Summer 600 km, Walla Walla - Whitefish, 09/08/2018

*** Update ***

More info being posted by Susan on the Facebook event page at
https://www.facebook.com/events/227668991245535/?active_tab=discussion

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Our Summer 600 km ACP accredited brevet is a new route from Walla Walla, WA to Whitefish, MT by Susan Otcenas, who's also the event organizer.

Ride Date: Sat - Sun, Sep 8 - 9, 2018

Organizer: Susan O.

Ride fee: most likely $25, depending on number of riders, to help cover organization gas, an out of the way control, and a room for the overnight control in Thompson Falls.

Start location: Walla Walla, WA The start will be at the public parking lot at the corner of E. Sumach St & N. Colville St. which is 2 blocks from the Motel 6 in Walla Walla, WA. (There's a Best Western Plus a block away for those with higher-than-rando standards.) We will begin gathering at 3:30am for a 4:00am start. Please allow at least 15 minutes to sign your waiver, get your card & cue sheet, and to listen to the pre-ride briefing. As a reminder, you need to start the ride with reflective leg bands and vest (or sash) on your body, we all as your headlight & taillight affixed to your bike and in solid (not flashing mode).

Overnight control: Thompson Falls, MT The overnight will be at the Falls Motel in Thompson Falls, MT. You are responsible for making your own accommodation arrangements at the hotel. DRR will have a control room where you can check in with Susan and pick up your drop bag, but this room will not be available to you for sleeping or showering. Food will not be provided at the overnight. Immediately adjacent to the hotel is a 24 hour convenience store that has a hot case, prepared foods, drinks, etc. There's also a cafe with great breakfasts that opens about an hour before the control closes and is on-route on your way out of town.

Finish location: Whitefish, MT The finish will be at Depot Park in Whitefish, MT, which is two clocks from the Downtowner Inn and immediately adjacent to the Amtrak Station. Sign in with Susan who will be in her van, and retrieve your drop bag. We are not getting a control room at the finish, so riders who are taking Amtrak Sunday night should either play nice with someone who is staying overnight at the hotel and mooch a shower, or plan on waiting until boarding the train to freshen up. The Downtowner is 3 blocks from Amtrak, and will store your luggage on the day you check out, should you decide to stay in Whitefish for a few days after the ride.

 Hotel links:
https://www.motel6.com/en/motels.wa.walla-walla.8706.html
https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.48124.html
https://www.thompsonfallslodging.com/en-us 
http://downtownermotel.cc/

Start time: 04:00 Pacific time, Saturday
Finish by: 21:00 Mountain time (+1:00), Sunday

Riders will be responsible for getting themselves and their bikes to and from the start and finish.  There's an Amtrak station in Whitefish where you can get yourself and bike on a train to Seattle or Portland, and some other places too. One solution might be to catch a train back to Pasco, where you left your car, having ridden to the start in Walla Walla (about 100 km). DRR might be able to provide some limited capacity transport from Pasco to Walla Walla, depending on rider numbers, but we're not promising anything yet. There's flights from Seattle to Walla Walla Regional Airport, and to Pasco.

There will be riding at night. All riders must be equipped to satisfy RUSA rules for lighting and reflective clothing, including reflective ankle bands. There will be a check at the start. Redundant front and rear lighting is strongly recommended. Lights must be attached to the bike at all times throughout the event and used whenever light is low as well as at night. We recommend use of lights in daytime.

Be aware that early September in Eastern Washington can still be very hot - well over 90deg F can happen. Be ready to carry lots of water. Meanwhile, Thompson Pass could be cold, wet and windy. You'll need to be prepared and carry spare layers to cover both possibilities.

There will be some long stretches without services. Please ensure you are carrying enough food and drink for your needs. Away from towns cell phone coverage may be unavailable.

There may be bears, moose, snakes, coyotes, eagles and lots of other wildlife.


Questions? You can comment below or use that form over there --->>

Who's riding?

Cue sheet THIS IS A REMOTE EVENT WITH SPARSE SERVICES. If you are planning to do this ride, I highly recommend you closely study the cuseheets prior to the ride. There are some long/hilly sections without services. You'll want to be aware of where those are. I'd also suggest that even if you navigate primarily by GPS, you'll want to have the cuesheet visible (or at least handy) for the duration of the ride. There's a lot of important information on it.

Map/GPS (Complete Route)
Day One
Day Two