Tonight I am camped at my usual spot out past Phil’s in Bend, OR. I spent last night just east of McKenzie Pass in ponderosa and lodgepole pines and manzanita for bushes, no salal or big tall hemlocks & doug fir. I tracked dust onto my carpet instead of wet hemlock needles. I spent 19 days and rode for 11 on the wet side. If you put the likes of Moab and Kingdom trails on your ride list, I suggest you put the likes of Oakridge on it also. If you have never been in a temperate rain forest of the west Cascades, ya gotta go. The shear green mass, the darkness under the canopy. Poison oak and blackberries.
So, no landing aircraft on the McKenzie airport. I am to meet the bike shuttle @ 8:45 @ the end of the trail. Clear cool day, the humidity made it feel colder. Met the shuttle w/ other riders. 2 did MBO & 2 rookies getting a bike operation lesson. $25 ticket to the top saving 20 plus miles of road riding.
Dropped off @ top, this time I rode on the west side of Clear lake sparing myself of the jagged basalt I experienced for the full trail experience when Chris and I rode it back in ’08. Upper part is mixed basalt tech features mixed in w/ regular forest riding. I rode more features than last time as my skill level has improved and I have more self confidence. Weekday ride meant just a few vacationers to share the trail, well better than a weekend.
I parked right off the highway feeling apprehensive of the exposure. I found several scattered pieces of window glass. Radar was warming up. I returned to a non violated home.
Trail crosses Belnap Resort, home to a hot springs pool and shower. Bought the $7.00 1 hr soak and made 10 mins b4 I showered and left. Chlorine treated h2o.
I found a road I have never driven on per my atlas where I have kept track of all the roads I have driven on that I can remember. Rt 242 over McKenzie Pass in the lava fields. Tight, narrow, twisty good pavement road. Climbing into the clouds, cresting @ the pass where the tree cover changed to lodgepole. Same elevation as aide station 3 on Alpine that was covered in maybe 100′ hemlocks.
I found a spot back off a logging road just above Sisters. I pulled up thistle weeds suspect from non weed free horse hay.
Chilly night. Today is a loop ride on Petersen ridge juts out of Sisters. Today will be my first non shuttle, earn your downhill ride since b4 Oakridge. Riding here is thru open forest w/ some basalt features mixed in. I raised my saddle about 1/4 to gain more spin leg power. Felt good to wind up a spin on mostly smooth trails.
Great views of the 3 Sisters.
Did wash in Sisters. The town has a maybe old western decor. No blocky stores.
Stopped @ Tumalo SP for a $2. shower. Place is packed w/ “campers”.
Drove to east Bend to Whole Foods for special foods and B&N for new copy of Bike mag. Whole Foods grocery, so much good food choices.
Visited Bend cycles to tell Eric I rode Hardesty.
Stopped @ 10 Barrels for a brew pub beer and tavern food for dinner, beer was great and sandwich was a pleasant surprise.
Read Bike mag. Since editor change the mag has leaned more towards the decline riders rendering me so over this mag. I liked it when Lou was editor and the focus was more on the pedal ride.
Tomorrow starts my 3 day Better Ride clinic where I will learn proven skills while unlearning what i have previously mastered which includes bad habits.
Another milestone to go along w/ 3 years of being on the road is I recently broke the 10,000 miles ridden threshold.