The Course
The RIDE 542 course is all on the Mt. Baker Highway, a.k.a 542. Mt. Baker Highway is closed for this event and is one of the most scenic roads in the world. It winds up and along the Nooksack River, through giant old growth cedar groves dripping with vibrant moss and life and passes under calving glaciers. 4,300+ ft. of climbing mark the course, with gradual grades dominating until the last 2.5 mi. the road turns skyward. 23 miles are through undeveloped wilderness area managed by the USDA Forest Service and Washington Department of Transportation. Artist Point is the western most access to the North Cascades National Park and the view is awesome. RIDE 542 is a clean sponsor event and thus will post no sponsor signage beyond the start and finish areas; so it's just you, the open road...and a few other cyclists.   

National Forest Recreation Day Pass
You are required to get a permit if you are planning on driving up and parking in any of the mountain parking lots; otherwise, you will be issued a ticket. Day Passes can be purchased at REI or other retailers before the event or at registration/check-in morning of. Cost is $5 per car.

Parking
The sleepy mountain town of Glacier is very small with limited parking space. Please be as QUIET and respectfully as possible on an early Sunday morning. The townsfolk live in the country to enjoy the tranquility. We will do our best to park you effectively and efficiently. PLEASE CARPOOL if at all possible and arrive plenty early. Your arrival will be awaited by plenty of parking staff to help you.

Spectators
We love Spectators! This is an amazing ride to watch and enjoy. Find a good spot to park and set out some chairs to cheer and jeer the riders on. The best area for watching will be the last 3 miles of the ride. Park at the Ski Area and hike up...the Austin Pass lot or the Lake Ann trail head also offers excellent views. Limited parking is available at Artist Point. A National Forest Recreation Day Pass is required.

Please don't PAINT the roads--chalk, hand signs, and roadside espresso buffets are encouraged.

Road Closures
The road will be closed just past Glacier at Canyon Creek Road at 7:30 a.m. If you are sending a vehicle to the top you will need to get your vehicle past that point by 7:30 a.m. NO vehicles will be allowed on the road between Canyon Creek Road and the ski area between 7:30 am to 12 pm, up or down. At 12:00pm, a Washington State Patrol Officer will begin a rolling closure that will follow the last rider up the hill. Be aware: There will be several authorized only 'event' vehicles on the road at all times.

Pre-Race Meeting
A pre-race staging and meeting will be held 15 minutes prior to your start-time in front of Glacier Ski Shop. This is for ALL riders! No exceptions. You miss it...you will be politely disqualified and not allowed to ride. We will go over course updates, traffic rules, sponsors, and introductions. HELMETS are REQUIRED.
At ten minutes to start we will, as a group, roll to the start line, which is 1/4 mile west of the pre-race meeting location.

Food Stations
There will be a neutral water and snack station at the DOT station (mile 14) and at the ski area (mile 22). Grab a bottle and/or a little nibble on your way --don't hang out too long as it will only make those last three miles more difficult. Food and water will be available at the finish line.

Gear Truck
Each rider may send a bag (provided by the event staff) to the top in the truck. The descent can be much colder than you expect...so send warm stuff up for the ride down. The Gear Truck will leave Glacier promptly at 8:30 am.
*If you decide not to use your gear, we will bring your unused gear back down. However, PLEASE REMEMBER TO PICK UP YOUR UNUSED GEAR; otherwise, it will be donated.

Weather
We are six for seven on amazing weather. We hope the 2010 RIDE 542 holds to that standard. However, the mountain weather can be, shall we say, 'epic' at times. In (2006), the Wednesday following the event, there was an inch of snow on the road! In 2004, it was pouring down rain, 40 degrees, and miserable for the ride...and ALL but three riders (out of 170) finished! It was definitely a testament to the human spirit. Be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. We will accommodate to weather conditions as best we can.

Rewards

Results will not be provided until you are back in Glacier at about 2pm. So please, don't bother asking at the top. A timing clock will be displaying your time (as close as possible), so pay attention as you cross the line. Grab some food, warm clothes, and head back to Glacier...or hang out to watch the other riders summit.

Rewards in Glacier will be a not to miss feature in 2010. We've had some timing issues the past two years so we've hired a event timing company to handle result data this year.

The Green Reward -Presented by SSC: $10,000 cash purse. Cash purse in competitive field goes 5 deep in EACH age category for both M & W plus top 10 overall. $$$$ to the woman who wins AND breaks Leah Goldstien's 2008 record time of 1:26:36. $$$$ to the man who wins and breaks Ian McKissick 's 2008 time of 1:16:32. $$$$ for a tandem team that wins and breaks the 1:25:00 threshold. $250 each for the top KOM/QOM. And cash five deep in each age category, plus top 10 overall!
Recreational riders will be awarded medals and there will be lots of goodies to go around.

Awards Ceremony
We will have the awards ceremony and results posted back down in Glacier at the stage behind Graham's . There will be food, vendors, and music to keep you entertained until we get the results. So, in the meantime...eat, relax and enjoy.

Ride Categories
**Categories are self-seeding within each category. Your decision on which category to ride in should be based on your fitness level, your expectations, and your experience. In general, men should ride in the Competitive division if they expect to finish in under about two hours. Similarly, women should ride in Competitive division if they expect to finish in less than two hours 15 minutes.

The D.U.M.B. Century Ride 6:30 a.m. START. This ride is not for the untrained. Down and up Mt. Baker (DUMB) will be a very strenuous ride and is limited to nine hours. Riders will travel two full laps of the course, from Glacier to Artist Point. Riders must check in at Artist Point on each lap.
The D.U.M.B. Century Ride -9 hour time limit.
All men/women road bikes, recumbents, and tandems.
This event is untimed. However, the first lap up the mountain will be timed for your information only.
6:15 a.m. MANDATORY on-bike meeting at Glacier Ski Shop
6:20 a.m. Roll to start line
6:30 a.m. Start

Summit Ride 7:30 a.m. START. Ride time over 3 hours You're encouraged to ride for your best time. We'll post your time and you'll be in the drawings for some good swag. You may be passed by lots of riders and MUST ride to the right side of the road. Youth 12 and under are encouraged to ride the Summit Ride and MUST be accompanied by an adult rider at all times. Please contact race director for information regarding riders 12 or under who wish to participate.
Summit Ride -
All men/women road bikes, single speeds, recumbents, mtn bikes and tandems.
Men: (8-9, 10-12), 13-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90+
Women: (8-9, 10-12), 13-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90+  
Weight: Athena (W): 160 lbs.+ or Clydesdale (M): 200 lbs bs.+
7:15 a.m. MANDATORY on-bike meeting at Glacier Ski Shop
7:20 a.m. Roll to start line
7:30 a.m. Start

Recreational Ride 8 a.m. START. Ride time between 2 hours and 3 hours 30 minutes. This division is a non-competitive ride but we encourage you to challenge yourself and ride for your best time. This division includes recreational tandems. There are no maximum time cut-off times.
Recreational-
All men/women road bikes, single speeds, recumbents and tandems
Men: 13-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+
Women: 13-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+ 
Weight: Athena (W): 160 lbs.+ or Clydesdale (M): 200 lbs bs.+
7:45 a.m. MANDATORY on-bike meeting at Glacier Ski Shop
7:50 a.m. Roll to start line
8:00 a.m. Start

Recreational Fast Ride 8:30a.m. START. Ride times between 1 hours 45 minutes and 2 hours 45 minutes. This division is as fast as you can get without being competitive. If you you can break 1:40 you need to upgrade to Competitive...no sandbagging please.
Recreational Fast-
All men/women road bikes, single speeds, recumbents and tandems
Men: 13-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+
Women: 13-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+ 
Weight: Athena (W): 160 lbs.+ or Clydesdale (M): 200 lbs bs.+
8:15 a.m. MANDATORY on-bike meeting at Glacier Ski Shop
8:20 a.m. Roll to start line
8:30 a.m. Start

Competitive Tandem Ride 9 a.m. START - competitive tandems. Recreational tandems may ride in the Summit or either Recreation Rides but will not be eligible for cash purse prizes. Ride times between 1 hours 30 minutes and 2 hours 30 mintues for the comp tandems.
Competitive Tandems-$2500 prize purse
Categories: M/M, M/F, F/F
Cumulative Age: <40, 40-59, 60-79, 80-99, 100-119, 120+
8:45 a.m. MANDATORY pre-race meet meeting at Glacier Ski Shop
8:50 a.m. Roll to start line
9:00 a.m. Start

Competitive Ride 9:30 a.m. START- Ride times between 1 hour 15 minutes and 2 hours 30 mintues. This division is for both men and women. This ride is fast and furious. Please ride cautiously and be prepared. Some of the best riders in the world tend to show up for this event. Just by being in this field you'll take 5 minutes off of your time.
Competitive- prize purse at LEAST $10,000 evenly between M&W.
All men/women road bikes, single speeds
Men: 13-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+
Women: 13-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+ 
Weight: Athena (W): 160 lbs.+ or Clydesdale (M): 200 lbs bs.+
9:15 a.m. MANDATORY on-bike meeting at Glacier Ski Shop
9:20 a.m. Roll to start line
9:30 a.m. Start

**All riders should arrive at the top sometime between 9:45 and noon.

Volunteers
As with any event, volunteers are essential to the success of this event. Please recruit family and friends to volunteer and cheer riders on. The more help we can get, the better the event becomes. Swag for all volunteers. Contact info@norkarecreation.com for volunteer opportunities.

Our Thanks

NorKa, LLC (dba: NorKa Recreation) produces RIDE 542 with help from local businesses, volunteers, and sponsors along with county and state officials. We cannot thank enough the volunteers and the residents of Glacier that put up with us for a Sunday in September. Please patronize local business and thank a volunteer.