Yes, life and location are relative. I report what I am experiencing.

Summer time in central high desert Oregon conditions are par although many days have passed since last precip. What eve, what it is is what it is. Trail surface is pumice that has been rolled firm over the years as compared to untracked sink to your ankles dirt. Dust seems to come from tires stirring up the loose on top of firm. None the less riding behind is going through dust. back off maybe 50 feet to allow the grit to fall back to earth.

For the most part trails here are pedal which I enjoy for fitness but not improving my tech competence Although I am learning carving turns on berms while reading the firmness of the berm before I lay into it. So far I have not blown a turn.

So since last posting I have continued my life style of riding, resupplying food, water, and propane, and finding a sleep spot.

On Wed I caught the mountain shuttle at the closed Welcome Center for a $5 ride up to Swampy for my descent back to van. Great way to mix effort with coasting effort. Van racks were full and driver let me put my bike inside in the aisle. Current feller buncher logging closes selected trails which determine my route. Today I chose to ride S Fork but first I climbed up Ridge and over to Flagline Tie to descend lower Flagline to Swampy then down S Fork for fast descent. S Fork is an old trail and not mountain bike purpose built. Deep tree cover, never been logged creates sun patches that my eyes can’t see thru. Hang on and trust the bike to ride over what ever. Turn downstream on Tumalo Creek down to start of Skyliner to climb up to connect with Storm King down to Grand Slam intersection where trail is closed. Just b4 that intersection the trail goes thru a basalt squeezer problem that I foot assist the wiggles. I was 1 move from the exit when while directing my rear wheel my front wheel speared a bike stopper rock. I was pitched forward abruptly where my right knee made a full straight on contact with the handle bar. OUCH. Wishful evaluation convinced me I could still pedal as more miles were ahead. I hope I just bruised the patella and no soft tissue. Finished ride back to Welcome Center. 21.7 miles climbing 1273′ and descending 2966′ pedaling for 2 hrs 30 mins. Good all around effort with no guilt about paying for my turns. Short drive to anchor spot for the night.

Thurs drive into town for laundry etc. Grisham’s 2022 new book is out, knowledge escaped me. Dudley’s, an independent bok store will not bring his books in which I understand. I scored the last copy at the big box bookstore then I spent the next several days reading it. Last night I was between books, idle evening.

Sat was the 100 miles mountain bike race. An aid station was at Swampy where I stay some times. It’s almost 2,000′ higher than town and degrees cooler. I headed up there Friday. I attempted to sign up on line but system would not accept me. Okay, be that way, I would be there during the race and I intended to help anyway. A Uhaul truck arrived while I was still eating oatmeal breakfast, aid station set up. I joined and helped set up. I assigned myself to the cow bell ringer up the course a little bit to announce racers arriving at rest stop. I set my chair up and continued reading my book only looking up when I saw a racer approaching. I spent like 3 hours ringing my cow bell getting dusted and hearing impaired in both ears. Station was at mile 47. later that day I anchored at spot off trail Catch and Release which was part of the course and continued ringing, catching riders with a second dose. My voice was abused by words of encouragement.

Yesterday I rode from anchor spot to ride logging closure trails. Big day earning my turns. At end of Pine Drop I conversed with a couple, me sharing trail knowledge for the tourons. I learned the woman is from Chewelah where ski slope 49 degrees north is located. She is friends with former manager whom I know but not as well as her. 20.3 miles climbing 1814′ pedaling for 2 hrs 35 mins. Finished dehydrated and starved. I pounded jugs of water but none exited. No appetite. hard day.  Average beats per  minute was 125 which is 1 beat higher than my 85% load. 1 hr 28 mins were in the 80 to 90% effort. My speed continues to be slower but not my effort. Hardly any riders out there to be passed by.

Hot, van temp yesterday was 101 degrees. Fridge has hard time chilling.

Today is a rest and rehydration day. So far little pee but color is missing.

Tomorrow marks the completion of 15 years of my odyssey. I have picked out a suitable challenging ride.

My solar controller is failing. I contacted a shop here in Bend for replacement. I will be here till end of month for install. I had been considering new van shocks or SRAM’s Eagle drive train. Not anymore. It’s just money that is in short supply.

I did buy a new book at Dudley’s The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy to bury my nose and brain into.

I experienced a near collision with an approaching rider where either of us could yield, we both skidded to a stop. I saw the oversized bottom bracket indicating an e bike. I said he was illegal. He began screaming at me, I pedaled away with no altercation. Guy was illegal and wanted to scrap with me. Ebikes assisted top end speed is 18 mph, they can go so much faster than pedal bikes which increases likelihood of conflict.

Made the 4th a rest day, Memory is not recalling what all I did from the time I crawled out of bed to crawling back in. I did stay up on Larrison rd. Oh, I remember visiting the annual 4th of July festival at Green Waters park for a few songs.  I planned the next day’s ride while talking to myself about completing it.

Wed AM I drove to Westfir and parked at bottom of Alpine where I would finish. Ride went like this: I pedaled the N Fork trail which runs just above the NJ Fork of the Willamette River. Past experience and current info was abundance of poison oak bordering a short section of the trail. I saw it and watched myself not brushing any leaves. Trail ended at infamous 1910 rd for my climb up to Windy Pass and start of Lower Alpine. I chose not to spend $ on shuttles. It took me 1 hr 38 mins to pedal 7.54 miles climbing 2267′. I Stopped for a rest at the 1hr time. This is part of the Creampuff race. I turned onto Alpine at the bottom of the Jedi section. I passed the intersectiopn of Tire Mtn which starts the TC of ATCA, I accepted what I climbed as enough challenge. Rode Alpine all by myself as I must have been between shuttle schedules. Ride was 19.3 miles climbing 3091′ pedaling for 3 hr 7 mins. Satisfaction of completing it. My body performs albeit at slower speed and lower heart rate. I spent 1 hr 30 mins in my 80 to 90% max heart rate.

Thursday morn I headed west to the end of land. Laundry in Eugene. Returned the Bobcat glasses I bought from REI for credit. I rode once with them not liking them at all and hoping ride would fisinsh before I made a miscalculation from the glasses. Googled coffee roaster for beans. Google maps guided me thru 191,000 population of Eugene. Headed west going through the coastal range which are hit by the low rain clouds. Rolled into Florence on the coast. I found the tourist info center to inquire of camping as I did not do any planning other than seeking a paid spot for the night. Volunteer was engaged in a long winded conversation with a visitor such that I was to be ignored. I stepped outside to let google research. Saw a county XG, I called, woman said full but she would check on a possible left early spot. Score, she said it was open. I booked it for $30. Next door to center is fresh sea food store. Fresh Dungeness crab cooked fresh every day. $27 cleaned crab was consumed in my van parked behind store. Such a treat for freshly cooked crab. Googled bookstore, Books and Bears on main drag on waterfront. Bought River Runs Through It. Drove out to campground which borders the Suislaw River but off ocean. I drove out to ocean then walked over dunes to sea water. I waded up to my ankles. Chilly and windy.

I previously researched possible rides near Florence, I picked Cape Mtn nearby. Drove to trailhead climbing like 1,600′ above highway 101, Climb was steep. System was built for horses. Trails were horse affected in places as below grade, but mostly an enjoyable non technical ride through temperate rain forest.

Side trip to ocean completed I headed back E to Oakridge for the night.

Before my Alpine ride I visited with Trans Cascadia at Westfir. Guy I talked to remembered me from giving he and his a buddy a ride in Sedona as they were tuckered from their ride. Nick. He told about the Old Cascade crest trails, AVENZA software and ability to by on line maps. Man at Oakridge also spoke of riding there and gave me suggestion. I picked the one that required the fewest miles of dirt road. Destination was TH for 2 trails, each climbing up to a peak. I learned that each peak had a fire lookout on it.

Trailforks showed Crescent Mtn as black difficulty, the other trail is Pyramid rated red which is beyond black in difficulty. I chose Crescent. Mosquitoes abound at chosen camp spot. Trail is in deep old growth tree cover and climbed and climbed. My engine pedaled what I could and walked a whole bunch of distance. Arrived at spur trail to lookout where I parked my bike and walked short distance to former lookout site which was a ground house long since decayed to scattered boards and glass fragments. 3 hikers plus one later joined me. I left first. EDGE does not record all data when hiking which is below sensing speed for data gathering. Distance was 8.6 miles climbing 1037′ but descending 2182′ at speeds high enough for recording. Distance was longer than 8.6 miles. BCN data for just the climb was 5.2 miles climbing 2119′ pedaling and pushing for 1 hr 20 mins.

I was beat. Mosquito night.

Sunday after accepting the trail to Pyramid Peak would be too much for me to ride so I hiked it. 1.9 miles climbing 1,759′. Trail started climbing from get go through old growth forest transitioning to over grown vine maple breaking clear of it for more forest cover. Climbed up peak that wasn’t the lookout site, 3rd class rock climbing should have told me this was not the site. made climbing moves to top then downclimbed. Took the better worn path to the former lookout site.

My legs were really worked climbing then I used them to brake on the descent, I was afraid they might fail to hold me. Lower trail went thru devil’s club patches, things you want to stay out of.

Drove back to Bend over Santiam Pass. Very heavy traffic heading west, not so much in my direction. Just way too many people out doing what I have been doing.

Today I pedaled from anchor spot off rd 41 to enjoy pedal trails. Then drove into crowded city. Post Office line was way too long to wait my turn. Visited Pine Mountain visiting with a woman staff member. She told me she rode the loop including the red trail.

Tomorrow a rest day.

Bed time.

I bought on line a bug buster device like a bug zapper to harvest mosquitoes. So far I seem to be more attractive than the light.

Non Recreational Campers are populating public lands. Where I stay around in forest W of Bend I do not see these campers but E of toen has the problem. Today I am in Oakridge, OR where I learned the term and these campers are   problem from littering to flat out abandoning their possessions. Specifically for me is trail head at bottom of Dead Mtn just outside of town where I stayed until last evening’s drive by where hard to tell completely abandoned or just ramshackle, either way I traveled further up Salmon creek hoping for an open site in nmae sake campground. Too late: Full.

Yesterday evening I rolled into Oakridge. I drove up old main street passed the liquor distillery that was shut down. I picked this weekend in hopes of enjoying a low key local live music, a food truck, and drinks made from their spirits. Change: you only know it if you have seen it before. Continued up the street to brew pub renamed under new ownership, Three Legged Crane, only show in old town. Change.

Very hot sleep last night. I set up my small house electric powered fan and aimed from my feet to my head. I finally opened side door risking potential uninvited person. Chilled off as I slept to turn off fan. Sleeping short distance from white water Salmon Creek. Today Drove back to town, visited at Mercantile catching up.

Then drove to Greenwaters Park for start of Larrison Rock ride which is on N facing mountain right above town. Ride consists of steep pavement climb to top then steep single track back down. 5.76 miles taking 1 hr 12 mins climbing 1670′. Sheesh, this wasn’t my first rodeo. Part way up I entered the sports car hill climb race course, my timing allowed me to be on road between race heats. It was a hump, I even became friends with my 46T. I even switch backed on the 2 lane road. Then the goods, reward for the hump.

View the tree cover: dense. Trail drops steeply on steep hill side bench cut tread that shows signs of heavy use: Brake bumps and blown out corners. MBO was last weekend which put many riders going down. Trails are dry and dusty, not what should be on the wet side of the Cascades. 3.08 miles dropped 1998′ taking me 20 mins. Need powerful working brakes. Finished, ate lunch then short walk to shore on Salt Creek for rinse off. Creek much too cold for my comfort so I just swabbed myself down with the cold water. Visited with a woman mtn bike racer from Bozeman. Now sitting in hot van at the park creating this.

Backing up in spurts to last posting.

Yesterday I scored a seat on the transit bus from Welcome Center to Swampy lake for $5. One passenger which mtn bike on 5 bike capacity rack and joined by Mark whom I know. He was going to pedal ride but the $5 ride changed his mind. I debussed at Swampy, the other rider needed to remove my bike from the rack as I have no strength in my right arm. My ride climbed to add more descent to my downhill. I pedaled up Ridge to Dutchman Swampy to Flagline Tie which dropped down to Swampy loop continuing around the lake to SST down to Swede shelter. I ride SST to catch S Fork going the other way, trail is longer than Swede but this is the preferred shuttle descent. Sector 16 connects with Upper Whoops which is like a bike park single track. End at junction with Storm King and others. I descended Storm King to Grand Slam dropping don to Ticket to Ride back to Welcome center. 22.4 miles climbing 1388′ and descending 3038′ pedaling for 2 hrs 40 mins. Almost all by myself on an excellent weather weekend day. Then drove to Oakridge.

My heart condition continues to concern me. Thurs night I felt heart pounding that I thought was sign of heart failure, enough so that I checked into local ER. Data taken from me, blood draw, EKG, chest X-Ray, and diagnosis from ER DR. Per his exam all parts are in working order, saw nothing to limit my activities: Use it until it breaks. This DR spent time and shared medical info. Relieved so I rode my bike afterwards on short loop from Sleep spot off rd 41.

Wed I rode with Andrew, Ryan, and Jay. I met them first 2 years ago on the Umpqua trail then other rides. I have 20 years on them. We climbed Tumalo ridge to Swede shelter, today I was 1 min faster on road climb. Down Sector 16 continuing on Upper Whoops to its end. Descent was same as 2 days in the future, Returned on Skyliner. Andrew prepared dinner for us at Jay’s house. Visited, enjoyed Andrew’s creation, then dusk drive back to  rd 41.

COTA Executive Director Emmy treated me to lunch on Tuesday.

On Wed Import Performance in Bend performed van check up. results are some to be fixed suspension and brake issues in future before I leave area. Van is solid is report. Now if I can accept favorable van health instead of worrying failure.

Hot here, the 4th forecast high is 90 degrees.

I researched rides out on the coast finding Cave Mtn right on the ocean west of Eugene that I will check out on Wed. return over Santiam Pass stopping to ride O’lollie / Oleary. Haven’t decided to earn my turns or suck up shuttle. Alpine shuttle here is $37 to save pedaling up 1910 rd. It’s just $ and unburned calories.

Time to score sleep spot for the night.