town in the universe,
and head due west through some of the most fertile
orchards and agricultural fields in the country for a flat 15-mile warm up.
At the 15-mile mark we’ll make a quick pit stop at Steady Eddy’s,
the most bike friendly coffee shop in the universe, and then leave the flatlands
behind us to head on up into the hills. Orchards and pasture will slowly give
way to steep hillsides, even steeper canyons, and vineyards as we approach
the main obstacle of the day’s ride - the fabled Cardiac Hill, a gradual
1.6 mile climb with an average gradient of 7%. Luckily we’ll tackle this
one in the morning, before the sun gets a chance to really heat things up.
After
an exhilarating descent we’ll traverse the southern end of Pope
Valley and then drop down into the world famous Napa Valley. Hopefully we’ll
be able to set up at least one or two rest stops at some wineries along the
way! The final 10 miles of the day will take use along the western edge of
the Napa Valley on the picturesque Silverado Trail, a famous destination roadway
known to cyclists from around the country.
Day 2 (Friday, May 18,
2007) – Calistoga
to Lakeport (~90 miles) Although definitely
not the longest, Day 2 promises to be the most strenuous
day of the Challenge. The
good news is that there aren’t any super huge
climbs on this day. The less good news is that there are hardly any truly flat
spots, either! We’ll start by backtracking along the Silverado Trail
in the early hours of the morning and then ride the entire length of Pope Valley.
If we have a wet Spring, we’ll be treated to acres and acres of wildflowers
as we gradually climb to Middletown and lunch.
After lunch we’ll set off
for Lower Lake and then 20 miles of riding along the southern edge of Clear
Lake, THE destination vacation spot in California
before the completion of I-80 to Tahoe and beyond. Which is lucky for us because
we should have the peaceful, scenic, and stultifyingly idyllic views all to
ourselves.
Day 3 (Saturday, May 19th,
2007) - Lakeport to Woodland (100 miles)
Day
3 is Century Day! And what a century! We’ll
start off by completing our circumnavigation of Clear
Lake by following its northern edge. Unlike the
southern shore, the north side of the lake is clear and wide open, so we’ll
get a great view of the sunrise as we pedal along. Once we say goodbye to Clear
Lake it’ll be time to start climbing again – 6 long but gradual
miles up to the top of Resurrection Hill.
As an added bonus, we’ll be
sharing the road that day with participants in the Davis Bike Club’s
annual Double Century. The Double Century riders we meet will have already
ridden 135 miles that day and will still have 65
more to go before they can quit!
From the top of Resurrection we’ll
have about 60 more miles of flat or downhill riding to go to camp. In my
opinion, the 30 or so miles after the
top of Resurrection are the most fun and beautiful bicycling miles in all
the land. We’ll ride through a steep and twisty and downhill(!) canyon
with Cache Creek keeping us company the whole way down. The shade and cool
breezes
off the canyon walls will be a nice change from the wide open and sunny climb
to Resurrection. The canyon gradually opens up to a broad valley that’s
home to the world famous Full Belly Farm and Woodland, the Yolo County seat.
Day 4 (Sunday, May 20th,
2007) – Woodland
to Sacramento (~50 miles)
Speaking of seats, Day 4
will feature a flat and easy cruise through the Central
Valley as we tour
some of
the many towns that dot the Valley – Woodland,
Winters, Dixon, and Davis. We’ll get in a nice leisurely breakfast, make
several well-deserved coffee stops along the way and then, as before, end our
journey right at the steps of the Capitol Building in Sacramento.
Click
here to see the 2006 NorCal AIDS Challenge Route.
“Whether
you participate as a crew member or as a cyclist,
this
event is
a journey in every sense
of the word. A physical journey, a personal journey,
a journey of remembrance, and a journey of healing.
And most of all, it's a journey toward an end to
the suffering caused by HIV and AIDS.”
- Joaquin Feliciano, Executive Committee member and
cycling enthusiast - |
