Spring Training Camp Saturday Route Highlight

Saturday's Route at this year's LSC Training Camp will be identical to last year's edition. We had almost 20 people complete the full monty last year, including Donimator.

It's 100 miles with almost 5000ft of total climbing. It's broken down into 3 basic loops, with 2 stops in Rushford, giving people plenty of opportunity for the easy return to camp via the Root River Trail. There are 6 major climbs on tap for the day, 4 of which are featured below.


The first climb is just 5 short miles into the ride. It is a long grinder with an average gradient of around 3-4% over 4 miles. There are 2 more significant climbs, which I won't highlight here, en route to the lunch stop in Rushford. Lunch is approximately 35 miles into the ride.


Following lunch, we will get a couple miles of flat, before one of the tougher climbs of the day. The steeper part of this climb covers 425 vertical feet over 1 mile, for an average gradient of 8%. From here, we drop down into Money Creek, and head for the famed "Houston Switchbacks".


The switchbacks are a perennial favorite at training camp. The climb features 475 vertical feet over 1.3 miles for an average gradient of 7%. It feels much worse than that, especially since it is the 5th major climb of the day. Following the climb, we cruise through the plains and back to Rushford, where we will have completed 65 miles.


The last major climb of the day is probably the toughest. What you don't see in the profile is that you are gradually climbing for the 5 miles leading up to the climb up 109. It covers 275 vertical feet in just over half a mile, for a gradient of almost 10%. There are a couple more rollers after the climb headed back to Peterson, and then a leisurely ride back to camp on the Root River Trail.