After consecutive stages heading east, stage 595 is the one that finally breaks the mould by starting the long run south to the United States border. It remains east for seventeen miles out of the start gate, but the last three miles are south towards Montana. The first eight miles are lumpy, the next three miles are uphill, then it’s flattish for the next four before a short sharp climb sets up a gentle rise to the finish.
The rollout is initially flat before the road rises gently on approach to Broderick. As the road swings left through the town, Highway 7 goes over the first summit and as it descends, runs alongside a small river to three miles where the water heads off north. The road bends back right at four miles then runs straight and east to seventeen miles where the route south begins.
From four miles, the road is lumpy flat to eight miles, crossing a couple of small streams in the process. At eight miles, the Chief Whitecap Trail (Highway 219) heads north and south off Highway 7 and it’s there that the main climb begins. It’s not particularly challenging (almost a hundred and fifty feet in three miles) but is does get steeper nearer the top, which is at a dirt road junction at eleven miles.
From there to the turn south, the road is lumpy flat and there are dirt road junctions aplenty. Then approaching the junction with Highway 19, the road rises steeply at sixteen miles. Highway 15 continues on east (towards Nokomis) but Mark Beaumont’s Around The World route heads south on Highway 19 instead. The road descends immediately after the turn but at eighteen miles it starts kicking upwards again and the last two miles to the finish are gently uphill.
Distance: 20 miles / 32 kilometres
Ascent: 522 feet / 159 metres
RGT Magic Road: 0xlQSplTXifW
Max elevation: 1904 ft
Min elevation: 1707 ft
Total climbing: 520 ft
Total descent: -355 ft
You must log in to post a comment.