RACE DETAILS
Bib Pickup, Signing of Release and Pre-Event Meeting
Riders and teams may register for the Fireweed events online until the 750 entry limit is reached, or, on or before midnight JUNE 30th, 2023, whichever comes first. Entry is $100 per person, discounted rates for each relay member as listed, until midnight MAY 31st. Entry is $120 per person from MAY 31st until midnight June 30th, 2023. There will be no refunds, unless the entire event is canceled.
No new registration at BIB pickup or at Sheep Mountain Lodge. Of your entry, $50 is tax deductible to US citizens because the Fireweed is a nonprofit organization §501(c)(3), EIN 27-1713242
No new registration at the safety meeting, or at Sheep Mountain Lodge on Friday or Saturday.
Pre-Event Meeting - time(s)/day(s) TBD
THE PRE RACE SAFETY MEETING IS MANDATORY. Riders absent from the meeting will not be allowed to start. The meeting is for BIB pickup, signing and turning in the race waiver, and getting questions answered.
All riders and support crew members must sign and turn in the Release of Liability forms prior to the event. ALL of the riders AND the relay team’s support crew must be at the Pre-Event Meeting to get the vehicle numbers and vehicle information card. Rider(s) and crew members are responsible for making sure they have signed a waiver prior to the event.
SAFETY MEETING
&
PACKET PICKUP
Start Line
Health and Wellness
Sheep Mountain Lodge
17701 W Glenn Hwy, Chickaloon, AK 99674, USA
Community Forum
Don't die. Please! But like seriously.
This is a fully self-supported race. There will be no medical services and no aid stations along the way.
Hydration
Drink water. See above
COURSE DETAILS
COURSE DESCRIPTION
"The most beautiful road race in the state of Alaska"
Simplified Course Instructions:
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Race starts at Sheep Mountain Lodge at mile 113.5 Glenn Highway ( 17701 W Glenn Hwy, Chickaloon, AK 99674).
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Start at sign labeled “Start”
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Ride toward Glenallen… stay on the main highway
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Stop at Stop Sign in Glenallen … Turn right at Stop Sign
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Remain on main highway
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Climb a hill
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Hydrate
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Descend a hill
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Stop at the sign that says “Finish”
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Get high fives
Complete Course Description:
Riders will start at Sheep Mountain Lodge at mile 113.5 on the Glenn Highway (17701 W Glenn Hwy, Chickaloon, AK 99674).
The riders will be surrounded for most of the race on the Glenn and Richardson highways by the Talkeetna Range and the Chugach Mountains. In the first 15 miles of the route, racers will find a couple of steep climbs. The first six miles has a 1000 foot elevation rise.
At approximately 15 miles from the start, riders will reach Eureka Summit (3,322), the highest point of the Glenn Highway. In the next 60 miles to Glennallen, the route descends gradually to an elevation of approximately 1000 feet.
Traveling east to Glennallen, riders will have views of the Wrangells, including Mount Sanford (elevation 16,237 ft), Mount Drum (elevation 12,010 ft), Mount Wrangell (elevation 14, 163 ft), and Mount Blackburn (elevation 16,390 ft).
Along with the Saint Elias Mountains, the Wrangells contain the most spectacular array of glaciers and ice fields outside of the polar regions. The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the nation's largest national park, and with the adjacent Kluane National Park of Canada, are designated a World Heritage site by the United Nations.
Riders will climb and descend thompson pass, which is a 2,678-foot high mountain pass through the Chugach Mountains near Valdez, Alaska. The road from the base of the pass into Valdez takes you through Keystone Canyon, and Bridal Veil falls on the approximately 17 miles to the finish line.
The race course concludes at a State of Alaska DOT facility parking lot immediately outside downtown Valdez.
Ride with GPS Route:
This link contains a GPS analysis of all major terrain features. This includes descriptions of all measured climbs and descents.
Race maps, GPS files, and elevation data are available. More features are available with premium navigation accounts.
For those who love data on their handlebars, you're going to love this next section.
Download raw GPS data here and upload to your own device
The Fireweed Race Course GPS Files.zip Contents:
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The_Fireweed_-_Racing_Across_Alaska.fit
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The_Fireweed_-_Racing_Across_Alaska.gpx
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The_Fireweed_-_Racing_Across_Alaska.kml
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The_Fireweed_-_Racing_Across_Alaska.tcx
