The Sandtown Shuffle

The Sandtown Shuffle (Fall Edition)

Here is what happened at the Spring Edition of The Sandtown Shuffle.

“No Frills” gravel ride in the Foothills.

Come and hang with us at The Dirt Church!  (Camping Welcome!)

Join us in Sandtown AR on 9/30/23

Route Description:

3 routes all will depart from the Pool’s Chapel church and travel along 5 miles of Sandtown Rd./Big T (chip seal) before transitioning to gravel.  These routes have a nice mix of sandy, rocky, smooth, and raunchy gravel. There are various low-water bridges on the routes.  So, depending on water levels on race day, your feet may get wet!

Very Challenging!-Be prepared!  

The hills are rolling and consistent!

Saturday: 9/30-

Option 1:

17mi-Poke Bayou Cruise –

1500 ft. of elevation gain

A fun 60/40 mix of gravel/chip-seal out and back to the Poke Bayou.

Option 2:

30mi-Big T loop  –

2500 ft. of elevation gain

Option 3:

55mi-The Sandtown Shuffle-Revised-

5100 ft. of elevation gain

 

Please note:  These routes will NOT be marked.  The routes will posted and sent out through email, and you must have a gps computer or other means of navigatin (cue sheets) to navigate.

More details to come!

Timing— No timing….This is a ride not a race.  However there are plenty of segments on the routes, feel free to throw down!

Course Markings: VERY FEW

We will mark the intersections with confidence markers before the event, however you will need additional navigation means.   BE PREPARED

 

Aid and Support:

Phone Service can be spotty on the routes.  Support/support line will be available and give out to participants; however, we ask all participants to be fully self-supported, and help look out for your friends on the trails!

Registration

Registration is available online until the night before the event but will not be guaranteed a shirt if after the deadline of Sept 15 .

Day of registration available, however, t-shirt not guaranteed.

All riders must have a waiver on file

Start Information/Headquarters

Pool’s Chapel Church/Sandtown Community Center in Sandtown, AR

Check in- before 7:45 a.m.

All riders must check in before the start.

General Vital Info

All riders must wear a helmet.

All riders must check in prior to the start, and after the finish, and have a waiver on file.

Weather

Arkansas weather is unpredictable. Anything could happen! To accommodate our riders, our support team will collect gear (either at a support stop or a support vehicle) and leave it at the Dirt Church for pick up upon completion of the ride. This gear check is available as a courtesy to all riders. In the event of a weather emergency, all riders should take cover immediately.  Aid stations will serve as communication points for riders and SAG drivers will aid riders if any severe weather arises.

Breakfast & Lunch:

Pancakes and Coffee will be served from 6:30-7:30 am

Lunch TBA

Accommodations:

Pools Chapel Church AKA Dirt Church

This is a redundant church that is privately owned by members of the Sandtown community.  The church was built in 1953 and is one of the two original buildings left standing in our small town. There are zero operating businesses in Sandtown, so plan accordingly.  Cave City, Cushman, and Mt. Pleasant will be the closest open businesses with food and beverage options.

Lodging Options:

1)  Roughly 15 miles south of Sandtown, Batesville has various hotels and AirBNB’s available.

2) Camping: There is plenty of room for on site camping, so bring a tent and stay with us!  Also, there are 2 bathrooms, dining hall, and kitchen available in the church that will be open all weekend.

The church will act as a safe haven in the event of a storm/weather.

A firepit will be on site to enjoy as well!

Showers-

Option 1-We will have an outside shower available (bear with us this year!)

Option 2-Batesville’s state of the art community/aquatics center offer a 1 day pass for $5 that gains access to the center, which encludes showers and even a therapy pool.

Feel Free to reach out for more info!

History

Sandtown is an unincorporated mining town that started around 1886 with 7 “dig” sites stretching 5 miles to the small town of Cushman.  The Sandtown Shuffle is a grassroots gravel event that centers on the rural unincorporated community located on Sandtown Road.   Sandtown is five and a half miles west-southwest of Cave City (Sharp and Independence counties) and about nine and a half miles north of Batesville (Independence County). Local historians believe the settlement’s name comes from the white sand (or silica) found on the sandbar at the confluence of Sullivan Creek and Dry Creek in Sandtown.

In the late 1800s Manganese was discovered and started to be mined in the Sandtown area and went on to boom in the 50s when the federal government initiated a policy to stockpile the Manganese.

The sandy soil in the area is known to grow the “World’s Sweetest Watermelons” in the small neighboring town of Cave City.

This road used to be the route that the “mine” sights would use to transfer their iron ore to the White River in Guion via railroad!

 

Cause-

Rural Innovations Group is dedicated to promoting and preserving local, small communities. The goal is to create and host outdoor, health, and wellness events in local communities that showcase their unique heritage and history and develop avenues for boosting local economies.