Pole Pedal Paddle returns Saturday. And whether you plan to head to Mt. Bachelor or shop at the Old Mill, the race may impact your plans.
The race kicks off with the downhill and cross country skiing at the mountain. From there, the racers leave the west village parking lot for the biking stage.
If you’re coming down from the mountain, you’ll be routed through Sunriver.
At the Athletic Club of Bend, the bikers hand-off to the runners.
Riverbend Park and the Old Mill will be busy with kayakers and the sprint finished. But those are also the best places to watch and cheer on your friends.
The start and finish times vary depending on which division is competing. So you should expect impacts from the morning at Mt. Bachelor into the afternoon in Bend.
RELATED: From 2022: PPP 2nd place finisher reflects on first race after supportive dad’s death:
Here is the course description, according to the PPP website.
- The Alpine leg starts at the top of Mt. Bachelor’s Red Chair where skiers have to sprint 200 feet uphill without their skis, then find where they put their skis, put them on and finally ski down the LeeWay run. The course is a beginner/intermediate run.
- The Cross Country leg is an 8 km skate ski. The exchange to cycling takes place in front of the Nordic Lodge parking area.
- The Bike leg is a 22 mile beautiful ride into Bend along Century Drive. The rides finishes at the Athletic Club of Bend.
- The Run leg is a 5 mile, single track trail run along the Deschutes River and finishes at the Riverbend Park in Bend. Kid teams that are 12 and under (each member has to be 12 or younger) will do a shortened course.
- The Canoe/Kayak/SUP leg begins at Riverbend Park. Boaters will paddle upstream from the put-in point for 1/2 mile on the Deschutes River to Healy Bridge then back downstream for 3/4 mile, then back upstream for 1/4 mile to the sprint exchange.
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The Sprint leg starts at the Canoe/Kayak/SUP finish and loops over the river, down the east bank, and finishes on the foot bridge at the Old Mill District.
