Crazy, made falls City late in the afternoon Wed. Stopped @ local grocery store mentioned on black rock web site. They gave me a poor quality screen print of the map. They were helpful for overnight stay suggestions. i was even offered the side lot of the store which is across the narrow street of the local tavern. Fall back position if needed. I drove out the road to the TH. No camping in the parking lot. i drove further out the road looking. I noticed several pullouts on the single lane gravel road that might work. The road entered closed Weyerhauser land. Just b4 was a logging road leading into another timber co land. Just do not block the gate. Spot for the night. Rain fell off and on during the night. About 4:30 I was awakened by truck traffic out on the main road. Log trucks hauling logs to a mill. Glad my spot was off the road.
Plan for ride was 2 rides down Banzai downhill, the green trail as in ability. A rig pulled in disgorging 3 riders. 1 guy broke the valve stem of his tube destroying the tube. None of them had a spare. I found one in my JOBOX. Guy laid a Jackson on me. I changed the tube for him.
Black Rock is all about downhill w/ man made features. Ride up a steep gravel road to the top then pick your level of anxiety downhill. On the way up the road a gap jump launched over it. This shit is way above my desire and ability. Crazy features. 1200′ climb took 44 mins, descent was 15 mins. Banzai was tamer w/ gigantic berms and wood structures. A few natural bumps from braking. I kept counting down how quick I would be to the bottom. I did not care for what I was riding, I wanted back to trail riding. The system appeals to a niche, prolly of riders who push their big travel bikes uphill. One and done.
Next up was the drive to Salem for a shower and groceries. I found the SNAP shower. Big grocery store w/ normal high prices and great selections. I was managing my time to make Portland for a visit @ Chris King factory. I found it b4 closing. I walked into a non labled factory door. Just 5 guys sitting @ computer stations. Guy told me no tours and no retail sales from factory. I should have called. I walked back to my van and was just staring the engine when anther office person knocked on my window. Greg he was. He said he had read about me and seen my van @ CreamPuff and he would give me whatever a tour. King makes all their parts in the machine shop. No tour there. I told him that I knew Robert, their chef. Greg took me to the cafeteria where once Robert heard my voice he recognized me. Robert was one of the early members of the bike club I co founded back in Spokane: Fat Tire Trail Riders and I lead him on a ride of Lost Creek up the North Fork of the C d’A river.
The I drove into the gut of big city stop and go traffic on the major interstates to get up to Sandy for today’s ride. I allow high density traffic to get to me adversely, no road rage just anxiety. Rain started falling, sometimes heavily, just under high speed wipers. I made Sandy. I googled brew pubs and found one. except when I finally found the address it was just a tavern. No hand crafted beer. I ate dinner in a restaurant w/ bottled beer at the bar watching the game 5 of the NBA playoffs. I left @ half time.
I found the Sandy Ridge TH. Rain was falling. Several groups of riders were in the lot. All were sopping wet and varying degrees of mud. One guy approached me and called me by name. I asked who he was, Charlie he said. I met him last week in Oakridge. Amazing what a lot f mud will do to a person’s identity. On the way to Salem the road traveled past a bigger than huge dairy farm that had a cow manure lagoon. Then I saw like water cannons spewing liquid manure on their fields. These riders looked like they came from there but at least they didn’t stink. Nice BLM parking lot w/ no signs preventing over night stay. I enjoyed a peaceful night w/ no background noise.
No rain fell overnight. However, the morning was overcast and the forecast called for precip. A rider went out early for whom I hung around waiting to see how muddy he was. I waited long enough and no return. I’m gone.
I checked the forecasts for Hood River and even Bend that all reported a rain forecast. I need some dry place to hang. I decided to drive over to Hood River. Forecast for tomorrow is sunny so I would have at least 1 dry ride then move on to Sun Valley. Amazing, once I got east of MT Hood rain quit and the clouds showed holes. Sunshine and lower humidity. At present outside a laundromat dark scattered cumulus clouds hold rain.
Driving down to Hood River I spotted a middle aged couple w/ large back packs hitch hiking. I figured they were off the PCT nearby. I picked them up. They had a strange tale to tell of their PCT hike. They seemed to lack sufficient knowledge of effective camping gear. I dropped them off right in a Shell service station on I-84 and the bridge crossing the Columbia. I backed up from the parking space eyeing a pickup on my right but missed the concrete round posts erected to protect the fuel pumps. BANG!. ‘Mom Back moving company. I compressed the JOBOX door but missed the bike. Shit. Back up until I hit something.
Next stop was Dirty Finger bike shop where I have visited several times over the years. Mitchell the owner greeted me. Gary, a wrench, solved my chain clicking problem, we determines the cause was from a defective chain. New chain and no noise.
While in the shop an older man approached me. Jim T, a local FS trails person, mountain biker to boot. I called him when i was here maybe 4 years ago to help on trail work that never happened. I asked if I would attend on Sunday’ project. Of course I said. We conversed about land access and trail construction adding to my knowledge base. He knows many of the same trail builders I know.
I left the shop for groceries @ Rosauers, a Spokane based grocery chain. No price breaks on Clif bars.
I drove to the laundromat. Clean clothes right beside a SNAP.
Plan now is for dinner here in town then out to road 44 for the night and my ride tomorrow.
My Jet Pack which is my wireless internet connection has been under performing. I called tech support and after some try this and that he determined that my unit was broken and a replacement would be sent to me. Where and when, I would be held hostage until its arrival. I chose the bike shop so i will be here at least until Monday.
Friends Tom and Mel from Boeing days called me on Wed. Great hearing from old friends.
So, I will be out of cell phone range until I return to town on Monday.
Windy and temperate but drier here in the gorge.