Another rest day, most in a row since my kidney laceration just about a year ago. No injury this time, just weather and wet trails where i happen to be.

Today I am south of Kimberly, ID @ Indian Springs TH for the 2nd night. Arrived here yesterday afternoon, trails were rideable but I elected to hike @ Bruneau SP back @ Mountain Home. 2 squalls have moved thru so far that dropped wet snow, nothing stuck down low, however a dusting visible is higher up. Tonight temp is forecast in 20s then highs upper 40s tomorrow for my ride.

I learned of Indian Springs from a response on MTBR asking for ride ideas. As I drove to Spoke and Wheel Bike shop the deja vu bells started going off. I remember the shop and the trail from a previous visit back long time ago. Mike @ the shop gave me a route map. Last night I camped @ a satellite TH among range cows. Now I am @ the official site on rolled gravel but more public. I am the tallest thing around until the electric transmission towers up on the hillside. sage & lava flows on the Snake River Plateau. Evil Kneviel attempted jumping the Snake River gorge @ Twin Falls.

The fork mount part of my bike rack for the Turner developed a crack in the weld and was propigating. yesterday @ Bruneau I had the rain cover over the bikes which acted like a wind block. Wind was strong enough that it was flexing the fork mount. Just a matter of time before weld failed. Picked 2 weld shops from the Twin Falls phone book. Scored @ the second shop and drove to the shop. Guy welded the piece for free. Great.

Yesterday I left my spot down by the river (Snake) and drove to Bruneau SP. I stopped @ the visitor center and read the exhibits therein. Several fossil exhibits of prehistoric horses. The Snake was the drainage for the Bonneville Lake floods, similar to the Lake Missoula flood flowing into Lake Coeur d’Alene & down the Spokane River to the Columbia. The Snake flows into the Columbia. Old lava flows in this part of the country.

North America’s tallest sand dune is in the park, something like 450′ high. I climbed to teh top and walked the ridge line for aways. Wind was blowing up slope creating a ground blizzard of sand only no cornice was formed but the sand avalanched point release style on the back side.

Sunday was a rainy windy day as i drove from Ontario, OR to Mountain Home. Boise was in the rain.

Winter is moving in and I need to get south of it b4 too long. Weather forecast is for drier & warmed weather for several days. Utah front range has winter storm warning. I plan on riding Fruita & Grand Junction then down to Moab before skirting the Big Ditch to ride Thunder Mountain again if snow free. Might make Hurricane b4 Thanksgiving.

Learned of trails @ Price, UT. I need to be careful as there are large animals that might like people, take a look:

Today I drove to Shoshone Falls Park on the Snake. I learned that Evil’s jump was 1 1/2 miles down stream. Tucked among the basalt rocks is an elk farm. A bull w/ an enormous rack was bedded down against a building 50′ from the road. Velvet still clung to several of his branches.

Almost all the snow has melted uphill from me. Desert sand drains well. Ride here tomorrow and then Utah bound.

Tonight parked in a city parking lot right next to RR tracks. Parking lot is possibly paved over dead businesses. Parked under a parking lot light behind businesses 200′ from tracks. Ontario is sweet onion fame.

Yesterday AM camped near Phil’s in Bend. Heater on low all night. Plan today is to install the new brake, get in a ride, get a shower, do laundry, grocery shop, then head east.

Installed new Formula RX rear brake w/ ease. The brake hose is too long and needs to be shortened. Brakes are hydraulic which require expertise to cut & install new hose fittings while not allowing air to enter the line. Rode w/ big hose bow that was inside my handlebar ends so i should not snag it. As the brake wore in it became very powerful w/ some modulation comfort locking the rear wheel on i finger squeeze. B4 ride start I called Sunnyside bike to make afternoon appointment. Talked w/ Mike who helped me last year. I had forgotten that help. I did write his name and his help on back of shop business card. He remembered me.

Rode like marvin’s garden @ start to COD then down to Storm King climbing up to the Helispot on top of Phil’s and then down Phil’s to van. 2 1/2 hr ride.

Dropped bike off @ shop, took shower, did wash, grocery shopped and made shop just after dark. Drove to 10 Barrels for beer, dinner, and watch the ALCS game: Rangers vs Yankees. Place was packed, scored last open seat @ bar. Drank 2 beers and ate a 12″ pizza during the game. Rangers smoked the Yanks for last game of series, Rangers go to their first World Series.

Woke w/ a slight hangover. 3 beer weinie.

Plan today is to drive east to Ontario, OR for a ride, perhaps. Weather forecast called for rain which didn’t arrive. I researched a bike shop in Ontario for ride beta. Called the number, it is now a church office. Drove to address, business is gone. Too late to figure out a ride out of my unknown. Parked in parking lot for the night.

Stanley & Ketchum have snow and below freezing night temps. Too late to ride there this trip.

Central & eastern OR is dry and lots of ancient volcanic remains. Sagebrush, scattered juniper trees.

Plan tomorrow is to drive to Boise and wait out forecasted rain for maybe a Monday ride.

Will I sleep thru the train noises? Might I be rousted?

Still in Bend. Made Monday a rest day which included another chiro adjustment. Sunshine cycle replaced my rear derailleur cable from Sat’s stick grabbing gash. The force of the stick & bike snapped a zip tie and split the housing. Checked out 10 barrel brew pub suggested by Terry H. Enjoyed beer and struck up 2 out of the blue conversations w/ unsuspecting persons who chose to sit next to me at the bar. Spent night @ same spot outside of town.

Tuesday’s ride was to work out aches from weekend rides and also to enjoy a longer ride. Rode from camp. Waited for temp to make the 40s then headed out.  There are literally miles of ST from Phil’s TH. There are sections of pretty tech riding. Appear to be all hand built trails leaving the good stuff still in the tread. Beautiful fall day. Ride lasted 4 hrs. Enjoy riding my bike. The uphills are work, the flats are big gear power spinning, and the downhills are like carving on skis. For the most part the trails can be ridden both ways which is a supreme compliment. Even a shallow angle on the downhill carries speed. Great place to ride.

Another beer @ 10 barrels and a Ranger win and I slept @ same place.

I made Wed a rest and drive day. I drove over to Waldo lake on the other side on McKenzie pass via Cascade Lakes hwy for first time. Wonderful drive thru extinct volcano lands. At MT Bachelor parking lot all 3 Sisters were visible. Back in the late 80s 3 buds & we summited & Tellemarked down. Ah, memories. HWY 58 @ McKenzie Pass crosses the PCT where I hiked back in ’78. Wow.

Oh, the reason to go to Waldo Lake: A great ride and a reconnect w/ Jay from Oakridge. I met him summer of ’09 helping w/ the Cream Puff. He had the time and desire to make the short drive for the ride.

Plan was to drive towards Charlston Lake to camp. Lake is near NE end of Waldo Lake. I had camped at a spot years b4. When i got there is was populated by a large hunting party w/ generators, loud music wall Way better, only listened to my music.tents w/ wood stoves inside.  My camp was across the road from them. I walked a short distance crossing the PCT to Charlston Lake. I camped here back in’78 on my thru hike. Ah, memories. Hiked the .5 miles north on trail till it crossed the road I was parked on. I found a camp spot all but on the trail just off the road.

Today woke to another beautiful day. Meeting Jay @ Betty Lake trailhead @ 10:00. Charlie and John arrived w/ Jay. Great to visit w/ Jay again. Charlie is days short of 70, Jay turns 60. Old folks ride. John might be in his 50s, I didn’t ask.

Duh moment: People are out hunting big game, we are riding in the same woods. I wore my long sleeve orange jersey. Jay wore some electric green. Waldo Lake is a gem ride and pure lake. I rode the route years ago. By end of July the snow mosquitoes are gone leaving just the regular mosquitoes. Recall my last summer @ Diamond Lake, OR. Trail stays pretty tight to lake shore. Just uphill from most of trail is wilderness land which is closed to bikes. We ride just @ edge of wilderness. I got dropped by all 3 but not by far. Charlie smoked, I should have been even w/ him being 10 years younger.

Waldo Lake sits @ 54xx’ in lodgepole forest where it is dry and mixed hemlock fir where it is wet. The fall colors are subtle with grasses turning brown, huckleberry bushes turning red or yellow. And the conifers remain deep green. Blue clear skies. Sunlight low angle filtering thru the canopy. Give me the Cascades.

La Nina calls for wetter and colder winter for Northwest and drier & warmed for Southwest. Miss the skiing but will enjoy sun in Sedona.

Forecast has been calling for wet starting tonight which is why I did not go to Oakridge to ride in the rain. Plan tomorrow is a short ride from here in AM if not raining, then doing laundry, then head to way east OR which might also be wet. Possible snows. Plan still is to make another go of  Sun Valley as I head south.

My new Formula RX brake arrived. Tomorrow I plan on  installing it. Price Point helped me out on purchase. To date the remaining original bike parts are the shifters and cranks and they will be replaced shortly. The rubber grips on the shifters are wearing away. I have ridden 8300 plus miles in 27 months.

In Bend I have been taking showers @ public park. Senior citizen price of $4.50.

Camped @ same Bend spot.