New Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route Granted $20,000 in Support from REI

ACA PRESS RELEASE Adventure Cycling's new road-based route to trace the Pacific Crest from Canada to Mexico Missoula, Mont. — Adventure Cycling Association — North America's largest cycling membership organization — just announced that Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) has granted the Association $20,000 to support the creation of what is destined to be one of the most iconic cycling routes in North America — a paved route tracing the Pacific Crest. The new Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route will be an approximately 2,500-mile, road-based journey, stretching from the Canadian-Washington State border through the Cascade Range into Oregon and southward through the Sierra Nevada Range in California and Nevada to the Tehachapi and San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California and on to the Mexican border.  "The Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route will be a crown jewel in the Adventure Cycling Route Network," says Julie Emnett, associate development director. "We are thrilled with this generous support from REI." Paralleling the Pacific Crest, the route will pass around and through many of North America's mountain gems, including the North Cascades National Park, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams, Mount Hood, Mount Bachelor and Diamond Peak Wilderness, Crater Lake National Park, Mount Shasta and Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake, Yosemite National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, San Gorgonio Peak and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. This extraordinary route passes through terrain as varied as thick evergreen forests, apple orchards, wide and narrow river canyons, grasslands, glaciated high Sierra canyons, volcanic cones, and high desert. Adventure Cycling chose this route as its next major project because of: its closeness to many major population centers; numerous requests from cyclists across America for such a route; its amazing scenic vistas, made popular by writers like John Muir and photographers like Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell; its extraordinary history, from the rich heritage of Native Americans to the Gold Rush to the birth of modern environmentalism; and of course, the exhilarating challenge of the terrain for the bicycle traveler. In addition, the combination of our very popular Pacific Coast Route and a new paved route near the Pacific Crest will create an epic loop and will entice even more people to travel by bicycle. The Adventure Cycling Route Network encompasses 38,158 miles of routes across the U.S. Learn more about Adventure Cycling's routes and maps at their website: http://www.adventurecycling.org. About Adventure Cycling Association Adventure Cycling Association is the premier bicycle travel organization in North America with over 44,000 members. A nonprofit organization, their mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. They produce routes and maps for cycling in North America, organize more than 40 tours annually, and publish the best bicycle travel information anywhere, including Adventure Cyclist magazine and The Cyclists' Yellow Pages. With 38,158 meticulously mapped miles in the Adventure Cycling Route Network, Adventure Cycling gives cyclists the tools and confidence to create their own bike travel adventures. Contact them at (800) 755-BIKE (2453), info@adventurecycling.org, or visit http://www.adventurecycling.org. About REI REI is a national outdoor retail co-op dedicated to inspiring, educating and outfitting its members and the community for a lifetime of outdoor adventure. Founded in 1938 by a group of Pacific Northwest mountaineers seeking quality equipment, REI operates retail stores nationwide, two online stores – http://www.rei.com and http://www.REI-OUTLET.com – and an adventure travel company, REI Adventures. REI offers products from all of the top brands for camping, climbing, cycling, fitness, hiking, paddling, snow sports and travel, including its own line of award-winning outdoor gear and apparel. While anyone may join or shop at REI, members pay a one-time $20 fee and receive a share in the company's profits through an annual member refund based on their purchases. As an active supporter of the communities in which it does business, REI is committed to promoting environmental stewardship and increasing access to outdoor recreation through education, volunteerism, gear donations and financial contributions.Spread the Adventure!