I wrote this last night:
Tuesday I raised anchor from sea level and sand to the mountains of Oakridge. Third visit this summer. Highway 126 from Florence to Eugene is a faster less curvy route either way compared to my way in to Reedsport. Sunshine and a little fog which I drove out of a short distance inland. I found anytime fitness in Eugene for a shower. I visited the Merch catching up on whatever wisps of local info. Eugene the guy, thanked me for entertaining them with my stories. Dinner and beer at Brewers Union Pub in old town Oakridge. Tuesday night is open mike which brings in performers and their audiences. Small community gathering place. My license plate still holds a center spot on the wall of other license plates. There is room for me on the Cog Wild Alpine shuttle tomorrow. I said maybe. A 9PM departure set me on a short drive to Dead Mtn TH parking. Chilly enough to close the sliding door. Most notable was the absence of mosquitoes.
This AM I woke sort of feeling up to riding, Alpine for sure, maybe ATCA should I decide I felt my body could match my brain promise. Drop off at Kate’s Cutin which I helped build several years ago. We constructed a sustainable piece of trail that rides like it is: hand build narrow single track. One rider sported a fuckin Ebike which is legal on Alpine. Huh? I asked why he didn’t just pedal up and ride down. He said that at 50 pounds it still is work to pedal. He said because of his age and condition he treated himself to assistance. He and others rode out to the Chrome Toilet before heading down Alpine way behind me so I never got to watch one going downhill. My ride was enjoyable experiencing the butter ride with the Runt in my fork which is to ramp up like a coil without the coil by using air. Remarkable. With the stock fork every small bump transmitted a shock to my hands because that’s the way the fork was supposed to work, the Runt fixed that making for a much smoother ride. At the Tire Mtn intersection I cogitated a big ride and maybe a root beer float reward or the shorter Alpine back to vape. Pot won. Trail shows wear since I last rode it last month with Steve. Still holding up. A 2000 acre plus uncontained forest fire is burning just west of the trail sending up smoke. Oakridge is obscured. The Runt and the 2 new Formula Cura brakes were the cat’s pajamas. The trail traverses several meadow sections where the vegetation is brown, the blooming wildflowers of last month transitioned to seeding. As a result some sight lines are more open.
Olivia’s shifting fix wore off on my ride. I let her have another go with her female wiles and she succeeded. Whooppee Olivia.
A short beer at the Pub while reading the Eugene newspaper. I grocery shopped at Rays for home cooked meal. I drove out salmon Creek road then took a newly built logging road climbing up dead Mountain. I found a pull out that required 3 leveling blocks under the downhill rear tire. House of the rising sun playing on XM. I remember hearing that back in late 60s. I was a counselor at a residence boy scout camp that summer, a staff member wrote camp lyrics to the music. Back in ’67. We were all kids.
Oakridge has ups and downs on legacy hiking trails which are fun challenging to ride. Rays grocery stocks stuff that local customers buy because that’s what’s there. Produce that doesn’t turn over before it goes limp. No Parmesan reggio cheese. Rays is the upscale market in La Pine. The Pub as a small crowd gathering spot. Bend has stuff, people, crowds, $, and dry dusty trails with not as much elevation gain as here. My new chain ring should be at Sunnyside and the sink faucet nest week. Monday is the eclipse which is said to bring in 200,000 visitors to Bend as up RT 97 the town of Madras will be in totality. Solar shower here but no balance ball for stretching and sit ups. An article about newly recognized for mtn biking trails at Baker City, OR appeared in the new issue of Bike. That’s way at eastern edge of OR.
Yesterday I spent over an hour with technical support to fix a problem with my phone. I started with Verizon as that’s who I have a contract with. Their tech couldn’t fix it. Because the issue is with Google not displaying correctly she hooked me up with their support. She worked to no success. Because the problem was caused by Samsung pushing an upgrade she sent me to Samsung. I was using my ear bud which allowed me to work the screen. During Samsung session the battery died. I used speaker till the tech said I was cutting out. Now I am holding the phone to me ear and can’t work the screen. She couldn’t resolve the issue. I had 2 choices: she could wipe my phone clean of all data and reinstall or I could find a Best Buy for some kind of free tech support. I chose the latter. Today I deleted a web browser app and the phone works like it did. Not saying that I know more than those who do. Just saying that my phone now works.
Blackberries were in splendid ripened state at the bottom of Alpine. Finger staining lip smacking delicious and so many. Lots of thorns protecting.
Funny: I took my solar shower into the mens room at red bridge where I take over the toilet stall for a shower. I walked out with wet hair. A male rider from a group of riders made a comment about a shower. A woman in the group bit, the guy told her there was a shower in the rest room. She started towards the woman’s rest room , the guy deflated her joy of being clean.
Today, 8/17
At ST Vinie waiting on dry clothes.
I drove down to Dead Mtn TH for the start of Heckletooth ride, one that local Jim has ridden some 200 times now. The ride pedals up paved Salmon Creek rd to rd 2408 grave, crossing the creek then climbing a bunch up to where the single track leaves the road. Just a pedal hump. Single track. Trail is not heavily ridden which keeps it harder than Alpine. Actually there are several spots that are flat out walk a bike for me: steep, drag rear brake, some sharp switchbacks, and lots of woods single track. Shifting was happy, just waiting for new chain ring. Thinking chain noise is caused by incorrectly installed bottom bracket at initial install. Sunnyside removed it, cleaned it and repressed it back in which now located it correctly. Suspect chain ring is worn from out of line bottom bracket. 19.86 miles climbing 3068′ pedaling for 2 hrs 38 mins. For my condition it was a burly ride.
Still smokey in town river bottom, no web info on the Jones fire which is the closest.
Dry clothes folded and put away. The laundromat has hot water faucet, phooey on solar, I’m burning fuel for a hot shower, I’ll fill up the shower bag then drive over to red bridge to take over the toilet stall. Some things just are better done behind doors.
I refueled propane at local station. A fuel double bottom tanker pulled in, I remarked about the supply, the guy said Madras stations are empty and Bend’s supplies are shrinking faster than can be resupplied. Eclipse.
I have decided to stay here thru the weekend to stay out of totaliers crowd, maybe leave on Tuesday. Going to be a mad house with so many visitors seeking total darkness.
Helicopter is based at airport to support the fire suppression by dropping buckets of water on the hot spots, it returns here for refueling.
No pics of today’s ride.