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.

Rain fell during the night. At wake up I heard no drumming on the roof. Ride might go.

I drove to meet Lev. I turned right on Horse Creek rd and looked for the lodge. I didn’t see it so I kept driving up the road, it entered FS land, pavement ended, then road shrunk to single lane gravel. Didn’t seem right for lodge to be this far back. I turned around. I am marching to the 9:00 start time and I was burning daylight. I saw the lodge sign just a little ways off the main road. Poor sign marking. Met Lev and his gang on time. Overfull van, 2 guys sat in the back on the cooler. The direct road is 1993 which is closed due to slide so we corkscrewed around and climbed to reach TH from other way. Fog. Rain. Wind. Chill. We off loaded the bikes and donned rain jackets.

Our plan was to ride the paved 1993 until a short logging spur climbed to the left, ride that a ways then select the appropriate spot to bush bash down the pick up the trail thus eliminating a nasty single track climb. Plan worked. Last week 6 guys worked brushing and cutting out the trail. Cut out the entire length, brushed a good bit. Nasty old legacy trail.

Catch the view: There is a tiny rider in the fog

From pic above the trail dropped mostly down. Some incredible rock work to shore up the bench cut trail. Slope was too steep to hold a conventional bench cut. Nasty switchbacks. Then there was some straight down some of the steepest dirt trail I have ever ridden. The Formula T1 brake kept my speed in check. Nasty. Clouds parting later for viewing.

We climbed out on an infrequently used trail, some slithering over wet moss covered rocks. I choked in a rock garden and went down ending w/ a 3″ gash on my right calf. Just let it bleed. Trail joined the Kings Castle from yesterday for the sweet deep woods downhill. I rode off the back because the other guys were stronger and i am more cautious. They never waited for long. Total ride was 22.16 miles taking 3 hours. I climbed 2732 and dropped 6076′. Burned 2492 cals that uses only speed and rider variable to calculate, elevation is ignored.

We rode the road back to the lodge, the same way if I would have ridden it w/o the shuttle.

My brain is responding to the body’s request for comfort and less discomfort (pain). My max HR is 136, theirs are in the 160s where when I was younger mine was.

I hung a little while @ the lodge. I drove up river to the airport to camp. I stayed here years ago. Tomorrow’s forecast is for higher probability of rain. I am passing on riding McKenzie river trail.

Tomorrow I will drive to Eugene to do some city grocery store then up to Fall City for Black Mountain, an IMBA epic. Bike park ride.

Cog Wild is out of Bend, OR. Good operation. They lead an MBA tour of the river that netted them great press in the mag. Local advocates. Check them out: http://cogwild.com/.

My XM receiver is not receiving signal. Bummer.

 

Really. On the McKenzie highway down river from McKenzie bridge.

I drove out of Oakridge this AM. A parting salute from Todd @ the Mercantile. I drove the scenic drive up the N Fork of the Middle fork of the Willamette river then down the South fork of the McKenzie stopping @ the ranger station to learn about the trails. Dereck said he and guides from Cog Wild worked last Tues on O’Leary. A woman FS person was very helpful chasing down info. Sketchy info. I called Cog Wild speaking w/ Ryan who also cleared trail that day. Said ride would work. He said the non shuttled single track took 3 hours. I would add maybe an hour plus of road climbing. He said that Lev, a partner of Cog Wild, is over here guiding for several days. Didn’t ask where. I made shuttle arrangements for McKenzie ride on Tues from another service.

I parked behind Herricks in the sun. I put the solar shower on the hood again. I rode a short distance to the Kings Castle TH crossing the river on a restored covered bridge. A Cog Wild(CW) van was parked at the TH. I left my card on the driver’s window greeting Lev. This ride is to be an up and down to Castle Rock way above. I humped my way up, another grunter: 6.35 miles climbing 2627′ in 1 hr 28 mins. Just below the top I encountered the CW group heading down. Lev was along. We greeted each other. He invited me tomorrow to ride the shuttle up to O’Leary. No charge. Good deal. Once @ the top i called the river shuttle and cancelled. Big view, big timber. Devastating clearcuts still get cut.

It took me 36 mins to get back to van. Again, wet side Cascade single track. That 36 mins seemed like a long time.

The CW group was finishing up their post ride beer as I rolled in. I meet them @ 9 tomorrow for the ride up.

Better Ride taught me to look way ahead looking above the trail tread. This full vision has really enhanced my riding skill. The skill is now the norm. That and my fine bike make for fun gravity fueled distance. The LEV dropped works when I am sitting on the saddle and push the lowering lever and comes up smartly when I push the lever. The Formula T1 brake on the front is very effective. I have it adjusted to just about lock up the wheel.

Back @ the van the solar shower h20 was toasty. There was too much wind too parking lot shower. How about this:

I drove back to the TH for the night. Strong 4G internet signal. Enjoyed the hot h2o shower.

Rain started falling just b4 dark which is almost 9. I am in deep timber which sucks up the light so night falls earlier. Forecast calls for rain the next several days. Wonder if the CW group rides tomorrow.