I rested Monday for my aching knees time to cool off. I spend the evening @ Brewer’s Union up in Old Town. Derek is good company. He is planning a ride on Wed. Good. That happened yesterday. I sleep out at the far end of the local airstrip in the Scotch broom plants. Invasive.
Tues. I planned on riding a loop on Hardisty, the way Derek suggested which was uphill on logging road. The FS built a trail head for Hardisty. I parked there w/ sun hitting my filled solar shower bag. The route was ride back towards Oakridge to Patterson Mtn rd, climb to rd 550 till it hit Hardisty, make a few navigation decisions and end up back @ van. I rode a railroad right of way road for maybe 3 miles each way to stay off rt 58. The climb was a grunt climbing 2274′ in 4.2 miles. Took 1 hr 9 mins. I pedaled in spurts, easy up a few then back @ it. Road riding spinning would be of great help. Then the road climb up 550. Grunt, another 665′ in 1.7 miles. Now dirt. Climb some more to top of Hardisty, site of a former fire look out tower, a ground house. Then the downhill started. I went right when I should have gone straight. The intersection was not signed and I thought I solved the intersecting trail. The trail dropped fall line too steep for me to rear brake skid down. I chose Eula. Lost most of my elevation going straight down. This dropped me down to Lawler TH leaving me maybe 2 miles of railroad right of way. Total ride was 18.67 miles, 2 hrs 57 mins climbing 3699′
Back @ the van which was now shaded by trees. I felt the solar shower which was hardly tepid. I drove the van over to a sunny parking spot & took a parking lot shower. Back into town for a pint and conversation.
Tues night the ride plan route was determined: Shutle up to Kate’s Cut in, the trail Derek and I built 2 years ago. Head up Alpine to aid station 3 where I worked 2 years ago. Ride down a logging road then up another to Blanket shelter. The climb up to Saddleback mtn where still stands a crows nest look out. The down a gated road to Aide 3, jump on start of Alpine all the way down to Tire mtn trail. take that to Cloverpatch to climb out. Hit a logging road and ride all the way back to Westfir. Meet @ Red Bridge @ 10 for shuttle.
Derek and younger skilled rider Todd and me. I expressed my concern of being slower than them making them wait for me. I would be OK Derek told me. Instilled confidence I climbed Kates. We rode up a piece of Alpine that we would later ride down. Several snow patches in same place Scott and I dug thru for the 2011 Cream Puff. And negotiated several trees blocking the trail. The logging road was a zoom down for pleasure that would be replaced by effort climbing back up the next road. Todd climbed the outside slightly reposed steel rung ladder. I kept my feet on the ground.
Back on the Alpine. Big trees open space, darkness, wet, some roots, exposure that sometimes is not apparent because of the big plentiful trees. Sourgrass mountain w/ just green leaves of bear grass
We stopped for food out in meadow for views to just blue skies. Tire mountain intersection came shortly. I last rode this to the end was back in 2009. Deep woods big trees, park like settings. Old stumps of past giants. We climbed sometimes really climbing bypassing fallen too large a tree to skinny over. Tire mtn, the second lookout site visited in one day, a personal best. I just rode. Camera doesn’t expose correctly making each woods pic very dark. The forest was this way. just ride Solve line choices switchbacks. Deep forest wet. The the climb out Cloverpatch. I was hanging pretty close till climb out when i several small muscles in my left leg started cramping. I ate mustard and electrolytes to some success but not complete recovery. Deep woods. Just special to experience this nature. Next came the downhill on logging road to river bottom back to Westfir. We no brakes down the road, I clocked 31.8. The flat road climbed a few times for short distance. My leg was really talking to me. I stumbled into Derek and Todd on west end of Westfir. I just needed to ride the flat old mill site to my van. I made it. What a hard day. 33.18 miles in4 hrs 19 mins climbing 4110′ and dropping 7437′. Computer displayed 3354 calories burned.
Oakridge has a flavor, markee trails are legacy trails: some places too steep for sustainability. But the trails met the environmental challenges. Come spend several days riding here. Randy owns Oregon Adventures puts on a killer shuttle ride 3 day weekend. I attended back in ’11. Lots of riders, well managed event. Check out his site to just perhaps you’ll commit to either July or August. The riding here takes more effort than say Bend for the same distance. Long
http://www.mtbikeoregon.com/
The solar shower underperformed again even after maybe 6 hours in direct sunlight. I expected the temp to be too hot needing tap h2o to cool off. No. I took over the toilet stall in the park restroom for my shower. Concrete floor and a drain.
I was simply beat and dehydrated. I drank a pint of Hammerlyte. And a beer. Then another one over @ the Brewery w/ dinner. We ate diner out on the sidewalk patio of the brewery. No markers are present to mark off the adult beverage section. If you are walking the sidewalk, you walk between the building and chairs of beer drinking. Works fine by me. Derek is building a trail tomorrow and I volunteered. The place quits serving @ 9 but seems to pull the glasses after 10 while several of us enjoyed the pleasant late sun.
A fit mid 30s guy approached me beaming and saying he knows me. He read the June 2010 Bike issue. He said that I am his example. Chris was quite excited.
My phone rang after dinner. It was guys from Sedona who were sitting outside Famous Pizza in west Sedona drinking beer after their club ride. How pleasant.
I drove back to the airport spot. I figured cramps would visit me once I laid down. I sat upright in bed for several minutes then laid down. I felt my left legs twitching then finally a full blown spasm. I carefully slid out o0f bed, careful not to tense the right leg now facing both legs cramped in cramped quarters. The cramps released allowing me to sleep undisturbed the rest of the night.
Today I am to meet Derek @ 9 out by the fish hatchery. Trail work today was to make a beginner trail out of an road cut. I walked in, Derek rode pulling a BOB trailer. We used a hoe one one side and a fingered hoe on the opposing side straight handle tool to scrape the dirt. This would be a test for my shoulder. I grubbed for maybe 150′ of trail in 90 mins. I called it quits as my shoulder became persistent in sending I’m not happy vibes. I left and hiked back to the van where the pull of an ice pack on my shoulder propelled me. So I Iced it. I worked in poison oak. I carefully removed my clothes then washed my hands w/ dish soap. It was like digging fire line but w/o the conditioning.
Next I drove into town to the laundromat which is in a ST Vinnie. I wash my clothes every Thurs just because I need clean clothes.
I haven’t made departure date yet. Pleasant hanging around @ the brewery. Oakridge is another spot that is widely advertised which does its job by bringing in many mountain bikers. There are some more rides I want to do. And I have clean clothes for another week. Perhaps Teresa will make it for a ride.