I speak for myself but wonder about others thoughts. Why do we do what we do? Why do we do under challenging conditions? Why do we do that scares us?

The last week temps were 90s to 100, I still rode at the same level of exertion. One ride before I finished my skin was hot and dry, I did not drink all the water that was available. I cooled off with an ice pack around my neck and numerous refreshes of a wet cloth on my core. Avoided heat injury. But why did I ride when so hot and with effort? External validation? Elevated stature in peers’ eyes? Satisfaction of spitting into the wind and getting away with it? I had concern for heat stroke and being by myself. Self sufficiency that I met the challenge alone. subsequent rides were hotter, on each I concentrated on sucking on the hose, my skin remained damp. One ride back in NC Todd and I rode in a thunderstorm with the flash of light and explosion of thunder were at the same time and we were high up. It’s gotta get better. We escaped with a story to tell. Even wet arm hair stands up. I could sit on my chair in the shade and drink room temp water.

Why push? How long should a ride be to be counted as a ride? Less than 60 mins sucks, 3 hours is a stretch. Less than 100’/ mile? Plan the route to lessen the hard climbing.

Badgers have dug burrows in places right against the trail. Varying degrees of freshness. Yesterday afternoon I saw motion in the forest nearby. I discerned it to be 3 badgers head to tail motoring by about a rope’s length. This morn in the dust behind the van a single badger tracks in the dust. Last eve I walked a piece of catch and Release from my anchor: a serious badger hole.

Slept with the side door open last night. Fridge looses its cool during the heat.

Yesterday another ultrasound was performed on my leg to compare previous result to compare clotting. Same 3 chronic clots. That was at 8:15 A. Before 10 I parked in Crow Feet’s parking lot awaiting completion of fork service. Treated the fork to an early service. Bike and me were out of the shop by 11.

Ample time to ride the North Fork of Tumalo creek loop from Skyliner which is higher and cooler than town. Pedaled up Tumalo creek trail. I creeped climbing on the section that I hit 25 descending. Trail ends at start of North Fork trail which is very popular with hikers to view various falls. For bikes it is one way up. 3.54 miles climbed 997′ on dirt single track shared with hikers going and coming. Pedaled for 47 mins non stop but for several photos. Tree cover for shade.

End in Happy Valley, turn on to Metolius Windigo to Mrazek, descent Farwell, descend back down Tumalo. Wild up there in the watershed.

Down Farwell. I believe I worked 3 times over the years cutting back the ceoanthus from edges of the trail, we always left the manzanita. I cut this piece 2 years ago. Today another person’s brushing went after everything:

It’s 9PM, time to start for bed. I need to wipe down my dried sweaty body off from todays 2 hour ride in the heat. Catch and release to Storm King climb to Grand Slam down to Ticket to Ride to Catch and release back. During a sit down I watched a woman rider pedaling uphill on an ebike. I asked her how it feels to be illegal. She said she is not using the motor so therefore she is legal. Perhaps she removed the battery to loose weight. Rode by myself almost entire ride. Morning mid week ride in the heat thins the crowds.

Title of Ken Kesey’s novel about an Oregon logging family. I think of this novel when I think about Oakridge. Not the same but sort of. This might be my 3rd time reading this, it’s a handful lots of pages and small print. Me? Sometimes a great notion.

Choosing a book: so many choices, many new writers, so few to make a lasting impression. But which new writer will be the new Kesey or ? who have weathered time. Read the past, how far back? Newly published books are already about the past. Dudley’s in downtown Bend, independent bookstore, is loaded with Tom’s choices. Overload. I seek critical reviews for me to choose from. Taking a flyer on a book? I have made  choices like that, some were enjoyable, I have given away for me no connection books. Kesey, settle in.

So my digestion system continues to send distress signals. Last Tues visit with Whitney for diagnosis and plan of recovery. She said go 2 days on a liquid diet which will allow recovery. I drank orange juice with some pulp, chocolate pudding, jello, and lots of Ensure. It was sharp reduction in daily calories. My guts have quieted down. I did not ride for fear of bonking plus 100 degrees settled in. Sat was first ride day.

Local Walgreens where my prescription refill was sent to is temp closed. I called the other Bend location sent to voice mail, there are more than 3 callers ahead of you. I gave up after 45 mins. I discovered a location in La Pine, I asked for store change. Thurs I drove down to La Pine and picked up the meds. I googled ice cream in town finding a food truck stand, locally made small batch, 17 to 20% butterfat. My reward for a chocolate malted, black and white. Spent night on property, so nice, quiet and dark. However, my dusty road dead ends into the forest, access point sends off road rigs past. Plumes of dust. I have pulled up knapweed in front of me on both sides of road.

Friday was another hot day. Returned to Bend to The Hub Cyclery to pick up m y bike with newly installed Cura brake. TJ said wrong brake, I ordered a road bike brake. I checked my order, yep, on me. Pot, internet, money, not my 3 favorite things. I am asking for exchange for the Cura 4 which is what’s available, it has 4 pots making it much more powerful. I am running Formula Cura brakes both ends for maybe 4 years. I want a backup which put me in front of the computer.

Blue Danube waltz on my iPod.

Been staying up at Swampy which is cooler for riding, sleeping and living. No mosquitoes. Side door open all night plus small fan moving air. Sleep under just a sheet till temp cools for single layer of summer down blanket. Drinking lots of water.

Yesterday’s ride kept me up Swampy level. Joy is familiarity of trails from which to chose pleasure and pain. Ridge right from van climbs up to right hand turn onto Flag Tie over to Lower Flag for descent to Swampy, around down Swede, return on SST, short piece of Swampy then hump up an unsigned tie to Ridge for mostly downhill back to hot van. 13.6 miles pedaling for 1 hr 50 mins. Same time as previous ride. Amazing. Although on this ride my heart worked harder.

Today was another ride here. Need to ride something different. Swampy goes around the lake, S Fork leaves at the former shelter site. S Fork descent. And what it was. The bike is so stable and confidence inspiring. Literally point it. I decided to not learn my time, I just let the bike carry me while my involuntary reflexes had the controls. Trun right on Tumalo creek with its speed section, I hit 25.88 mph w/o check braking. Climbed up Skyliners. Then the killer Switchback city climb, descent, then climb it back social trail to junction of Sector 16. Encountered 5 riders. SST to Swampy back to van. 20 miles climbing 2251′ in 2 hrs 43 mins. My planned route would go by the water spigot at Skyliner lodge, the lowest point of my ride. I started with less than full hydration bladder as I planned on filling up at Skyliner.I was committed to descending S Fork. Temp was just 89 at ride completion. I drank lots of water and paid attention to perspiration and not dry skin. Switchback is its namesake climbing and climbing. My engine lacks power for riding it all and with today’s high temp I pulled back effort to walk in places. I had ridden this trail once before, I remembered that ride. I did it to myself this time. All by myself.

Early evening weather threatened T storm, all about noise here. May it not have been a dry lighting storm sparking forest fires. So far just 2 fires west and south at CA border.

My lifestyle is pretty static: ride, resupply, find a spot for the night, sleep, repeat. Same ol. Today I took a rest day after riding 6 days straight. I took care of “chores” in town. I treated myself to a black and white chocolate malted milkshake today as a calorie award and and good feeling. Visited with Tom, the owner, at his independent bookstore, Dudley’s. Nearby a street musician strummed and picked on a banjo and sang. Blue grass rock. I have no water level gauge, the tank is 7 gals. A shurflo pump pumps water from that tank thru a sink faucet. The pump will go thru micro pumps when the level gets to maybe a gallon. The pump pumps when I depress the paddle on the faucet. I capture sink water in a 10 qt bucket that shows how much water has been run thru the plumbing, it’s a minimum as not all the water goes down the drain. I get water at a sports field on the way to Phils, it’s city water that I don’t drink. Drinking water is filtered and stored in a 2 gal jug positioned at back of van on floor. It lasts 2 days. I swapped 2 books that I decided I didn’t want to finish for credit applied to Kesey’s, Sometimes a Great Notion that this will be the 3rd time thru. Every visit to Oakridge conjures up this book.  OK, bit of a stretch. 1970 I was on a fire crew stopping fires. I wore a cruiser’s vest which had many pockets, in 1 was a book I was reading during breaks. I believe it was that summer that I read it. Or, maybe that was 8 years later when I was off PCT hanging in Gig Harbor. Reading old works from authors that have stood the test of time as validation of their value. I have no knowledge of any new writers whose works will stand the test of time.

My body is not happy. I gather O2 saturation, pulse, and blood pressure from instruments I have. Morning resting pulse is 41, while riding my pulse hits 140s. Almost 100 beats more during exertion. Digestive system is out of whack, health care provider visit tomorrow.

On the weekends all trails are open to ride, during the week a population of trails are closed because of logging. Yesterday I rode entire length of Storm King because it was open. It had been feller-bunchered. Felled trees were wind rowed awaiting grapple skidder to drag bunches to a landing to be limbed and cut to length. You only know change if you had seen it before.

Storm King trail thru the harvested area rode differently as tree cover had been altered. I was sadden by the change. One thing about the cutting machines is the short stump height

I allowed myself to be saddened. Trail continued down going thru past machine logging. Grasses start regrowth process, their stalks are taller than the stumps

 

Ride was  miles climbing 1800 feet. Good ride. Temps in the 80s.

Sat I rode out and back on Catch and Release connecting with Afternoon Delight adding Round about and back. This time the computer worked the entire ride. Finally data 19 miles and climbing 1437′, I sought a less demanding ride as an easy ride. Lots of short ups.

Yellow full size former school buses are in vogue this year. There is 1 at Phils where I like to stay. At this place off rd 41 a flat nosed bus arrived. Yesterday a regular front bus continued into the woods past me.

A zipper pull on my Wingnut wore out as it no longer knitted the teeth to close the zipper. Gear Fix is a gear repair shop and consignment store. They have fixed my stuff in the past. Today I was in the neighborhood so I made a stop. A sign read 2 weeks out for sewing. I explained my situation and needing the pack for riding. Bring it in the woman said. She looked at the zipper, talked to the repair person, I was told it would be repaired before end of the day. Score. They called me before end of day. I weighed the contents of pack: just 10 pounds. The padding has lost its comfort, the pack has been well worn and will wear into the future. 100oz bladder, I fill the bladder to my planned ride. Last several rides I came in just above fumes.

It’s hot here on high desert. Next 3 days forecast for 10X degrees. I still do not use the air conditioning in the van. My reasoning is I live and play outside so I want to be acclimated to outside temp. It’s 71 degrees at 9 PM, at 3933′ elevation.

My van is so much more enjoyable with new transmission that’s noticeable and drive shaft. The original transmission shook the drive shaft, I do not know what improvement would be with new driveshaft. I figured out to lessen the episodes by keeping a load on the engine. Years and years of that shaking. I continue to enjoy performance and work to remove old memories. I haven’t filled tank to start a miles per gallon figure. The pumps shut off because of programed maximum charge on a card. $95, at $6.50/gal. Refrigerator cools to 40 degrees overnight. Its efficiency is diminishing.

Dry and dusty.

Learned from FS that the Cloverpatch tie is a continuation of existing trail so its open to ebikes and dirt bikes. SO far I haven’t seen dirt bike tracks on any of the trails here.

Box wine, equals 3 bottles, and retains it quality. Big white wine glass full pre dinner fixing.

Blood draw today for testing my gut health healing.