Paul Formiller

Sorry to hear the race is cancelled. I did the ride this weekend by
starting in Welches. Totally fantastic scenery on an epic route.
Definitely stop for H2O along the way. The gravel section is compacted
so 700x23 carbons did great (just keep an eye out for potholes).

Cheers,
---------------------------------
Paul
(on the road via IPhone)

On Jul 14, 2008, at 5:30 PM, Jeff Lorenzen wrote:

> The 2008 edition of the Hell of the Cascades has been canceled.
> We'll try again next year. The five of you who pre-registered will
> receive your fees in the mail this week.
>
>
>
> Though the race has been canceled, I encourage you all to come out
> to Hood River and give this ride a try. Parking at the fairgrounds
> in Odell makes the ride a nice 85 miles, with 9000 feet of
> climbing. If you want a bit more of a challenge, park in Hood river
> and add another 16 miles and 1000 feet of climbing. The route is
> easy - go south on Hwy 35 all the way to the intersection with Hwy
> 26. Merge and continue on Hwy 26 west until you get to ZigZag.
> Turn right on Lolo Pass road and suffer. When you get to the top of
> Lolo Pass, make sure you turn right to go down (McGee Creek). This
> is where you have the gravel section. The route straight down Lolo
> Pass road is much steeper with terrible gravel. When you get to
> Lost Lake road, turn right and descend all the way to the Dee lumber
> mill. Turn left onto the Dee Hwy and follow it down to Summit
> Drive. Take a right on Summit and the fairgrounds are just a mile
> down from the top of the hill.
>
>
>
> It is difficult to carry enough water for this ride. You can get
> water in the community of Mt. Hood, but that is only about 8 miles
> from the start. There is drinking water available at the Sherwood
> Campground (about 16 miles from start). You should detour through
> Government Camp to get water/drinks at one of the shops. You can
> get water at the market in Rhododenron. Once you make the turn at
> ZigZag, there is no water until you get back to Odell. The Lolo
> Pass climb is exposed and can be very hot and it is a long run in
> after you reach the top (25 miles).
>
>
>
> If you come out next weekend (July 26-27) you'll have to park
> elsewhere because of the Hood River County fair, though it may be
> nice to park the family (and understanding spouse) in the fair.
> Hood River has a lot to offer and if you're staycationing this year,
> it's not too far away.
>
>
>
> Be sure to attend the upcoming crits and High Desert Classic.
> There's still a lot of road racing to be enjoyed before cyclocross
> begins. On that note, I hope to see you all out in Hood River on
> September 20-21 for our Double Cross weekend. Our classic race at
> the high school has been moved to Saturday (and the long bridge has
> been replaced) and we're offering a new race on Sunday at the
> fairgrounds. Come and make a weekend out of it!
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Jeff Lorenzen
>
>
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