Yesterday I paid for an Alpine shuttle, TransCascadia. 9 AM departure from their lot in West Fir at the Red Bridge which is the terminus of Alpine. New van, nice ride, up to Kate’s Cutin connector piece. Several years ago I helped Derek build the FS alignment. A local at the Mercantile said that trail is the most ridden of all trails, I can see that as the Alpine trail is the Oakridge trail to ride. Maybe 4 shuttle vans carrying riders were present as I was getting ready to ride. I globbed onto Elizah(incorrect spelling which he will correct me and I will correct), whom we met 2 years ago and bumped into each other other places, and a local. Both enjoy downhill speed more than I do and 1 that was slower on the climbs. I have ridden this trail maybe 20 times over the years on whatever bike I was riding. We had the entire ride to ourselves after the first climb. Oakridge is on the wet side as written about, Trail is under deep tree cover, species of trees were environmentally determined. Up high were giant old growth Doug Fir. Shade. The 2 guys sped a piece of downhill then would stop and talk. I would arrive as they talked. My previous rides solo were pretty much straight thru.
The trail climbs to high spot, Sourgrass, into a meadow of beargrass plants showing just green leaves.
Beargrass blooms on a cycle, not every year, unknown to me. Whatever that year was when I rode thru above and the beargrass was in full bloom. The trail is below grade which made the stalks even higher, most of a rider was hidden. I believe Steve might have been on that ride. Meadow is very short distance and trail enters tree canopy. Trail is wearing as it would from traffic. Stutter bumps growing before speed shedding tech problem. Small cloud of dust was kicked up by the 2 in front that maybe 1 minute wait would settle out. Tree cover lessened air temp until just above the end. The increase in heat was noticeable like I was being shown the inside of a heated oven. Bike computer miles climbing hiccupped up high which affected ride data, it did capture these numbers: 12.7 miles climbing 784′ and descending 4,173′, pedaled for 1 hr 34 mins, average heart rate was 121 (how about that rate for descending). Didn’t take other pics, sorry for reader as I have many stored pics plus tree cover shows tree trumps stopping well short of crowns.
Several years ago I was shown a sketching path down to the N Fork of the Middle Fork Willamette River. Last year the path was overgrown and crossed by blackberry canes. This year I wore leather gloves and carried small lopper and cleared the path. This river temp is the warmest of the other rivers & creeks. I submerged myself in the clear fast running water, I finger clung to rock to stay in place, not downstream with the current.
A father and son were on the shuttle. The father checked his bike after it was off loaded. His rear suspension was broken letting his rear wheel slop like a baby tooth before falling out. Father son swapped bikes, son down rode with broken bike in shuttle. Son at the bottom drove his return ride away. Father gets to bottom. No cell phone reception. He pedals away to where he is staying. I hollered at him, he turned back, I told him I would take him back. He was staying in FS campground W of town off main highway, nasty bike ride. He was thankful, I told him it was pay it forward for him. Drove back to town.
Hot, in 90s. I slept up Larison road about 1,000′ above valley floor, slightly cooler. Last night I was too hot to eat let alone cook. Stand by scrambled eggs.
This AM I bought coffee beans from only coffee place in town. Bulk weighed out. I will grind beans tonight for overnight cold brewed coffee, my method for hot coffee preparation. Drove form Oakridge climbing from town elevation of 12xx’ to pass at 52xx’ then dropped less than 10xx’ to elevation of high desert. My property where I am now is at 4264′.
I accomplished what I wanted to do at Oakridge and nothing held me for additional days.
I checked for shuttle for Oleary to find next opening will be this Thurs. I made peace with my body for shuttling versus monster climb of Ollie. My ulcer will be treated this Thurs. Another try?
Hot. Van reads 101 and I’m inside. Enough of this, I closing and moving outside.