RAW 2020 Plan by Segment
Updated with the RAW 2019 experience from Oceanside CA to Salome AZ (342 miles)
All Time Station Reporting is in EDT!
Report my arrival at each time station to Race HQ. Report every TS. Report only once.
All Time Station Reporting is in EDT!
Report my arrival at each time station to Race HQ. Report every TS. Report only once.
Segment |
Distance |
Cumulative Distance |
Description |
Support Notes |
Oceanside to Borrego Springs CA TS01: The Mall, Borrego Springs |
88.3 miles 142.1 km 4h 52m |
88.3 miles 142.1 km |
The segment begins with a 8.6 mile neutral start (called a "Parade"), and remains self-supported to mile 24. Over nearly 90 miles, the route climbs from the pier in Oceanside, through the Coastal Range to Rincon, climbs the San Luis River Valley to Lake Henshaw and descends the famous "Glass Elevator" into Borrego Springs CA. The Glass Elevator drops 3600 ft in 11.9 miles. We expect the temperature in Borrego Springs to be 100-105 F when we arrive. Unless we have significant delays, we will arrive in Borrego Springs well before sunset. |
En Route:
|
Borrego Springs to Brawley CA TS02: Main and Rio Vista, Brawley |
57.0 miles 91.7 km 3h 5m |
145.3 miles 233.8 km |
Leaving Borrego Springs, the next 15 miles are rolling, before starting the gentle descent to the low point on the route near the Salton Sea. Just outside Borrego, there are interesting steel sculptures in the fields to the left. Here we will be 190 feet below sea level. Vegetation becomes increasingly sparse as we descend the Lower Borrego Valley. |
En Route:
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Brawley to Blythe CA TS03: Hobson Way (route) and 7th St |
89.7 miles 144.4 km 4h 50m |
234.9 miles 378.0 km |
Continuing east from Brawley, the first 14 miles crosses irrigated farmland before crossing the Algodones Dunes, a 45 mile long, 6 mile wide sand dune field with dunes as high as 300'. We will almost certainly cross the dune field in the dark, passing through the mostly ghost town of Glamis shortly before midnight. After emerging from the basin, the route climbs steadily for 30 miles and over 1100' into the Chocolate Mountains, and obscure range once known for numerous small gold mines and the Bradshaw Trail, a historic overland stage route from San Bernardino to La Paz, Arizona. The nighttime descent out of the Chocolate Mountains (190-205 miles) is one of my best memories from RAW 2019. Our plan is to arrive in Blythe about 3 am, and decide if I'm ready for a sleep break, or if we should push on through the night another 50 miles to Parker. |
En Route:
|
Blythe CA to Parker AZ TS04: Parker Circle K |
51.4 miles 82.7 km 2h 50m |
286.3 miles 460.6 km |
Our desert crossing continues as the route heads north up the Parker Valley. The first 7 miles heads north across irrigated farmland. After crossing the Main Canal Levee, we are back into the desert. To the east is the Colorado River and the irrigated farmland that fills the valley. Visually from the road, we are still surrounded by desert. |
At TS04 (Circle K):
|
Parker to Salome AZ TS05: Salome Shopping Center |
56.0 miles 90.1 km 3h 6m |
342.3 miles 550.9 km |
Leaving Parker and the irrigated farmlands, the next 56 miles is pretty featureless as we climb slowly up the Bouse Wash and Ranegras Plains, The Arizona and California Railroad follows us from Parker. There is not much out here. Between Parker and Hope, there is a 14.5 mile stretch dead-straight road. Traffic on the 15 mile stretch of AZ 95 south of Parker it the worse in all of RAW. Heavy truck traffic and a come again/go again shoulder the whole way. Traffic is heavy enough that passing traffic will not give you any space. Traffic improves after the AZ 95/AZ 72 junction as much of the truck traffic continues south on AZ 95. The highlight of the segment will be the "You're Now Beyond Hope" sign as we leave Hope AZ, after 335 miles, with just another 595 miles to go to Durango. |
En Route:
|
Salome to Congress AZ TS06: Congress Grocery |
52.6 miles 84.7 km 3h 3m |
395.0 miles 635.7 km |
The slow climb through the transitional region between the Sonoran Desert and the Colorado Plateau continue through the McMullen Valley Basic. We cross a 20 mile stretch of perfectly straight road on US 60 just outside Salome as we approach the Yarnell Grade, the first major climb on the RAW. The run from Salome to Congress should be Wednesday afternoon, arriving in Congress about 4 pm |
En Route:
|
Congress to Prescott AZ TS07: Walmart Supercenter |
50.5 miles 81,3 km 2h 53m |
445.4 miles 716.8 km |
The first two major climbs of the RAW, the first is the Yarnell Grade (9 miles @ 5%), an interesting twisty road most notable for "Elephant Curve". We will not see the Elephant as its on the descent. We pass through Skull Valley, population 350, and start the second climb to Iron Springs (12 miles @ 3.2%). Then we descend quickly to Prescott and the time station at the Walmart Supercenter. We should ascend the Yarnell Grade in daylight, and perhaps top out at Iron Springs right at sunset. Since sunset is so late in AZ, the crew will be in direct follow starting at 7 pm, shortly after Skull Valley. |
En Route:
|
Prescott to Camp Verde AZ TS08: AZ 260/I-17 |
54.5 miles 87.7 km 2h 49m |
499.9 miles 804.5 km |
Leaving Prescott the route crosses the broad Lonesome Valley before beginning the 12 mile 3.5% climb to Mingus Summit. The route descends through Jerome and on down to Clarksdale--probably the only long high speed nighttime descent in RAW. The last 15 miles are pretty flat on into Camp Verde and the all night Shell Station. Unfortunately for the crew, the McDs closes at midnight, and the Starbucks even earlier, at 9:30. The descent from Mingus Summit down Hull Canyon and through Jerome, should be most exciting, at night, and high speed. There are two sets of hairpins, one above and one below Jerome. Through Jerome there is another interesting hairpin and super narrow streets. After Jerome, the descent is even steeper, but less technical. The five mile run from Jerome to Clarksdale should take less than 10 minutes. |
En route:
|
Camp Verde to Flagstaff AZ TS09: Walmart Supercenter |
102.9 miles 165.6 km 5h 49m |
602.8 miles 970.1 km |
The longest segment in RAW is the 103 mile dark-of-the-night run into Flagstaff. To add to the challenge, there is 8400 ft of climbing, most of it in the first 40 miles climbing up to the San Francisco Plateau. Once on the Plateau, the next 60 miles are surprisingly flat, through Happy Jack and Mormon Lake. |
En Route:
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