I am doing my first brevet in a few weeks, it is on the Denali Highway and is a very beautiful area. To be with a group of like minded individuals will be great as most of my rides to date are solo. Fairbanks is a small town so almost everyone is a hard core roadie or mountain biker. If there are bears about there is strength in numbers.
Now that I am retired and only doing woodwork my social network is small, only dingo markets one day a week. When I realized that bicycling was the only way for me to finish my medications before I have to increase the dose. Did the fireweed 100 a few years ago and it was a great sense of accomplishment. Randonneuring fits in with my age and mindset. I plan to create some local permanent rides in the 200 k range. One of them starts and finishes at a hot springs, can already feel the hot water at the end of that ride. No doubt to each his own, but for me it is a good fit.