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Our route passes through a significant portion of
our beneficiary service area, which includes eight
counties and 29 communities north of the California
state capital. We will truly be ambassadors for the
fight against HIV and AIDS along the route.
You will find the route very
do-able for amateur-level Cyclists who have followed
a training program of moderate
mileage for 12 weeks or more. The purpose of describing
it here is to tease you [we’re serious!] and
make you more comfortable with this endeavor… you
can do this!
After describing each of the
four days, there’s
a section that discusses possible climate conditions
and the criteria that was used in selecting the route.
Day
1 – approximately 80 miles
The first day begins near the
banks of the American River in Discovery Park. As
we leave for our adventure,
the first few miles take us out of Sacramento via the
Northern Railroad Bikeway. We then proceed toward Yuba
City and Marysville via levee roads and through rice
fields and orchards. Once past these cities, we’ll
approach the world’s smallest complete mountain
range, the Sutter Buttes. After cycling past this area,
we’ll pass through the orchards surrounding the
agricultural communities of Sutter and Live Oak. Our
final few miles will take us through the Grey Lodge
Wildlife area before heading east into Gridley for
evening camp.
Day
2 – approximately 60 miles
After leaving the Butte County Fairgrounds, the first
several miles of this short but hilly day will pass
through some more orchards before entering the eastern
foothills. After reaching the Gold country surrounding
Oroville, we will all tackle the long and scenic climb
to the top of Table Mountain. You'll be rewarded by
stunning view of the foothills and an exhilarating
descent toward the university town of Chico.
Day
3 – approximately 100 miles
The longest day of the Challenge, Day 3 will be your
chance to put in your first century (100 miles!) bicycle
if you didn't get a chance to accomplish this feat
in your training. We'll leave Chico early in the morning
and ride through the heart of the Central Valley before
reaching Butte City. We'll continue cycling along quiet
roads through corn and wheat fields with wonderful
views of the Sutter Buttes. We'll end this day along
the banks of the Sacramento River before reaching our
last evening camp in Colusa.
Day
4 – approximately 80 miles
Our last day on the road will meander near the Sutter
Buttes, and then follow the Sacramento River along
tree-shaded country lanes and levee roads. The first
50 miles of the ride will provide a quiet and contemplative
setting for you to reflect on what you've achieved
over the past 4 days and why you decided to accept
the Challenge. We'll leave these roads at Knights Landing
and begin a nearly straight shot road to Woodland and
Davis before turning east and following the Yolo Bypass
bicycle path into Sacramento to finish at the California
State Capitol.
Climate At the midpoint of May, the following are the average
climate conditions along the Challenge route:
- A low temperature of 48.0 and a high temperature
of 74.7; however, in the past three years, the lowest
temperature was 46.0 and highest temperature was
99.0.
- Minimal precipitation, which was usually earlier
in the month; however there were thunderstorms and
significant rain in the middle of May in 2002.
- Sunrise
is 06:29 and sunset is 19:46; total daylight is
13 hours and 17 minutes.
These averages provide a general idea of possible
climate conditions in the Central Valley during the
time of the Challenge. However, there are no guarantees,
and participants should be prepared for everything
between cold and hot, and wet and dry!
Selection Criteria Above all other considerations, safety was the most
important criteria in route design. Wherever possible,
bicycle lanes were generously used. Highways were not
used for the route unless there were no other reasonable
alternatives available. Of those used, all are approved
for bicycle travel by Districts 2 and 3 of the California
State Department of Transportation and have good shoulder
width. Any left turns or crossings involving highways
were restricted to over and underpasses or controlled
intersections whenever possible.
Other criteria used in route
development included mileage, acceptable evening
accommodations, availability
of medical and other services, difficulty of terrain,
simplicity of directions, quality of road surface,
traffic volume, and scenery and points of historical
and other interest. The route has been thoroughly tested
by automobile and bicycle. We think you’ll enjoy
the route!
Click here to see
the 2007 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 - |
