National Park that is and I am not ready for its name sake.
I left Cape Lookout on the OR coast driving S to Florence. From there I made a sharp east turn and left the ocean for the mountains. As I neared Eugene fog appeared, air stagnation. east of town towards Oakridge I drove out of the dead air. Blue sky. And dense big water loving trees.
I pulled into the bike shop, Willamette Merchantile, to start my grounding. Derrick was working. I surprised him w/ my out of season visit. But he as well as others I connected to made the necessary adjustments. Derrick ran the Cream Puff this last summer. Great warm friendship. Next was Brewers’ Union, the local brew pub. Ben arrived for another great connection. I spent the evening learning about what GOATS are up to for land advocacy. I switched my IMBA club membership to GOATS. They told me about their trail work. Flat Creek was a new one.
I spent the night out of town. After Bfast I drove to Flat Creek for a hike. The trail starts right where I slept last summer. 92% hand built & what effort and art it took. I hiked a long ways then turned around for the coast down. I visited Derrick b4 leaving and complimented him all for the effort. I will figure out a visit next year.
No snow, warm. Ski slope @ Willamette Pass is closed, just no snow. All the snow stakes & signs are posted yet the highway was bare and dry. I don’t care to drive on snow. My tires are M&S which are acceptable.
I headed way east stopping @ Quartz Mtn summit Above Lakeview, OR. Snow park was bare. The CXT outhouse was barricaded closed because of repeated vandalism. First CXT outhouse I have ever seen closed because of vandalism. Perhaps trash was being thrown down the holes. Back in the sage and lodgepole Ppine mixed forests. 13 degrees @ wakeup, inside a toasty 43. Big mismatch between heater output and heat loss.
Yesterday I continued East and south to Winemucca, NV, home of Bloody Shins trail I rode years ago. trails are cow paths are cow paths that are below grade w/ broken sage twigs to gouge your shins should you drift. I headed east some more on I-80 to Battle Mountain and the state highway down to Austin on route 50, the loneliest road in America. Must have been the same trip that I visited here. The bike shop was boarded up. They hosted the NV state championship mtn bike race b4 I got there the first time. I rode their trails which were mostly jeep tracks. I remember not taking enough h20 and having difficulties route finding. I almost resorted to a cow watering trough.
Darkness was falling as I continued South towards Tonopah. Appears that the land is public, either BLM or FS. Numerous roads left the highway. Finally I picked one in the dark and drove on a well maintained gravel rd looking for a flat spot. Then the road became snow covered. Shit, I might be forced to turn around on a dark 1 lane. But what to my wondering eyes did I spy but a CXT outhouse: I made a trailhead parking lot: Arc Dome Wilderness. Cold clear solitary night. I fussed a bit about being able to turn around and drive back out over the snow. This AM I awoke early and got it on. I made it out. Elevation was 6230.
I continued to Tonopah which is a played out resource extraction desert town. I bought groceries for my planned several day visit @ Death Valley. Highways are snow free and of excellent condition: speed is mostly 70 mph. I drive just about 60.
I am now in Beatty, NV w/ internet connection. Next is Death Valley. And below sea level.
I plan on making Sedona by this weekend.