Alsea Loop 200k Permanent

Based on the Alsea Loop brevet, March 11, 2017

Photo of Gabe and Jeff on McFarland Road
Photo: Chris Archibald

Unofficial map and downloadable track: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/1810086
Cue sheet as PDF or as Excel sheet
RUSA database record
Permanent owner / Contact for more information: Michal Young rba@will-rando.org

This 204k Randonneurs USA permanent brevet, #1726, is a loop primarily north and west of Eugene with a fair amount of climbing (you cross the coast range twice) and some lovely views. The highlight is South Fork road from near Alsea past Alsea Falls to Alpine, which will be familiar to many local riders from the Alpine Century, but there are plenty of other nice views along the way. The last 25 miles are flat.

Note: Logging trucks use some of these roads (Territorial Road in particular) on weekdays. I have not encountered them on a Saturday, but I cannot rule that out. The route is safest and most pleasant on a Sunday. Consider carefully whether you feel safe sharing a rural road with logging trucks, and schedule your ride accordingly.

Registration

There is no fee to ride this permanent for RUSA credit, but you must be a current RUSA member. To register, print out the registration form (pdf or MS Word), fill it out, and scan or take a picture of the signed form. Email the scan or picture to rba@will-rando.org. If everything is in order, I will reply with a PDF of your brevet card for you to print. Please allow a few days for a response.

Photos

Google photo album by Chris Archibald

Google photo album by Jeff Reynolds

Route details

The Alsea loop begins in south-west Eugene (the shopping center at 29th and Willamette) and pops over the valley rim on Lorane Highway, on the way west/south-west way to the tiny town of Crow. Stop at the tiny Crow Market for a bite and to have your brevet card signed or get a receipt.

Just beyond John-Boy's Market, at the Post Office, you'll turn left on Alsea-Deadwood highway, and just a mile south you'll turn left again onto South Fork Road, toward Alsea Falls. One of the first sights on South Fork is the Alsea Acres goat farm, which makes wonderful chevre (goat cheese), available at the Eugene Farmers' Market on Saturdays in summer. Then you'll start climbing back over the coast range, but it's not as steep as the climb from east to west. Alsea Falls is worth a short stop. When you summit, the road turns steeply downward. This is a screaming descent ... do be careful in the curves. When you level out again, you're almost to Alpine, and soon on you're way back to Monroe (not a control on the return). The climbing is almost over. Monroe is your last chance for restrooms with running water for quite a while, so use them if you can.

From Monroe you retrace your route a few miles back on Territorial, but this time you'll turn left on Ferguson. Answer the question on your brevet card when you reach Washburn, then take Washburn right (south) to High Pass.

Now it's flat and pretty straight and, frankly, pretty boring compared to what you've been through ... sorry, can't be helped. Washburn takes you to High Pass road, where you turn left (east) toward Junction City. High Pass is a fairly busy road, but you'll only be on it for a mile. Before Junction City you'll turn right on Dorsey Lane, which looks too small to possibly be on the way to anywhere, but it really is on the way to Alvadore. And maybe Alvadore isn't anywhere, but there are a couple convenience stores catering to visitors to Fern Ridge Reservoir, and you should stop at one of them to get a receipt.

More flat ... I've tried to avoid routing you much along the busy Clear Lake road, but you'll have to endure half a mile of that shoulder before you turn right again onto Fir Butte, which takes you to Royal, which takes you to the beginning of the Fern Ridge Bicycle Path, at the intersection of Royal with Greenhill Road (just several yards south on Greenhill). Now this is more like it ... a nice separated multi-use path all the way back into Eugene. Where the path to Roosevelt splits off to the left, you bear right (crossing the canal) toward down town. Watch for pedestrians and runners, and keep an eye out for heron and cranes along the canal.

You come off the Fern Ridge path just past Chambers street, across the canal on a little bridge, and then across a larger bridge that crosses 18th Ave and through the disc golf course, ending in a school parking lot. Work your way left through the parking lot to a path that takes you out to Polk Street, then follow cues to work your way back to the starting point at 29th and Willamette. In addition to the food establishments in the shopping center, there are food and restrooms in Market of Choice, the large grocery store.