Thursday I did laundry in Bend. I noticed the boards I broke on the nearby fence have been replaced. I bought diesel and propane and groceries then headed down US 97 to Crescent Junction over to rt 58 over Willamette Pass down to Oakridge and a homecoming. I visited at the Mercantile then over the bridge over the tracks to old town and up Main st to Brewers Union Pub where many mountain bikers gather. Picked up where each of us left off. Randy from MBO and more. I ate dinner then drove 26 miles up the Middle Fork of the Willamette to Sacandaga FS campground, site of 3 day work party on the river trail. Ben was setting up his kitchen that would feed us 3 squares over the next 3 days. His food is not what can be cooked over a 2 burner Coleman stove. Refrigerated beer trailer w/ 5 taps from a new brewery sponsor. Early arrivals sipped beer while sitting around a campfire that worked to lessen the mosquitoes feasting on our blood. I found a flat spot for my sleep spot.
Mosquitoes: They like the wet side of the Cascades. Lots of females searching blood to lay the next clutch of blood suckers. Minimize exposed skin covered w/ material her proboscis can’t penetrate. My heavy duck pants blocked access. I wore a Carhart jacket for the top then just swatted the neck biters. Opening the van door seemed to be an invitation to dinner. I managed to kill most of then before crawling under my bedding.
Friday AM bfast and packing a lunch we gathered for work assignments. I joined a brushing crew, my role was pitching cut stuff off the trail after the weedeaters cut back the brush. Not string cutters but one a saw blade and the others a metal blade. I drug a pitch fork down the trail essentially raking the trail. The pitchfork width matched the trail width. My work required little effort and a lot of waiting.
The Middle Fork is a river trail.
Did I mention the mosquitoes?
I learned from Lev of Cog Wild that we would have a shuttle up to Youngs Rock on Sat. Friday the shuttle showed up for a Fri, shuttle. I had started drinking beer before I learned of a shuttle. I don’t ride with alcohol in my system. Missed a shuttle.
Friday night dinner was a Ben’s special. He posted a white board with the menu description. Plastic utensils and using your lap for a table did not do justice to his crew’s effort.
Slept w/ the side door opened covered by netting.
Sat my project was to complete the brushing of the 4 mile section of trail. I organized 2 summer interns and Josh to hand lop brush. We drove down the the far end of the trail then hiked upstream cutting back woody growth. We connected w/ where we left of the day before then hiked back to camp.
Oh, add poison oak to nature’s discomforts.
Sat after work I changed into my riding gear and stayed away from wetting my whistle. A radio message was received at camp that a saw crew had not returned. The 4 of us who were hoping to ride Youngs were dispatched on a search mission. We were shuttled up stream to ride down stream searching for them. I got to ride over work that I did 3 years ago on a work project, the rocks I laid were still in place. We carried our bikes over several blow downs, this was the biggest and nastiest we dealt with:
The saw crew came out from the upstream of the trail junction we rode down on. We just missed each other. Us riders got picked up and driven further upstream where they might have been. Us riders ended up riding a bit of the trail but missed out on the shuttle up to Young’s rock. Back at camp I made it to dinner and a few beers. On Sat the sign up sheet listed 27 volunteers.
Sunday’s work was to build 3 bridges, one each over small feeder streams. I worked with a crew on 1 bridge.
No Sunday shuttle.
Back at camp after a beer I took a solar shower. The shower collected heat from the sun, so much that the temp was too hot. My shower set up is to pour the heated water into the Helio pressure tank and use the attached nozzle to squirt myself. A foot pump is used to pressurize the vessel. Problem is the pressure exceeds the ability of the cap to resist air escaping. I pump up until i hear the air escaping the put the thing on top of my Jobox which makes the pressure last a bit longer. I did add cooler water from my van tank. I emailed Helio about the air escaping and received an answer that blew me off.
To fill the propane I am required to turn off the fridge then start the fridge once the filling hose is detached. I neglected to restart the fridge. Friday AM I woke up. Last night I forgot to turn off the fridge cooling fan which is noisy when running. It was peculiar that the fan was quiet all night. I looked at the fridge control panel which is right almost at eye level when in bed. No lights: fridge was not working. First thought was fridge failure as recently the fridge failed to relight. I pushed in the start button and the fridge started right away. So far so good. I opened the door and checked the thermometer: 52 degrees: food spoilage. A faint smell of badness was present. There is just Ben’s trash bags and I did not want to share my mistake with others. By Sunday stink was what i smelled, I needed to drive back to town and find a garbage can. I removed a piece of chicken which seemed to be the odor source and milk products. Fridge was working properly.
Sunday dinner at the Pub. I asked Randy, owner of the shuttle company Oregon-Adventures.com, how to get on the Alpine shuttle the next day. He said show up at 9:30 and he would put me on. My plan is to ride the big one: Alpine, Tire mtn, Cloverleaf, and Alpine known as ATCA. I spent the night on Salmon Creek just outside of town.
Yesterday after bfast and clean up I drove to the shuttle location. My bike and me were loaded joining 5 other riders. Randy comped my fee in recognition of my contribution and a local. Shuttle drives up FS road 1912 to Kate’s cut in that Derrick and I built years previously. Logging road travel. Beautiful day. A bit of a climb emerged onto top of Bunchgrass mtn
Great old legacy hiking trails in the forest. Down a ways I turned onto Tire Mtn trail
Which dropped into old growth cover
Clover Patch junction leaves the downhill replaced by uphill mixed in w/ more downhill which connects w/ a logging road and climbing the Clover patch Tie back to Alpine trail near Buckhead shelter. Once back on Alpine the trails continue to loose elevation back to the Red Bridge in WestFir trailhead.
My ride was 23.64 miles climbing 3539″ and descending 6782′. took 3 hours 22 mins, I spent 1 hr 18 mins anaerobic. I started getting a cramp in my left leg that I couldn’t make go away which caused me to walk a little on the last uphills.
I placed the solar shower on the Jobox before I left on my ride. Hot water again. Years ago I discovered using the toilet stall in the rest room as my shower room as the floor is concrete and a floor drain. Another hot shower. I can get clean including washing my hair w/ less than 2 gallons of water.
Clean then back to Pub again. Tonight was a long conversation w/ Jim, the town mayor, about his effort to grow the mtn biking scene here. Green money to the town.
Last night at dusk I drove upstream on Salmon Creek road looking for a sleep spot. This time I turned uphill on a lesser traveled single lane logging road. I was looking for a wide spot or a landing to park in. I drove climbing higher dodging holes and tree branches. I finally found a spot that was being used as a wood products dump.
I like Oakridge riding. Old woods trails under big tree cover. The Middle Fork along a white water river, so clear and pure water. Then up higher still big trees, the famous Jedi section goes thru old growth trees. Growing conditions create big trees. More mature trees create openings such as the Tire mtn pic. The trails are mostly downhill where you ride up a logging road or make shuttle arrangements. The Pub is a great socializing spot. Ray’s grocery store selections are small city choices mirroring what the customers taste and income consume. The town is sandwiched in the Willamette River valley and butts up against USFS land which keeps the town hemmed in and open land next to nothing and expensive. Last year I asked about land and was told that I needed more $ to buy in.
I am making today a rest day and attending to chores such as this while I have internet.
Tomorrow i am joining Jim to ride Heckletooth that he has ridden now 132 times. I get smoked by him. This year I should keep him a bit closer as I am riding a 27.5 compared to his 29 and I am in better shape.
I plan on returning to Bend on Thurs. Friday is fridge service and a urologist exam regarding my sore left nut. I’ll stay in bend for the next week then head north to Hood River.
Oakridge puts a smile on my face. Come check out yourself.