The summer solstice evening and night will be spent on Eagle Summit, a memorable event for even those who have lived in Interior Alaska all their lives ... and maybe an opportunity to meet some of them, legends in our time. One of our organizing sponsors is Jim Crabb, who owned and operated Crabbs Corner in Central, Alaska, at Mile 128 on Steese Highway for 20+ years. He now owns and operates Nugget Gulch, at the end of the final stage.
Please note: This event will be held under USA Cycling Permit 2014-790 with the permit application now in progress. Registration begins April 30th through the USA Cycling website and the link will be provided on this website prior to that date.
Registration will be limited to members of Steese Highway Cycle Club plus 50 nonmember cyclists total, with a limit of no more than 25 nonmember Alaska residents and the remaining 25 for others. You do not have to be a member of the club to participate, but you must hold a USA Cycling license. (This is for insurance requirements; single day and single event licenses are available.) https://www.usacycling.org/
This inaugural gran fondo is itself a work in progress for what is planned to be an annual event during the summer solstice . You are invited to join the Steese Highway Cycle Club. The club will manage the event and you can become a founding member by joining before the end of the event, June 22, 2014. Contact hilding.lindquist@gmail.com or Susan Osborne, Owner, Gold Hill Alaska. for additional details. We are planning for club meetings to be held at Gold Hill Alaska starting in the 2nd half of April with teleconference attendance available through Skype.
What's a gran fondo? Quoting from Bicycling:
Gran Fondos: Part Bike Ride, Part Cycling Race, All Fun
You're riding against the clock, but it's not really a race. It's
as long as a century—but may feel even longer. Confused? Don't worry:
Once you set off on the 100-mile-plus rolling party known as a gran fondo, it will all make beautiful sense.
The five stages of the Steese Summer Solstice Bicycle Race, are listed below. They all have the same start time of 9:00 am.
Stage 1: Wednesday, June 18th: Gold Hill Alaska, 3040 George Parks Hwy Fairbanks, to Chatanika Lodge, Mile 28.
(Pease note: The distance for Stage 1 will be determined by its route through Fairbanks. Currently the plan is to go through the the UAF Campus then follow College Road to the Steese Highway. This route is approximately 35 miles. Going around on Farmers Loop Road is approximately 38 miles.)
Stage 2: Thursday, June 19th: Chatanika Lodge, Mile 28, to Sourdough Creek, Mile 66. (Approximately 38 miles.)
Stage 3: Friday, June 20th: Sourdough Creek, Mile 66, to 12 Mile Summit, Mile 85. (Approximately 17 miles.)
Stage 4: Saturday, June 21st, Summer Solstice, 12 Mile Summit, Mile 85, to Eagle Summit, Mile 107. (Approximately 22 miles.)
(Please note: A primary feature of Steese Summer Solstice Bicycle Race is that it will pause overnight at Eagle Summit to observe the Solstice.)
Stage 5: Sunday, June 22nd, Eagle Summit, Mile 107, through Central, Mile 127 and turning right at Central Corner on Circle Hot Springs Road, to Nugget Gulch, Mile 8.7 on Circle Hot Springs Road, a total distance of approximately 29 miles.
The total distance is approximately 141 to 144 miles depending on the route through Fairbanks. You will be able to participate in the whole event or separate stages.
Preliminary rules:
- Registration will be limited to 50 non-Steese Highway Cycle Club
member cyclists total, with a limit of no more than 25 for Alaska
residents and the remaining 25 for others. You do not have to be a
member of the club to participate, but you must hold a USA Cycling
license. (This is for insurance purposes. Single day and single event licenses are available.) https://www.usacycling.org/
- Open to all genders, ages 10 to 99.
- All minor children under the age of 16 (10 to 15) must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and have a notarized USA Cycling approved liability waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian on file with the Race Director and be registered with their accompanying adult(s) prior to June 11th.
- Youth under the age of 18 (16 to 17) must have a notarized USA Cycling approved liability waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian on file with the Race Director and be registered prior to June 11th.
- All participants must have a signed USA Cycling approved liability waiver on file with the Race Director. Liability waivers not turned in person must be notarized.
- All food, clothing, equipment, shelter, transportation, and all other personal needs must be provided by the individual participant for her or himself, except that a participant's items with total weight less than or equal to 50 kg or 110 lbs in a single suitable container with no outside dimension greater than 1 m or 3 ft. 3-3/8 in., and with the other two dimensions less than or equal to 0.5 m or 1 ft. 7-11⁄16 in will be transported between Stage sites. Please note: If you need assistance in outfitting your trip please contact Susan Osborne at Gold Hill Alaska.
Please note: The route of this race goes deep into the wilderness of Interior Alaska with risks that the individual participant may have to manage by her or himself. Find out what you need to know before and be prepared before the event begins.
Registration begins April 30th: Complete Event Fee - $49.85 or $19.95 per stage.
Late fees begin June st: Complete Event Fee - $74.85 or $29.95 per stage.
On site fees begin June 18th: Complete Event Fee - $99.85 or $39.95 per stage.
Complete Event Fee is 50% off the Per Stage Fee
& pays for itself with 3 stages.
Complete Event Fee is 50% off the Per Stage Fee
& pays for itself with 3 stages.
If you want to participate in the race please contact us at:
or
Susan Osborne, Owner
Gold Hill Alaska
Latest iterations of the patch and logo announced on 9/9/2013:
[Cickable link: Linked Article]
"Mountain biking is taking off in Oregon and across the
world, so it makes sense that communities are beginning to see the value of
mountain biking events," said Professor Jeff McNamee, health and human performance
professor at Oregon's Linfield College. - Quoted from above referenced Cycling News article.
Latest iterations of the patch and logo announced on 9/9/2013:
Please note that we have included concept maps and links at the bottom of this Front Page to help you understand the awesome wilderness of Interior Alaska's Yukon River Wilderness Arc that you will be entering if you participate in the Steese Summer Solstice Bicycle Race at whatever level you choose: cyclist, fan, volunteer, staff ... .
On this website you will be able to watch the inaugural race and the association to stage it take shape. You are also invited to add your comments—suggestions as well as criticisms—whatever they may be, although they are monitored for appropriateness. We hope that you will consider becoming engaged in forming the race, and then in the race itself.
Returning again and again annually to an incredible adventure that you helped create.- HGL
[Cickable link: Linked Article]
– Cycling News –May 20, 2013
Note: Click on photos to enlarge.
The small red print in the map graphic below reads:Please note: This is a draft “concept map” drawn on a USGS map. This concept map is being used with Google® Maps software to create an interactive map for this website.The organizers of the Steese Summer Solstice Bicycle Race want to let potential participants in the race—cyclists, volunteers, fans, and staff—have a better idea of the incredible wilderness they will be entering if they are not familiar with this area already.We have included some links below this graphic that will later be placed in an interactive overlay on the final version.
