Beautiful cold clear frosty morning, 26 degrees, steam on windshield start. Today I need to be @ Cog Wild in west Bend @ 8:00 for shuttle over to McKenzie river trail. Melanie drove 8 of us over Santiam pass and down to Fish Lake TH for our ride.
Ah, the McKenzie. Fourth time I have ridden it. Just spectacular scenery in the forest and technical riding over the basalt chunks. I joined a group of 7 buddies of varying ability and fitness. One guy crashed his Specialized 29er hard tail and fractured hisleft chain stay. He splinted it by duct taping a cedar twig and a zip tie i gave him. Rain fell here in the last storm also making the trails deep woods tacky. Riding the basalt challenges were mostly met, a few botched and walked , and others that were for me unrideable (I would not commit to). Fall colors of the turned vine maple but mostly deep green from the tall conifers. Never far from white water flowing river.
This is looking upstream from outflow of Clear Lake:
Further down was the top falls:
Down lower the trail left the basalt, round river rock took its place. Ride per edge 305 was 24.45 miles in 3 hrs 12 mins. Climbed 1354 and dropped 3013. Burned 3496 cals. w/ just 4 mins anaerobic.
Melanie was waiting for us @ the RS. We loaded up and she drove us back to Bend.
Shower @ SNAP, beer @ 10 Barrels, made food @ Newport Market then back to same camp spot. Both baseball games were delayed by rain.
Tomorrow’s forecast is for sunny weather, fri is calling for rain. Tomorrow is my ride window for Waldo Lake, less than 2 hours from Bend. Out, do the ride, then drive back to Bend.