With a summer full of riding you're at your physical peak, right? And everyone knows October offers some of the best riding
of the year. Most years, the air is clear, dry and cool. The average high temperature for mid-October days is 62. The
average sky is crisp, azure blue. The hills, and even the river, are a riot of vibrant color. Now, right now, is the very best time
for a Century.

Welcome to the Black Bear Century.

Seven interconnected routes meander along hidden roads that very few people ever find. Contained almost entirely within
the boundaries of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and High Point State Park, you'll ride far from the leaf-
peepers and the cars.  It’s quite common to see wildlife as you pedal through the amazing scenery. (In 2009 twelve people
reported seeing black bears along the route.) Pedal past the occasional ghost town. Pause at vistas that will steal your
breath for their beauty. Frequently you’ll spot the river, reflecting the smeared colors of the hills, streaked with that azure blue
sky.  It’s difficult to find any century more gorgeous or more serene than the Black Bear.

This well planned course is designed so that the further you ride, the more you will climb. The 32 is a friendly, rolly bit of road
that pretty much anyone will enjoy riding, while The 107 has enough “up” built into it to challenge even the heartiest of Hill
Nuts. (It also has some of the most exhilarating views on the east coast, so you’re well rewarded for your efforts.) The course
layout allows you to meet up (or keep up!) with riders of different abilities. It also keeps all your route options open as you go
along. Feeling particularly perky? It's a cinch to increase your mileage from one of the shorter loops to a longer one. Or say
your riding partner partied too hard the night before and isn't up to the distance you set for yourselves. No problem. It's easy
to pick up a return route at any of the rest stops to cut things short.

Ahh, rest stops. Rest stops equals food. Oh boy, what food! There are five well spaced, catered rest stops along the way.
We don't know if it's possible to actually gain weight while riding a century, but if it is, then this is where it's gonna happen.
From the amazing pastries and egg sandwiches offered by the East Stroudsburg Youth Assn. at the start, to the array of
foods, hot and cold, we ply you with at the rest stops, we'll keep you stoked. You certainly won't have to drag along
commercial power food, unless you really want to. We take good care of you here. It's nearly impossible to walk away from
the Black Bear hungry. We feed you like you're getting ready to hibernate! By the way, we suggest you register for the post
ride dinner, too. It's plentiful, delicious and well worth the price. Plus you'll be helping a worthy cause.

That's one more great reason to ride the Black Bear. Your dollars work hard to help our community. Yes, Scamp 'n' Rascal is
a commercial enterprise, and yes, we hope to make a profit from this event , but that isn't the whole story. The Black Bear
Century was created to help bring badly needed  dollars to an area where there just aren't enough donation dollars to go
around.

Most centuries are hosted as fund raisers by bike clubs. Their tax standing allows them to ask for donations of food and
other goods, and there are scads of willing members to help with the endless list of chores. That isn't quite the case for the
Black Bear. Here, if there are bagels on the table, they were bought. If there are willing hands to help with the rest stop or the
catering, they are paid. Last year twelve different charities and small businesses directly benefited from our efforts. This year
we hope to reach even more. It's our way of giving back, and we appreciate your helping us do so.

Registration Information

Registration for the 2012 Black Bear Century will open in May via Active.com. There is no registration on the day
of the event.

We suggest you add the post ride dinner for $10 when you register. Meal purchase may be an option on the day of the
event, but we're not certain.

There will be no refunds for any reason. Your fees directly impact the businesses and charities supported by the Black
Bear.

The Black Bear will run rain or shine. If you rode last year and have a Polar Bear Bucks card, bring it with you to the
start. We'll refund $10 of your 2010 registration fee. (You must be registered to receive your refund.)

Rest Stop Hours

There are three rest stops. Distance riders will hit two of them twice for a maximum of five stops. All rest stops will have
bathroom facilities, water, electrolyte drinks and an array of killer good foods.

Rest stops are spaced as follows:
The 32 - 16 miles
The 41 - 25 miles
The 47 - 16 & 36 miles
The 65 - 25, 36, & 49 miles
The 88 - 25, 36, 62 & 75 miles
The 98 -  16, 25, 44,  65,  & 78 miles
The 107 - 25, 36, 56, 76 & 89 miles

Rest stop hours are:
Millbrook Village - 8:30am - 4:30pm - Breakfast 8:30 - 10:30am, Dessert 10:30am - 4:30pm
Peters Valley - 9:30am - 3:30pm - Hearty Mid-morning snack - 9:30am - 11:30am, Meatball heroes 11:30am - 3:30pm
High Point - 11:00am - 1:30pm - cold cuts, cheeses & salads
The post ride dinner is from 12:00pm - 5:00pm.
Please time your ride accordingly.

Stuff you should know

Sunrise will be at 7:15am. Please do not leave the registration area before 7:00am. Shorter distance riders should leave no
later than 9:00am. All of the routes have some climbing. If you are not used to this, you may not be able to maintain your
customary average speed. Please plan accordingly. Riders are expected to be off the road by 6:00pm. Sunset is at 6:18pm.

Riders are expected to wear an ANSI approved helmet.

There will be a clothing drop at the Millbrook Village and Peters Valley rest stops. Clothes will be returned to the registration
area for pick up when you return.

While it's polite to stare as you ride past, do not feed or interact with any wildlife you may encounter on the ride. We are very
serious about this.

The community businesses and charities you're helping

PA Chapter of the AMTA Sports Massage Team
Bushkill Fire Company Dive Team
Delaware-Lehigh Amateur Radio Club
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
East Stroudsburg Youth Association
High Point State Park
Layton Cafe
Montague Recreation Department
Mountain Valley Bikes
Peters Valley Craft Center
Pocono Produce
Shawnee Presbyterian Church

Seven Routes. Five Rest Stops. Utterly Beautiful and Totally Fun.

NO DAY OF REGISTRATION

Post-ride dinner - $10 benefit Shawnee Presbyterian Curuch
About the
Black Bear
Century
Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012
Delaware Water Gap, PA
v.4.0
Check out a slide show from the 2010 Black
Bear Century
All registration is via Active.com.       
Registration for the 2012 Black Bear will
open in May, 2012
REGISTRATION IS LIMITED TO 500 RIDERS.
Make a full weekend of riding!  We'll be
offering two no frills rides you can do
either Friday or Sunday.  Visit beautiful
Bushkill Falls, or ride an easy loop south
to the Victorian town of Belvidere NJ.
Pictures from the 2011 event taken by our
official  photographer are available at :
www.bluestemlight.com/black-bear-century