McKenzie river trail & a day in Bend

Sunday i woke to an alarm outside Chris’ rental for our 7:00 departure for McKenzie river trail. Chris found a shuttle and we are to meet @ 9:00 for ride up to upper TH. Drove past Santiam Lodge that is still boarded up. I spent 2 nights there on my PCT hike. West of summit was skeleton forest from past burn.

Dropped into McKenzie drainage and found Belknap resort just before 9:00. Shortly Marlene from the resort arrived w/ big pickup. She was a lively person. Drove us to start @ Fish Creek. We elected to start @ uppermost start and rode the rough hike a bike basalt section around Clear Lake that is beyond clear. Part of the trail over the basalt was paved. Extra 1 1/2 miles or so was not needed.

Crossed the river and then the real fun started. Great woods ST w/ a testing section of more basalt but way more rideable. On my previous ride of this trail i walked a bunch of the basalt and I tossed over those parts in my mind from then on. I recalled the memory when I rode over that section and put the demon to bed. River is impressive w/ several h2o falls, the blue pool where the h2o resurfaces after flowing under ground. And the h2o is clear h2o blue.  Encountered hikers on way to falls. Everybody was polite and sharing of narrow trail. Lower seat and high rise wide handlebar made big difference. Also PUSH suspension.

Exited trail early and rode pavement about 3 miles to van parked @ RS. Learned that the river is diverted for a hydro electric project but some h2o seeps under the lava and emerges @ Blue Hole.

Stopped @ barbecue restaurant in Sisters. Heavy traffic going other way as weekenders made their way back to west side.

Chris and I were standing @ my van out front and a woman on her bike showed up. Chris started the conversation and she stayed. Her name is Sky, just new in town, renting a room in house just thru the hedge from my van, is a photographer, and amicable. We floated her photo idea of photographing riders out @ Phil’s. Invited her over for a showing of The Big Labonski that I have. She declined. We stayed up till 11:00 to finish fighting sleep off after the hard ride.

Today I couldn’t sleep in.

Chris and I were getting ready to walk downtown when a male biker rode up. He was curious about my adventure. He said that he is an ultra endurance athelete and he learned last weekend that he has lost skills learning about other people because of the hours of solo training time. I told him I noticed that in myself this weekend in talking w/ Chris. Solo life really becomes you and only you. It’s important to have interpersonal conversations. And then we walked downtown and noticed the fine women. Bend has a lot.

I sprayed h2o & scrubbed w/ dawn & bristle brush the Turner. Bike shows wear w/ scatches and grime almost impregnated into the surfaces.

I stumbled onto Cog Wild while trying to drive to campspot beyond Phils. Trying to meet another Chris who I met in Moab.

Years ago I found this partially shaded secluded camp site just pass Phil’s. Since my last visit it was partially cut taking trees above maybe 16″ diameter. Surface logged leaving skidder scars and slash. Former spot lost its shade and gained slash. Fortunately another spot was just a short drive. Tomorrow I will ride from here.

81 degrees and cloudless and Oregon 4000′ desert air.