Yea 46T suck.
Thursday I drove the back road from McKenzie to the Willamette river valley. Pleasant backwoods drive. Thursday is laundry day. I checked ST Vinnies where a small laundromat exists. Closed. Google nearest laundromat because I need to wash every Thurs, maybe Friday. 41 miles into Springfield west, drive rt 58 even a piece of interstate per maps. Clean clothes. Humidity here is higher which lengthened the drying time of my air dried nice things. Dinner and a beer at Pub. Spent night at bottom of Dead Mtn trail.
Had desire to ride ATCA again to experience the old growth forest on Tire Mtn. Complimentary shuttle ride from local shuttle. Curious to see maturation of bear grass on Sourgrass mtn.
I made the mistake at a switchback turn to the right by steering too hard into the back slope which stalled the bike which pitched me off the bike. Time didn’t stand still while I was in the air nor has my memory retrieved the sequence of moves that resulted in me landing on the outslope side of the trail. My left forearm too the shock to stop me. Jammed my shoulder. Quickly get up to pedal before damage report. Blood was weeping down my arm into my glove. Just skin cuts. Pedaled more seeming to be in control. Finally stopping at end of climb out of creek.
I needed 2 large bandages to cove the worse wound. I needed 2 hands to effectively wrap. I struggled with a wrap of magic tape that needed additional turns to bind to itself. Applied an overlapping piece of tape that I used my teeth instead of scissors to cut that tape. Down lower I stopped at water fall right before exit off Cloverpatch to wash off the dried blood. On a downhill piece of narrow single track bordered by dense lush low plants I drifted tot eh left edge of the trail and I couldn’t bring the bike back onto the trail. I crashed landing in the plants which hid whatever was there. I landed in only soft plants. There were 3 other riders coming down behind me that I hoped would assist me if required. 1 guy caught up to me but I did not ask for bandage help.
Then the climb up out. Today I rode 5 minutes faster for a PB. effort took a toll. Hot. Newly completed trail segment taking off from the to;p of the singletrack which bypasses some Buckhead noise. I missed the entrance but found the rejoin onto Alpine down lower. Left arm is weak.
23.2 miles pedaling for 3 hrs 23 mins, shuttle ride, 2680′ climbing, 1095 feet on Cloverpatch, descended 6086′.
Beer and fish and chips at Pub. Chatted again with a couple I met the day before who are on a several month road trip. They live in Portland the site of on going demonstrations. They expressed dismay that the effort was not organized to call out demands for change. Today I finished my ride returning to Dead Mtn TH. A young man and his mom rolled up. I started a conversation and learned that she is really active in the protests and said that demands and organization are very much in effect. I was impressed with that woman’s involvement. there is goodness on the whole caused by public protest. Yes, there are detractors.
Yesterday garmin recovery wanted 28 hours. I slept at TH again. This AM I slowly slid out of bed checking function of body parts. Did pushups which did not bother my shoulder. Structurally seems I could give Heclethooth a go. which I did. Just no snap to my legs at all. Heckletooth requires elevation gain out of the river valley, today I worked to keep my heart rate below threshold. Still, almost 2 hours to pedal from camp to start of Heckletooth trail. No snap, I hiked my bike on many of the steep climbs. I am accepting performance of low gear 46 T cog. Pushed up to peak then walked down the first 2 switchbacks, just too scary and consequences was a long tumble. Not all was downhill.
Heckletooth is suffering from lack of rain and many riders. This trail escapes the Alpine shuttle crowd as there is work on the downhill. 20.7 miles climbing 2612′ taking 2 hrs 58 mins of effort. Pretty beat. Perhaps resting for that 28 hours would have helped. trail drops out of woods then descends a paved road with twisty turns, a screamer coaster, I hit 31 mph.
Spent. garmin wants only 17 hour recovery which did not add on the previous unrested time.
Spending night here. Tomorrow’s forecast is 97 degrees which is hot enough to drive me back across the mountains as bend is just 90 degrees.
First hand report from Waldo lake riders: encouraging, mosquitoes present but not overbearing. Could stop on way to Bend but am thinking I should allow recovery.
Tonight music at Backwoods again, time to head over there.