Presently I am sitting in Hood River. Sitting.

Fires, big ones sending smoke downwind. All along this summer my travel plans were almost day to day as fires and air quality potential and reality would determine where to go. Cedar Creek fire up on the Cascade Crest on the western shore of Waldo lake is the big one and getting bigger and no corralling it is figured or perhaps possible until fall rains if and when the precip falls. Cedar Creek has forced the evacuation of Oakridge, closed Cascade Lakes highway, rt 58 over Willamette pass: it’s burning east and north. Dry with wind events. Per the official incident site it shows almost the entire perimeter of the fire is uncontained.

Thurs I left Bend after laundry driving towards MT Hood then up to rd 44 trails. I encountered 2 work projects on that rd: aqueduct pipeline digging and burying and a logging operation affecting Surveyors ridge trail. Last year I found an anchor spot which is past the aqueduct and before the logging. I dropped anchor there. On Sat’s ride I saw that a previous favored spot was prolly a logging landing. I scored.

Rd 44 trails are old school hand built trails in virgin forest mostly in watersheds which keeps the trees standing except for Surveyors. There were 2 rides there I wanted to do: High Prairie and Bottle Prairie. Prairie is relative description of small natural clearings in dense forest.

High Prairie was the big climb up Cook’s Meadow, all full on woods hand built single track. MT Hood was visible:

Cooks is Lower and Upper with Lower being the serious hump 3.6 miles climbing 1237′, Upper is lesser at 3.2 miles climbing just 829′. Big time hump, I used cry baby gear (46T) on several climbs. Pay back is descent of Lookout trail which is heavily used and worn wide. I encountered 2 riders pedaling up. I finished on Super Connector that I helped build years ago, more later. Chilly enough to wear lightest wool jersey. 16.7 miles climbing 2598′ pedaling for 2 hrs 42 mins, average heart rate was 117 beats, up from resting 47 pumps. Chilly night needed heater.

Sat was work to get fun downhill on Bottle Prairie. I rode up the Connector and would return on same trail. Today I encountered no one. 17 miles climbing 2556′ pedaling for 2 hers 38 mins with heart rate 117. Rides were almost identical. Smoke haze but no smell.

The “dirt” here is pumice flour as it lacked the size to carry it further from erupted Hood. Talc. Glad to ride by myself. On Sat I was first track, I saw clawed foot prints in the dirt, figured to be badger but I never saw a badger dug holes like at Bend.

I learned of a county campground, Tucker, just outside of Hood River that for $25 I could sleep legally outside of town. I drove down to it, selected a spot and paid my $ then drove to Dirty Finger bike shop at its new location. I walked into shop deserted except for Mitchell the owner. Cool, we spent quality time, he sharing rides across the river up towards Mt ST Helens where I figured to go today. While there former FS trails person Jimmy rolled in. We met years ago building that Connector trail, Great, I made a measurable impression on him. He was responsible for much of RD 44 trails. Good visit. Mitchell is hanging on battered by bike parts supply chain and new bike issues. He sold bike number 7 and 8 for the year as those were ones he could get. He lacks parts for replacement or custom build.

I treated myself to a belated birthday dinner and a margarita then returned to campground. Warm night. This morning scratch blueberry pancakes, my Sunday breakfast. I drove into town to provision myself for up north riding. I drink filtered water where the 2 grocery stores water machines were out of service. I bought 2 bottles of water. I wanted new stickers and a book to be found at funky 2nd hand book store and new books. New stickers and book.

While driving the engine quit, I dead sticked on to a side street, put the transmission into park and turned the key, engine started. However, the check engine control warning light lit. SHIT. I have to wait till tomorrow morning to call Bend shop for help. I will stay here again tonight as the van is saying it needs to be taken care of.

Smoke: I planned on driving towards ST Helens for rides then heading east on US 12 which is now closed due to a fire in the Goat Rocks. The drive to the ride is 3 hours from here then prolly less than an hour north to highway 12. I don’t want to return to HR to head east. Spokane’s air is unhealthy. I can be anywhere I want to be but conditions are affecting my choices.

Bend pics:

Trail was built when we were riding like 22″ bars. See the gouge marks, see the clearance at red grip.

Up at Swampy the yellow jacks were plentiful. Sink bucket eliminated many

Fuel load virgin forest on Skyliners captures what fire fighters are dealing with:

Logging occurs, logs skidded to land to be limbed and bucked then left over is piled to be burned.

Resulting in

Result

Hood River is home to Post Canyon trail system which is a bike park. I have no desire to ride there.

Just hanging hoping the van will get me to and from the campground about 7 miles away.

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.

 

Merino wool. So soft and functional, maybe less environmentally harmful than the synthetics. I tell myself that. I have jerseys of different weights each worn depending upon my comfort needs. It takes many rides to stink up. I recently treated myself to a merino hoodie for off bike wearing staring with first clothing put on after getting out of bed. The first day I wore it I was cocooned by its softness. Big ahhh. Subsequent wearings, while the material remained the same, that ahhh was not as strong. I have been told that a similar experience is noted with first time drug influence: user seeks that first buzz feeling. No, at $100 I will not buy another one seeking that buzz.

Another stretch of 90 degree days is forecast. So far air quality here is green. No environmental issue to drive me away. I ordered shorts from Patagonia hopefully to arrive by weekend as last hold on me. I plan on heading towards Hood River stopping for several days of riding on RD 44 trails then down to the town. I will inquire of rides in WA that locals ride. This will start my WA rides.

What to ride? Air quality paramount. Extreme dryness, a dry lightning storm could change that.

Yesterday I made a complete rest day, only exercise was taking care of myself, never 50′ away from home. Today I wanted a recovery ride sort of, one of pedaling with no big climbs. I rode from anchor spot off rd 41 on Catch and  Release to its end that started Afternoon Delight that ended at Roundabout around and back. Still 20 miles, climbing 1549′ and pedaling for 2hrs 34 mins in the heat. At least it was not 1 hr straight of road climbing. Lots of patches of shade and bright sunshine that my age affected eyes can’t light adjust fast enough to decipher any hidden features. I really like riding on cloudy days. Today I shared the trail with maybe 8 others, one guy twice, once when he was climbing and the next was me climbing. We both expressed Trail Love. Dusty.