Groms to Grands

Season changes with school. The groms aka as upcoming riders of maybe grade school age, that were attending local riding academies are now behind a desk and not on the trails. Grand parents are the new population of riders, well, maybe just retired people. On today’s ride I encountered all riders of social security benefits age. One guy was 75. Friday I turn 73.

Peanut butter doesn’t seem to stick to the roof of a ground squirrel. I sought to learn that fact. At the spot off rd 41 ground squirrels abound. Sometimes I sit and watch them go about living above ground. A person told me he saw a ground squirrel with a chipmunk in its jaws. Squirrels eat flesh? Research revealed that they do eat meat. I put a piece of raw chicken on a stick near my van and watched. I watched a squirrel pull the piece loose and scamper away with it in its jaws. I learned that they do have the dental tools to chew meat. To the peanut butter, again I was curious if a squirrel ate peanut butter would it stick to the roof of its mouth like a dog. I laid a bead of butter almost as much as I would use on a sandwich. I watched a solitary squirrel find the stick and with no competition it ate the entire bead. Butter seemed to not be stored in pouches. When the butter was finished it walked away, I have a phone pic that captures the bloated belly. Underneath my van my sink water drains into a 12 qt plastic bucket that has been a water source for their kind albeit several have not survived the dip. This one perched on the lip to drink from the almost full bucket of sink water. I offered a bowl of fresh water that it drank from. Then it disappeared. No way to mark it to follow its full belly. Did it get a belly ache? Did it become bound up?

Then the same bucket with sink water up at Swampy harvested many yellow jackets attempting hydration. I believe the soapy water was their demise. The yellow jackets are seeking meat protein. I put a piece of raw chicken out then watched them chew bites out then fly away.

See many badger holes dug right along side trails. maybe they are digging these holes in preparation of disaster by providing them with hole up options?

So, Still riding here at Bend. last weekend I stayed at Swampy for its cooler temp, several  mornings heater running drove away the 35 degree temp. Last week I helped brush a piece of SST and Swede with the purpose of creating better sight lines. We were cutting mostly manzanita. Prior to brushing its branches finally encroached the trail which gave an interesting ride as perhaps the trail was obscured blocking line decision. Even light brushing opens the trail which is less out there type trail. I did ride down Swede afterward with more enjoyment or less caution as the sight lines were longer. It was time to brush.

The night before I helped on another brushing of Catch and Release on the rock sections. Another improvement for vision.

On Sunday I rode from Swampy up high dropping down S Fork. My descent is back to under 15 mins of screaming legacy hiking trail. 3.2 miles dropping 915′, my average heart rate was 123 so there was more than just coasting , perhaps fear contributed to the elevation. Down  Tumalo creek trail. I refilled turned on spigot water at Skyliner then pedaled up its name sake. Shit of logging road climb up to Sector 16 trail which is a popular descending trail. Several riders came close to pinning me as their sight line wasn’t far past their front wheel. And then the ones with ear buds. This was a big ride of 20 miles climbing 2041′ pedaling for 2 hrs 40 mins.

Afterwards I drove back down to town for water and propane. Then drove back to rd 41 spot for the night and next day’s ride with intention to ride all of Storm King as the piece that is closed because of logging will be open to ride. I like Storm King either way. Upper Storm King is getting the forest thinning treatment. Labor Day and no other riders to share the trail with. I rode lower Tylers which is a mix of old ridden in trail to built berm turns. Very popular for coaster geeks and I was all by myself. I finished on catch and Release riding where we had brushed several days prior. I now could better see what I was going to walk because the features exceed my degree of confidence and balance reflex.

Where I stay off rd 41 is maybe 40′ off trail Catch and Release. I sit on my chair in the shade and greet riders going by. They are the performers and I am the audience. This spot is favorable as it is just off the hard road and the FS gravel road is blocked by a locked gate, and the dirt is red volcanic rock that doesn’t create dust like the other spot nearby. Weak internet signal is draw back.

Cedar Creek fire on the west side of the cascade crest is almost 18,000 acres. Last week a wind event blew the fire from almost 9,000 acres to ever growing size moving it north. It has burned to almost the entire west edge of Waldo Lake. No precip forecast. Today evacuation alert was posted for FS lands this side of the crest. Cascade Lakes highway is closed. Here in Bend the air quality only touched orange briefly in town, up at Swampy air was clear. So far no smoke smell.

So, tomorrow  after laundry I will be heading to rd 44 trails near MT Hood. To date I have ridden 912 miles over 58 rides in OR after arriving June 13. My rear tire could be replaced as the blocks have worn down past the sipes yet still holds traction.

Sundown is around 7:32, darker ever earlier.

During today’s ride a guy rode up on a Turner DW 5 Spot 26″ wheel, triple chain ring like I previously rode. Blast from my previous ride.

Once I leave Bend I will be out of info sharing range. I plan of riding there 2 days then head down to Hood River.

No mosquitoes, so nice to be outside.