I'm signed up for Orosi and Hanford next weekend too. That's part of my hesitation... driving up to Fresno (in this case way past Fresno) two weekends in a row, when I can do two races closer to home instead.
LT Intolerant, I hate crappy roads, especially descents. I don't think I could race down Gibraltar. **** on Sunday is about as bad as I can deal with trying to "race" down. How does it compare?
The descent is longer, faster in places, and the pavement IS worse. I don't want to scare you, I can do that to myself, but it's not for the faint of heart.
That said it's not a "technical" descent, and it does flatten out in portions. It's only dangerous if someone crashes (has never happened to me in the 10 times I've done it), or if a vehicle is coming the other way (fire engine 2 years ago coming to the aid of a rider who crashed almost killed 6 of us). I think the course really favors an all-arounder.