Title: Climb Butler Mill, Swearengin Loop, Descend Babe Wright
Start Location: Old Poplar Ridge School, 747 Poplar Ridge Rd, New Hope
Distance: 52 Miles
Date & Start Time: Saturday, 16 June @ 7:00 AM
Ride Leader: Hunter Chockley, chockleyj@bellsouth.net, 256 527-8643
Description: This will be a beautiful moderate ride of 52 miles with a major climb up Grant Mountain via Butler Mill and lots of hills/rollers. We will regroup after the climb. The route then goes across the mountain for a scenic Swearengin loop and then a fast descent down Babe Wright. After the descent, the route goes to Cathedral Caverns Park for a Rest Stop. The route then returns to Poplar Ridge. The expected average pace is 14-15 mph due to the climbs. The major Butler Mill Climb has a max grade of ~15% and the route has a cumulative climb of ~2400 ft.
Rest Stops: Station @ 15.7 miles, Station @ 25 miles, Caverns Park @ 36.7 Miles
The link for the cue sheet and map follows: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12715104 . This route is listed in the SCCC RWGPS Club Account.
Bring a Garmin/cue sheet to the ride and have the phone number of the Ride Leader. It is also recommended that you have the phone number of at least one friend.
To me this is a challenging ride with a mountain climb so be sure you can do the stated average pace of 14-15 mph for the distance of 52 miles.
If you choose to ride at a much faster pace or deviate from the route, then you are on your own.