Thanks for all your congratulations. In answer to what will I do next: I will keep on riding and adventuring. Diesel was my biggest expense and on my small income restraint will be practiced. I might be a snow bird working the west coast and over to NC, SC, GA, & AL. I made friends in the SE that I want to revisit. That part of the country, while different than the NW is special. Ride Pisgah. Hang w/ the original people from Asheville. Soak up Gracie’s incredible drive; Bill Victor’s FATS in SC. For the rest of the summer I will be in OR & WA.
Yesterday I rode around Brown mtn near Medford. Area is volcanic and where trees grow populated by huge old growth doug fir and the like. I wondered what riding in the East under the broadleaf leafed out trees blocking out the sun would be like. The conifer forests offer its own dark shadows. While broadleaves have a spreading crown, conifers have almost spear like crowns but when the trees are dense the results are a dark forest floor.
On a previous trip I rode the Fish Lake trail which
Either this software or my computer is unstable as previously typed tales were erased.
Brown mtn trail; South side is single track deep forest w/ huge old growth doug fir and the like. Preceding me was a 3 person FS trail crew clearing the trail. I noticed fresh saw chips and was thankfull because the trees would have presented a challenge to cross. 2 guys and a girl and she was humping a 36″ Stihl. I learned every morning the crew draws straws and looser humps the saw. Shortly after passing them I encountered trees across the trail that I struggled to climb over or around.
North side was Fish Lake trail that I previously rode on an earlier trip but I forgot about it. I remembered it once I started on the wide smooth trail built over the large lava flows. 22 miles and I was done for day.
The day before I rented Grand Torino from Redbox and needed to return it. I planned out my next rides to be the North Fork of the Umpqua and needed a map, groceries, and electrolytes from bike shop. Spent almost 3 hours in heat driving around Medford trying to find a redbox. Fred Meyer and Safeway have their own versions. Bought what I needed and headed up the Rogue River to the Umpqua.
Stopped @ Diamond Lake visitors center to score a Umpqua River trail map. I was told that the Dread and Terror section is closed because of a hydroelectric project has flooded the trail and will not be out of water until project is complete. No ecd. Lots of snow remain. Mosquitoes are horrific. I learned that locals call them 747s, they do not know that the A380 is bigger.
Did wash and putzed around.
I spent my sophomore and junior summers working for the USFS here on the Diamond Lake district. The first summer was a first for many lifetime events, one I will share was climbing Mt Thielson, my first mtn peak. The river trail goes right by the ranger station @ Toketee.
So I am thinking of driving up to Bend for rides and making a loop back down to Oakridge to ride the ALpine trail and others in the proclaimed mtn bike capital of the NW. Oh, McKenzie trail will be ridden. From now on I will be mostly riding trails I have ridden over time and I look forward to them. Has my skill level improved such that I can now ride what i previously walked? Perhaps my well developed sense of preservation will negate the sense of improved skill.
Or, I might stay here another day and snow climb Mt Bailey on the West side of Diamond Lake.
Before I could leave the parking lot another pro conversion Sprinter pulled in. Fred & Vic soon engaged me in Sprinters and traveling. The van worked as introduction, right, Les & Betty? They have been out 13 months from back east. This is their first trip out west.
Bought $30 recreation pass for USFS lands.
Drove to West side of lake and camped @ Mt Bailey TH. Mosquitoes are plentiful, large, & not bashfull about dipping into my flesh.
Called Chris who interviewed me and posted it to his web site. He is visiting OR from back east. We made a ride date for Bend this Sat.
Michael Jackson died today.