Sunday evening back out @ sleep spot outside Bend hours and a day after 2 testing rides and 2 shots of Scotch with my left leg threatening to cramp.

Friday I prepped for the epic 75 miler. I planned on what clothes to wear for 20 degree temp warming to 60 then chilling as the day waned. Plus food & electrolyte replacement. The alarm went off @ 5:00AM. I made the bus just after 6 & sat inside enjoying the heat. It was dark and below freezing. Bus seats 2 abreast. Just riders are passengers. I had an empty seat next to me. B4 is was filled I remarked to who listened that I felt like I was on an airplane and I was hoping that the person to sit next to me was thin, and possibly a great woman. Nah, we were all men and thin. Steve sat next to me. He told me he read the Bike article about me.

Bus drops us off @ Dutchman Flats near base lodges on MT Bachelor. Skies have lightened but ground is frozen. We rode clockwise around Tumalo Peak. The west & north sides were in the shade allowing the single track to remain frozen. Narrow tree steering around trail. This is the epic ride. Riders are pumped and getting after it. At issue was the trail was tight single track and the rider ahead owned the trail. The trail climbed and riders’ temps climbed. Many riders stopped to shuck layers. I was just right w/ 2 long underwear tops, Pisgah Stage race jersey, a wind breaker, tights, over shorts, long fingered gloves, and an insulated helmet liner.  After I warmed up I stopped and removed the capillene top. early part was a piece of Flagline I had not ridden. The route moved into the sun. On a soft sand corner I swung wide and broddied sliding on my right side. No harm.

We arrived back @ start & crossed the road… because the route went that way. Some new trail had been cut in to keep us off the pavement. Much of the trails to me appeared to be laid out by a drunk stumbling thru the woods. Constant turning w/ mixed in short ups & downs. Trail joined the Metolius-Windigo trail tracking around Bachelor. Pumice rocks.  Next was a this season new section that  wandered all over as it climbed up a butte. Soft dirt robs energy. By now I am way back in the slower riders and keeping ahead of the cutoff times.

I ate several Clif bars, a peanut butter, honey, Nutella sandwich. Way early I took a pull on my hammer gel flask. It was in an outside pocket of my pack. @ 30 degrees it was not happy squeezing out. I put it in the main pocket of a food bag on my handlebar. Putting it here meant that I could squirt while I rode. Sometime later I went for a hit and the flask was gone. i checked my pack & pockets to no avail. My conclusion was I did not put in the food bag.

The trail dropped off the butte heading home. Except a bonus lap was thrown in adding 12 miles and riding another newly cut piece of trail, Tiddlywinks that was loaded w/ soft dirt table tops & berms. I hardly see a rider. The trail is marked w/ orange tape w/ “trail” printed on it. Intersections are marked & sometimes on long sections a random piece to indicate I was on course. The trail “Funner” climbed up but some sections were part of a downhill run. I walked up the steep sections. I popped out of the woods into aid station 2 confirming I was on course.

More riding to last aid station. hardly any riders. The race official hollers, “You have 10 minutes to leave to aid station or get pulled.” About 8 miles are left to finish. The last 8 miles have some of the nastiest tech stuff. I pleased myself as I rode many of the moves previously I walked. Trail dumps out @ Phil’s TH then a 5 mile road ride back to parking lot.

Computer battery died @ 67 miles, 8 hours 32 mins riding, catch this: 7152 calories burned, and 7090′ climbed. I started my watch @ start, at finish I was out for 10 hrs 23 mins.

I needed a shower. I quickly loaded up w/o stretching and drove to bend’s public health club. I shuffled to the door and pulled it open. It was locked. Closing time is 6:15 and I am @ 6:17. Attendant wouldn’t open it for me to take a shower. I would ahve been steamed if I would have been under a shower.

Dinner @ beer are @ Deschutes Brewery. Place is hopping w/ riders and a loud band. People are screaming to communicate. I am spaced out from ride effort. I eat a piece of Veggie lasagna, a bit of Caesar salad and only had interest in 2 beers.

Paul Thomasberg was one of the originators of the tour. Paul was a pro mtn bike racer back in the day. We shared “The Boss” 100 mile mtn bike race back in perhaps 89. I Introduced myself to him but he said he knew all about me. He has a Sprinter also and checked mine out.

Several other riders conversed because they read the article. A guy & wife sat next to me. They were thrilled that they got to meet me because they took pictures of my van @ Baker Creek near Ketchum.

I left about 8:30 and drove to Tumalo SP for a $2.00 shower that never closes. Then drove another 20 miles to out of Sisters sleep spot across the road from where I stayed b4. I backed up and into road construction debris. I was almost stuck. Tires found traction to escape and I made it into a level spot.

I layed down in bed and fatigue hit. Muscles started telling me how sore and itching to cramp. I hurt.

Sunday’s ride is west of Sisters which is why I camped here. Another beautiful day, just below freezing. I drove into Sisters to bike shop to buy another Hammer gel flask.

I drove to TH getting there early. Riders started filling the parking lot up. A Sprinter pulled in next to me. I met Nick who just bought an ’06 like mine and is figuring out what to do w/ it. I talked w/ several other people and lost track of time. I just managed to catch the tail end of the riders meeting.

We all took off at once. Maybe 150 riders. Big logging road uphill @ start separated the bunch, w/ me trying to find a gap between groups. Today’s ride was mostly thru an old burn. Several riders talked w/ me on the climbs. I huffed and puffed my way. Early part was a mix of logging road climbs and ST descents. Ride was 23.98 miles. 13 miles from the finish was a double track, 8 miles climbed 2100′ vert, almost all uphill. My body started talking back. Trees thinned as we climbed from the burn or logging enough to see vertical terrain. One peak stood out. I vigorously hoped that the trail would skirt the peak and find the downhill to the finish. I caught the flash of a rider on the skyline almost @ the top. Shit! Gotta go up more. I walked several of the pumice sand sections to conserve energy. The top part was red pumice rubble. AT the top I joined a bunch of other riders as more continued to join. The faster ones were well gone. Several rdiers asked about my adventures.

Downhill was almost 5 miles all down. Upper part scratched thru manzanita brush growing over the trail. Trail tread was the pumice gravel. Made my biggest step up todate over a root. Felt good especially so late in ride.

Ride was 23.98 miles in 3 hrs 37 mins, burned 2382 cals & climbed 3998 feet.

Hung around for post ride beer & food; met some more riders. Drove to Tumalo SP for $2,00 shower. I asked the GPS to find a saved intersection on Skyliner. It took me the country way bypassing metro Bend. Back @ same sleep spot.

Tomorrow is a rest & chore day. A chiro appointment @ 9:00. A bike shop replacement for my rear derailleur cable because I rolled a stick up that jammed my derailleur and snapped a zip tie and herniating the cable housing. At first my shifting didn’t happen. I fussed w/ the housing and got the shifting back on click. I was afraid that the housing could fail allowing the cable to bulge thru. If so, I would have been riding a 3 speed using just the chain rings. I meet w/ Melaine from Cog Wild in the PM.

My new brake arrives in Bend on Wed. Forecast for Thurs calls for precip into the weekend.

I plan on ridng Waldo Lake on Thurs then down to Oakridge for weekend.

I will enjoy a rest day. i am hammered.

What I experienced this weekend as a festival was fun. Riders talked and were polite. Many of them said hello. My van was quite the attraction. At the nationals @ Sol Vista nobody said hello. Racers are a different species.

Off to bed. May I not cramp.

Yesterday’s highlights were 2 chiro appointments. On Wed I searched thru my insurance carrier listing of Chiropractors in Bend and searched against chiros specializing in Cranial sacral beleiving that inn the past that treatment method silenced my SI joint. Found a chiro that match both criteria. made an appointment for yesterday as I need to make the SI quiet for my upcoming 70 mile epic ride on Sat. First appointment was for interview and Xrays. the DR asked about my injuries & surgeries. He wrote 1 side then started on another side of the paper. Took Xrays of my spine in different sections & aspects. Plan is for him to review Xrays and treat me luckily later that day.

I filled the intervening time by doing my wash then wandering downtown Bend. Give me time and people and conversations occur. I visited an antique book collector store. The proprietor told of a person who stole rare books from her, Reminded me of a Bob Edwards show about this particular book thief.

Back @ chiro he secretes us in a conference room w/ an Xray viewer and my Xrays. He says he has discovered my problem: My left leg is 9mm shorter than my right. as a result my spine looks like a country road. He made several adjustments. Quite something to feel & hear my neck pop & crackle as he twisted it just so to the right and then the left. He gave me a 7mm heel riser for an adjustment period b4 I switch to full 9mm wedge. All that book learning w/ the education institution only pulling my right leg. I am icing my SI joint. Since putting the rider in my left shoe I stand straighter. My balance improved also. One body w/ so many chiropractors’ diagnosis and treatment. SI pain is lessened. He said that biking is great for exercise because it is not weight bearing. I will not require the lift in my biking shoe.

Registered for Bend’s Big Fat Festival since 1994. Received a Tshirt & pint glass. SO much stuff so little room in my van. I plan on trading stuff to lighten my load. I was shown the route for the Sat 70 mile ride. I feel better about riding it. My hip is better, the route has steep climbing right @ first followed by lots of downhill miles then a big gentle  climb then  mostly downhill back to Bend. The sign up guy said that the cut off times are healthy and that I should pass in time. Mark Driver from Sun Valley didn’t make it.

Back out @ Phil’s TH campsite. Chilly temp winnows out the tent campers. Just above freezing. I slept w/o heat to see if I would sleep better as I have not been sleeping like my usual dead dog sleep. No difference. Turned on heater and waited for van to warm up b4 getting up. Today was a rest day and preparing for Sat ride. I downloaded my bank statement and reconciled activity against MS Money. Overcast AM but inside my van I was toasty.

Worked on bike.

Drove into town afternoon to mail a package and see what would happen. Break

Cleaned kitchen up. Softening up my honey jar in hot h2o.

On way to PO I saw a Safeway grocery where I could buy postage to mail package instead of longer drive to PO. Strike out @ Safeway but clerk gave up a mail shipping business a short distance away. Drove the distance and saw 2 bike shops across the street. I parked on the street @ one of the shops and walked to mail package. When i returned to van I young couple made smiling eye contact w/ me. They checked out my van and saw Pisgah. I walked up wearing the same Pisgah jersey. Devon & Lauren are from Asheville here on a 2 month road trip climbing & mtn biking. He is an Outward Bound instructor @ Asheville and she is in wilderness therapy having completed a NOLS course. So cool. We stood in the building shade talking for awhile until the chill got to me and we walked across the street into the sun. They said they miss Asheville. And i was connected to their place as we shared stories.

Years ago someone told me an Outward Bound story. I told it to these folks and he concurred having pulled it himself only using the fig stuffing from a fig newton.

The Story: OB students spend their time literally at the feet of the course instructors. The program climaxes w/ a solo self sufficiency test. Upon completion you have completed the program, you have earned your wings. The instructors have finished their job and are like higher peers than students. One instructor took his grads on a hike telling them about aditional tricks of the trade that missed the program. One was being able to pick edible stuff from animal scat, the scat had to be just right. The instructor happened upon a pile of elk shit. He said this was a perfect plop to pick thru. He pulled a leathery piece out, blew it off, and put in his mouth and chewed. The students were aghast: they trusted him for safety, was he really on the level? Unknown to the students the instructor went out last night and placed a piece of jerky in the plop which is what he chewed on.  Trust.

Finally broke away and drove back to sleep spot @ Phil’s.

All things are coming together for tomorrow’s ride. temp will be about freezing @ the start warming to 60 high. Chilly then warm.

Ordered new Formula RX brake from Price Point. In next week, shipping address is the Chiro clinic.

Much of the forest that the phil’s trail complex is on has been selectively cut using the self propelled chain saw and the slash removed creating very open forest of young Ponderosa pine. Bend is fun riding, mostly cardio, little scary stuff.

Dean from Sedona called tonight. He made the red Bull Rampage outside of Zion NP. Enjoyed visiting w/ him. We rode together on my first Sedona ride and a shower @ his house.

Off.

After today’s ride I noticed 3 small stickies added to my canvas. What if they are gang tags?

Another night of heater. Slept in. Today’s plan is to do a long slow ride from Skyliner parking lot. Today’s plum is Flagline which is closed till 8/15 to protect elk calves.

Drove over to parking lot dallying getting ready waiting for sun warmth. Visited w/2 young men; their plan was different than mine. Finally pedaled off wearing wool top & knee warmers but short fingered gloves. Lower trail had been brushed back making longer sight lines. 10 miles gained 2000′ way up on Flagline which is the boundary of the Bend watershed. Above Happy Valley the trail crossed several meadows created by inhospitable volcanic soil. Fall is here, the light is lower on the horizon which creates sun blinded patches. Riding in & out of shadows that my eyes did not readily adjust to. The trail took me head on into sun. Met the 2 guys from the parking lot. Visited some more: they went to Pit and know Philly and some of east coast rides I rode. Further on I met Brad from BC. I learned that his GF drove him to top and he was riding down to town. Big hit bike and flat pedals. Plugged into iTunes. What a beautiful day: blue skies, just chilly temps, trails almost all to myself. Rode well, again thanks to Larry’s box.

28.54 miles, 3830′ in 3 3/4 hrs. Sat’s 70 miler will be a fistfull.

Tomorrow I have another chiro visit for SI joint. DR uses cranial sacral like Kim in Brevard. Great insurance.

My Pisgah jersey has been dry cleaned. Gone are the yogurt dribbles from my moustache.

Parked back out @ spot past Phil’s TH.

Low sun angle generates less electric from solar panel. Would be better if the panel could be raised. But then I would need a ladder to get on top of van.

Price Point, a virtual bike parts store, is helping  me when I replace parts. Next on bike is new Formula RX rear brake replacing well used Oro. Over the years Price Point received much $ from me.

My pocket Olympus is on the fritz.