Today I drove from my property N of La Pine and south of Bend to Bend. I spent last night soaking up neighborhood vibes. Realized that just because I am 4 doors from access to Deschutes NF it comes with a noise downside as the dirt road I am on continues on to the USFS ( public) land, noisy speeders from wherever streaking down the road into and out of the forest. It’s theirs like mine, their fun effects my solitude. No security night lights. Neighbor to the east seems to be nonexistent and the family to the west I am still figuring out. I own an acre of land, flat, pumice dirt, sparse P pine and lodgepole pine tree cover, some bitterbrush. Over the years I have pulled up any knapweed plant growing on my side of the road, no regrowth or emergence of new growth. My land is free of the invasive weed. I now own an architectural house plan. I outlined the 30X30 house perimeter with white PVC pipe, actual house is smaller. I have it orientated about 40 degrees off true north and at an angle to houses on each side. I park inside that perimeter. Last night I oriented the house model with the chosen location and walked thru the house visualizing sunshine and privacy. I am locating it just outside the drip zone of the largest P pine. The land is completely fenced except for the entrance which is a cable stretched across the now driven in opening. I zip tied a No Trespassing sign on the cable. Squirrels have been harvesting the P pine nuts as seen by numerous shed piles. Almost all of the lodgepole regrowths have blight, over several years I have cut down almost all of them and piled them up. No quiet night every time I have lived there. I am making window screen netting from plastic netting, metallic washers, and magnets. Sandwich from door out: magnets, contact cement, netting, washer. Full coverage.
Still very warm here in Bend, 81 degrees at 8:52 PM. AQI went to hazardous, forecast wants clear skies soon. I access 2 web sites for forest fires and another for AQI. Damn, there are many fires out here west which created the blood red sunset. So far just the smell of smoke, not the smell of fire as smelled up at Waldo 2 days ago. Where I go to from here is dependent upon fires and air. Dunno.
So, I met Jimmi and his friend Ryan at Paulina lake where Trailforks showed we should. Ride today was the Newberry Crater rim. A 3.9 mile climbing 1599′ on FS gravel road to start of single track. Ryan was riding a borrowed old school full suspension 26 incher, triple chain ring. He said he hadn’t ridden for 4 years which even then that bike would have been antiquated. I rode his wheel on uphills, sometimes I would look at where his chain was on the cassette. Was not even close to my 1X11 cassette. He made it work.
Single track stayed away from the crater rim only offering infrequent viewsheds. Tree cover was dense lodgepole or hemlock. The trail was a mix of single tracks but most was almost like a jeep road cleared of stumps.
Paulina Lake is formed from the collapsed volcano.
The trail was 16 miles from the access to the East lake shoreline. Descent in many places was screamer fast steep. Soft questionable berms. 19.5 miles climbing 2195′ pedaling for 2 hrs 38 mins. We stopped numerous times, average bpm was 114, no slouch ride.
Jimmi and Ryan had inflatable standups that they inflated then geared up for whatever it is that they do. I drove to my property for the night.
Today I had a new tire install appointment. I drove the van when my turn came into the service bay . Was told they need to open the rear door to get at the spare tire. The JOBOX will have to be removed which will be a project, today I had a DR appointment and could only give them an hour to do the tire changes. Rescheduled for Friday.
PA-C diagnosed stomach acid, take OTC antiacid. I started this afternoon and am much improved. Drew blood for knowledge of body chemistry.
Back out at Phils in my hoped for spot which was empty, no new tracks into it. Score. Again, I chose this spot for seclusion and inability for encroachment. Ground squirrels upon occasion crawl up onto van step, I stomp a foot to scare them back onto dirt.
Smokey skies but forecast of clear and cooler.