The need to head south as well as east is ever more pressing with each passing stage but 616 is not forthcoming. Stage 617 looks like a potential candidate but 616 takes the ATW route north east more than once and it ends the stage nearer the Canandian border than it started. The good news, however, is that it’s a descending stage, especially so after the initial climb and the one at halfway. It heads north east, then east, then north east again, then east again, before finally reclaiming some lost latitude by heading south east to the finish.
The rollout is flat for a mile, into the town of Belcourt where Stage Highway 281 climbs to almost three miles around the right hander that marks the highest elevation of the stage. It’s nice to get that landmark out of the way so early. The descent begins immediately and takes in the junction with the Bureaus of Indian Affairs Road 3 at four miles, the aforementioned left hander at six miles and the city of Rolla at seven miles before the descent ends at the right hander on the way out of town. There’s a short up/down next to the city cemetery then the descent starts all over again on the ten mile run east to Armourdale. There are intersecting junctions north and south along the way, and several small lakes, one of which requires a causeway crossing at thirteen miles.
After Armourdale, the Highway 281 bends right at the lowest elevation of the stage and although running straight and slightly uphill after the turn, threads its way through more small lakes to the finish just after the junction of 99th Street NE.
Distance: 21 miles / 34 kilometres
Ascent: 325 feet / 99 metres
RGT Magic Road: 7FD8l3O5uFfa
Max elevation: 1945 ft
Min elevation: 1493 ft
Total climbing: 324 ft
Total descent: -642 ft
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