Country tour or settle more.

Last year I rode in 26 states which kept my visit time short to squeeze in many trails. This year I have anchored in Central Oregon Bend area and over the hill Oakridge. Familiarity with the trails, know where to sleep, eat, drink beer, maybe even get the local discount  treatment. Certainly fewer miles driven, but less variation. America is varied and full of new figuring things out for a short visit. What I miss on this odyssey is long term connection and make a contribution; I lack back story info. I am benefiting from making Bend connections into the health care as a returning patient among other connections.

This AM at 7:00AM it was 35 degrees outside. Inside the furnace produced heat before I left the warm covers. Last night I even closed the windows. No coyotes sharing their life. Most great was the clear skies smoke free. Good enough for me. I rested only 4 days in a row. Rode Phils Loop. Dry and dusty but hardly anybody to share the trail with. 14.95 miles climbing 1365′, less than 100’/mile but wonderful to pedal, I did not shift to 42T gear. Oakridge is so much about climbing or descending.

Forecast calls for smokey skies thru the week. Unacceptable smoke density nixes a ride.

I left oakridge Tues AM heading back to Bend. Plan was to pick up the faucet replacement and the new Absolute Black oval chain ring then head east to Baker City etc.

Well, first the eclipse that I was exposed to on top of Larison Rock. The visitors were a young couple who happened to bring 2 pairs of special glasses that they shared with me. I was not total eclipse so the sky never went dark as the like 2% of sun not blocked kept the sky light. I looked several times with the glasses to see the image, the light was not right and the temp dropped noticeably as I put my shirt back on. We visited relegating the eclipse back burner. I drove back down to Oakridge, drank a short beer at the pub then slept at the bottom of Dead Mountain trail.

Tuesday I drove over to La Pine. Traffic was building as I neared town. US 97 was plugged: bumper to same south bound creeping thru town, north bound was way empty. I bought groceries at Rays which is more upscale than Oakridge’s then a shower at the local anytime then drove to my property. I found my property as I left it last, I felt apprehension that people might have camped on it for the eclipse. I thought bad thoughts. All the knapweed but 2 small plants was gone, didn’t sprout back from what I pulled last year and the few earlier in the summer. Lack of rain seems to have knocked the plants across the road. I slept with the door open for cooling which brought in smoke filled air, to me it seemed like I was down wind of a close fire. Just carried from upwind. Dead quiet neighborhood and after the 1 neighbor turned off their porch light all was dark. So cool.

My digestive system and back reached critical mass so that I called the medical support staff and scored appointments today for MD and tomorrow for PT. I drove to Bend on Wed going north against the still teeming eclipsers heading south. I picked up the faucet and chain ring which I installed in the shop’s parking lot using 2 life lines of support. Chain noise persists, must be the chain guard. The faucet replacement was an exercise in dexterity making worn body parts use a crescent wrench under the counter to remove nuts. Reinstalling really needed a second person up top to hold the faucet against the nut tightening. Checked out no leaks and has higher pressure and volume than the leaker. My right shoulder rotator cuff is not whole which restricts movement and strength.

Last night my favorite sleep spots past Phils were occupied so I drove down the other choice finding another choice spot. This road gets late evening camper traffic. I slept with the door opened. Several times while in bed I was kept awake by a coyote howling very close. It repeated its call over and  over. About 3:30 I strapped on the sandals and grabbed the head lamp which I turned on high beam then walked out into the dark. I did catch the eyes of said noise maker which moved further away but still kept up its howl. I did not sleep well last night because of the noise. Just the one. First time for that. This morning I was cold, outside temp was 43.

The PA checked me out. Concern that back pain is not muscle but kidney so she ordered a CT scan which I scored one for tomorrow. Unfortunately the office called back to tell me that the site is not medicare qualified so I would have to reschedule at another location. I did but it won’t be till 9/1. I cancelled the PT.

Extreme fire danger only stoves that can be turned off with a valve are permitted. 3 Sisters is closed to all users including the PCTers. Thru hikers have had a bad year because of the snow in the Sierras now dealing with forest fires. No rain since before my June arrival. No fires started by humans.

Bend was dead for the eclipse, traffic continued north to totality.

Tomorrow will be 5 days of rest in a row. Working on a lifeguard’s sun tan last colored this way the summer of ’68 when I worked the boat docks at the Boy Scout camp wearing just a speedo.

• Yesterday i rode the Larison rock loop above Oakridge. On the monster road climb up i checked out possible sleep spots close to the rock that once sited a FS lookout removed in 1970. I found a wide spot on the road at the top of the climb beyond the trail entrance. Later i drove up then hiked to rock top. Checked out as place to be when the lights go out. 98% eclipse lasting for 2.5 hours and i forgot my headlamp. Start time is to be 10:04 which is right about now. Cloudless skies with low laying smoke haze and not from my vaporizer. Sun is to the east of me. Starting to loose syn warmth as i am sunbathing. Maybe an additional layer should have been carried up. People joining me.