Friend Steve from Bellevue, ID (Sun Valley) arrived Monday afternoon early enough for a late afternoon ride. I visit Steve at his home where he is resident guide. Bend is close to being called a home for me. He visits and I share my Bend knowledge and we carve out how to consume his time here. I am able to return his favor. His original arrival time was early evening on Monday which allowed me to plan my day which I figured to be a rest day, I even drank a chocolate malted milkshake not expecting to ride. Balanced the shake out with a strong short of dark rum. Steve shows up around 5 and suggests a warm up ride. Being the host I geared up and pedaled away with him. I kept my exertion level low to keep the contents of my stomach where they belonged. We rode up Bens to Voodoo to cross over to start of Kents for the zip back down. Steve packs 2 bikes, one is a Revel Rascal which is same suspension as my Rail. Pleasant evening pedal up and coast back. It was a late night dinner and finally bedtime.

Temps are still in upper 90s and cool at night. Desired outcome is acceptable  temperature which means starting before like 9 AM. Our plan then on Wed was to be on the road up to Skyliner by 8 and riding before 9. Skyliners is up the ways from Phils TH. Ride plan was South Fork loop starting the climb first then rewarding our effort with the  downhill S Fork then Tumalo Creek. That’s what we did. We did see dark spots on Tumalo ridge created by squashed Pandora moths, their quantity this year is way less than several years ago or it is early in the breeding season for them.

Presently parked at Swampy Snow park where internet speed is way too slow.

Today we played beat the heat by driving up to Swampy and riding higher. A gentle breeze plus overall lower temp made for a real pleasant ride.

On Friday we are going over Santiam pass then down the McKenzie river to be shuttled up to ride O’Leary ridge then on to Oakridge for weekend and more shuttles.

I have ridden my Rail 12 times covering 200 miles, that’s 12 times out of 14 opportunities. The chain is still wearing its stock lube. After today’s ride I had ridden 6 straight days. Steve is allowing me to take tomorrow as a rest day.

Yes, Bend has been cooked and will be baked for several more days to come. I have not been making the time to keep my blog really up to date as I find other things to do or reasons not to. Getting lost in a book means I do not have to get into my life.

I have been staying at the same place out past Phils trailhead when close to town. I put out my table as a place holder which has ben honored so far. There is still the abandoned trailer nearby which maybe repels other campers except for a young couple. I take on sink water at a county park on Skyliners road on the way to Phils or for a real treat up at the Skyliners Lodge for well water.

I have been participating at various COTA trail love projects that have been about managing water and 1 day of brushing on Farewell and attending ZOOM meetings.

The trails are dry and dusty, moon dust, finer particle size than other places I believe.

Last week I did ride the Deschutes River trail to enjoy being close to clear water.

I forgot the many nasty rock gardens. River flow is managed by several reservoirs that are well below capacity from lack of precip.

Freehub and 10 Barrel funded a gift card for food which I can only eat a salad.  I am accepting new faces.

BedRock sandals continue to be a recognized footwear. there is a server at 10 Barrel who called them out as she was wearing a pair and spoke about how she likes them. Yesterday I walked in and took a seat at the bar and a woman 2 stools away jumped down and said yay Bedrock as she and her husband sitting beside me were wearing them. He asked if I drive the green Sprinter, yes, turns out both are mtn bikers.

Again so many thoughts run around in my brain during rides that vanish by the time I start typing.

Waiting for review of Freehub’s film about my life.

TJ, owner of The Hub bike shop in town, posted a nice article about me on Instagram. The day after his posting I was riding out at Phils where I happened to be stopped at a trail intersection cogitating how I wanted to beat my body when a rider joined me. It was Kelly from COTA, she pulled out her phone and showed me the post that some 200 readers liked.

The bitterbrush seeds are close to ripening which the chipmunks and ground squirrels will harvest while making acrobatic moves on the plants. They run away to stash their loads, watching them seems that they all steal from each other.

Travel plans I am thinking central Washington. I would like to ride Pot Peak and Angel’s Staircase, both are big rides and remote. I have ridden each, Pot Peak with friends and Angel’s several times by myself. I would enjoy company for those rides.

Today is a rest day hunkered down while still in the shade at my anchor spot. More 90 degree days in forecast.

I make and drink cold brewed coffee that requires coarse bean grind that many coffee shops grinders won’t grind coarse enough. I bought a small hand grinder that grinds desired gravel like grind that takes about 20 mins of cranking for 3/4 pound. Work up body heat from the exertion.

I am viewing my time here in Bend as vacationing from the road.

Seems I envisioned more thoughts than I typed.

Did the spending analysis for the cost of the new bike at something north of $4,000.

My creative energy has been supplanted by hunger.

Heat dome cooking me and a whole lot more people than just me. I will write from my perspective and experience. So hot my gas absorption refrigerator can’t keep up with heat. The water I drink is still insufficient to turn my pee nice and pale straw color. temps in the 90s most days with a plus 100 mixed in. I finished 1 ride that van thermometer read 100 degrees. Today when I finished it was a cool 90. This AM it was 41, every night so far the temp has dropped below 70 which is minimum recovery rest temp.

So, I ride not beating the heat. However, the trails are almost empty although I do turn on the clanger bell when sight lines are bike length long. I rode once more around Swampy to enjoy elevation chill. I rode down Swede Ridge and returned on SST. No past logging damage, just nature as fire suppressed by man. Swede has more downwhill, some pitches have long sight lines so I enjoy rewards of physics. Deep tree cover with scattered sun patches that confuse my irises temporarily blinding me. That happening when going downhill at speed and needing to see the tread nuances. I encountered so few people either bikers or hikers that their numbers never enter my memory. Even down low at Phils TH. Stay off the shuttle routes.

Drove back out to my spot at Phils after being gone 3 nights. Stuff still there and no tire tracks over my last ones. This place is so great because hardly a camper rig drives out this road and those that do keep going. The place where I used to stay just up the hill from here has been enlarged by driving down the vegetation and is crowded as people park real close. My spot can not be expanded so I socially distanced. I can see the sky but no view. I am shaded from morning sun but scorched by afternoon sunshine. I have been staying for 2 to 3 days without moving, leaving for water and groceries.

I have owned my Revel Rail for 11 days, I have ridden it 9 times, 176 miles. It is better than the RFX was. First 3 rides of July were 25, 20, and 33 today. Are the lengths a result of that improved performance? Dunno. Perhaps it is being a knucklehead to ride in the heat these long miles. Because I can? So far my body hasn’t balked at me pushing it in the heat.

Today I rode Mrazek Ridge loop, 33 miles climbing 2969′, pealed for 4 hrs 12 mins. Route was same as June 20, ride times were almost the same albeit today my heart rate was higher. I pedaled away from anchor spot just b4 8:30 with expectations that I would reach Farewell intersection ahead of the forecasted 90 degrees down in town. Mrazek is a grind. I ride from van to Phils TH then pick up Bens, a one way going my way, then turn onto MTB where i helped build drains. Cross 2 FS roads then drop down onto gravel road that crosses Tumalo creek then a climb up to where Mrazek crosses. I stop there for a safety break, give me another puff of that worry be gone weed. I made my normal rest spot 1 hr 6 mins after starting. I watched 3 riders scoot across the brief opening in the ceanothus, they were conversation speaking and going fast, too fast for that conversation. Suspect E bikes which per USFS regs are illegal on non motorized trails which all of these are. I pedaled away, up the ways they had stopped. I just said they were illegal. He rode my wheel bitching about not doing any damage etc and I was a hater. How much energy he put into his effort to justify his breaking the law. I just pedaled to  my body’s ability which was considerably slower than their ebikes could do. I listened to him bitching to his companions. 2 couples stopped to let me climb by, I told them that there were bikes behind me in hopes that other riders calling the scofflaws out would cause them to leave. After awhile I no longer heard them. 2 riders going downhill stopped foe me, one said that there was a hose stretched across the trail uphill of Farewell intersection and there were 2 logs blocking the trail. Shit. This could get real ugly if Farewell was closed, well ok, just reverse direction and make it an out and back. I arrived at the intersection to see the logs but no evidence of closure. 2 riders arrived who climbed same route. I asked about ebikers, they said they were going back down. They preceded me down Farewell, I waited till their dust settled then rolled on. In a short while I saw the hose and the evidence of a forest fire. The hose was for mopping up, it was connected to a FS pumper 9 rolls of hose. The fire did not burn across the trail as it burned downhill. Firefighters were still on scene, I will say an official acting came up to converse with me about the fire. He did not  tell me the trail was closed. Said fire was about 1/2 acre, seemed to have burned  Sat until it was contained. Hand line dug. Had water for 100% mop up. FS fire investigation was inconclusive but prolly man caused. Ah, the smell brought back memories from my stint as a forest fire fighter back 51 years ago. Descended through forest cover until a prominent rock outcropping which marked our previous turnaround for brushing. lengthened sight lines were enjoyable as I rode with my bell on seeing only 1 hiker. Rolled out onto the sharp rock garden I let the bike go where I pointed it steering for a line that made sense instead of picking my way. Wheels and bike kept me upright. Farewell ends right at Tumalo Falls parking lot, place packed cars lined the road. It’s a one way up and down hike along the creek, the water is awesome but the crowds. Tumalo creek had just 2 hikers and they were on the speed downhill, I did hit 27 mph before coming to a stop for the hikers. Climbed Skyliner alone, descended Pine drops alone, traversed on EXT alone, descended a piece of Phils alone, down Kent’s alone. Riding in the heat. Computer displayed I burned 1900 calories.

I’m bookless as yesterday I finished Four Winds, a novel about Dust Bowl and flight to CA and abuse from people who have.

9:45 PM, 67 degrees, door and driver’s window open. No mosquitoes. I should roll my legs before bed which is fast approaching.

Deschutes NF went to Industrial class ll and banned all open fires except for select campgrounds. Just dry.

Steve arrives tomorrow evening time. Rest day for me.

Bed time.