Penticton 2013 - Update (Day 1 and 2 routes)

Spring is here (sort of) and I'm sure all of you have been clocking many pedal revolutions in anticipation of the best cycling week of the year. The Penticton riding week is only 7 weeks away with the first riding day on Sunday May 12 (Day 1). Now that you have booked the time off and your training is well under way it's time to look at some of the routes. As per usual there will be a couple of ride options each day. I have tried to design the rides so that everyone will be able to ride together for a good portion of the day. Note*: If you haven't done so already, reserve your accommodations right away. There are lots of vacation rentals in Penticton which groups of people could share to reduce costs. The Sandman hotel (where we meet each day) I believe also has weekly rates. I have created a forum just for Penticton (up above near the dossier), use this to communicate with teammates about accommodations, or anything else Penticton related.

Day 1
(Long) Anarchist, Area 51 (189km) - Map
(Short) Oliver, Area 51 (103km) - Map

Start: Denny's in the Sandman hotel (939 Burnaby Avenue W)
When: Ride will roll out at 9:00 am

The Day 1 long ride is fairly voluptuous at 189km, but I feel this route is a great way to get the lay of the land and oriented to the week ahead. The hallmark of the long ride being the Anarchist climb at 17km (to the Sasquatch) and 920m of elevation gain! Category 1 with a 6% average grade.

For the short ride Fairview White Lake Rd is a very nice winding route that takes you through the forested country side with small lakes and rolling terrain to guide you to the novel landmark known as "Area 51". A radio observatory that you can't miss for it's giant radio dishes lining the valley bottom looking for extraterrestrial life I presume.

Day 2
(Long) The Wall, White Lake Rd., Apex (121km) - Map
(Short) The Wall, White Lake Rd. Green Mountain Rd. (99km) - Map

Start: Denny's in the Sandman hotel (939 Burnaby Avenue W)
When: Ride will roll out at 9:00 am

The only difference between the long and short ride for Day 2 is the addition of the monsterous Apex climb for the long ride. Apex is a beast at 10 km long with an avg grade of 9%, another category 1 climb. "The Wall" should be pretty self explanatory and White Lake Rd. is the continuation of White Lake Rd. from Area 51 from Day 1. Green Mountain Rd. is arguably the best road in the area. A 14km, 2-3% grade of deep forested country road. It gently climbs up to the base of the Apex climb and then is a long and fast descent back into Penticton. Keep your eyes peeled for the herds of wild horses roaming the area, amazing!

Stay tuned for days 3 and 4...

Please study these maps, print them and their cue-sheets if you need. Knowing the day's route is everyone's responsibility and is important for you and all your teammates safety. I have tried to make most of the routes so the group gets to ride together for as long as possible but anything can happen during a ride and being as prepared as possible is of the utmost importance.