Lakes Ride

Sunday we did the same ride we had attempted to do a couple weeks back but had found that it wasn't cleared of downed trees yet. Cogwild helped clear it and so we headed for it again. I love this loop for several reasons...it's semi-technical, has a long gradual climb, beautiful scenery, and pretty secluded. It's rare to see many other cyclists out there and it's a fantastic trail. We went counterclockwise, but I'd recommend anyone attempting it to go the other way. That makes for some pretty technical downhill sections. It took us about 3 hours which included getting lost for about 20 minutes and having to hike through mosquito meadow. Enough words.

King Castle

Saturday we met Dana, a guy that we rode with about 6 years ago when we took a trip to Arizona, and then three years ago when a group of he and his friends visited Bend to ride. I got an email a couple weeks ago that he was going to be staying over in Salem and would we like to show him a ride. We decided to meet in the middle and ride King Castle. Well, we couldn't just ride up King Castle and back down...we'd done that before. So after checking out a map, we decided to make a sort of loop out of the ride by riding up the road about 3-4 miles and then up a fireroad for another few miles before coming to Castle Rock trail and taking that up the backside of the mountain to King Castle. By now you know that I'm not a stranger to adventure rides. This ended up being no different.

First attraction of the ride was Cougar Dam where, of course, I took a damn picture.


You can read about the Cougar Dam story if you're interested.

After climbing a few miles I saw a "trailhead" to the left and a sign indicating that in fact, we were headed in the right direction. Apparently though, we were the only ones that had headed this direction in quite some time. Here is a picture, no kidding, looking back at Derek as he rode the "trail".



I was point person and here was what I rode into/through. I swear, there was a trail there underneath all the growth. I just couldn't see it at all really.



Needless to say, it was overgrown and slow going for the next few miles. When we popped out on a fireroad we opted to take it up for another half mile or so instead of continuing on the jungle trail.

Hmm, seemed to have picked up a little bit of vegetation along the way.






This put us onto King Castle trail which was perfectly groomed and a gem. A gem, that is, if you don't mind climbing. It's a steep effort with at least 19 switchbacks of varying difficulty. I don't mind climbing so it was fun. At the top we took a short break and then blasted back down 7 or so miles of pure heaven.











Great view from the tippy top of the trail.


Hopefully Dana doesn't hate us too much for the torturous ride.

I'm tired just thinking back about this and I haven't even written about Sunday's ride yet!

Laps

I did two laps of the circuit course from the Cascade Cycling Classic race the other night. I was just out enjoying the evening, the heat, and the beautiful green fields with horses grazing and sprinklers shooting. I couldn't resist stopping a couple times to gaze at the wonderful riverscape scenes.






Have a great weekend!

Sanitized

I was out of town racing during the Central Oregon Trail Alliance work party again this year so I'm not on the details here, but on Phil's trail they did some work...to make it easier. I'm not sure that was the sole intention, but that was the outcome. I'm less than thrilled with it. The difficult section was filled in with rocks and dirt.

Here is Derek riding down it with his eyes closed. (hahaha - not really)



It's almost Friday!

Sometimes a swimhole or a little dip is all you need to keep yourself going. When sweat is dripping down your face and your eyelashes have salty residue on them that swipes across your sunglass lense every time you blink, leaving a filmy streak that annoys you to no end...and then you see this:




Everything is alllll right.

Long Hot Day

Yesterday we went for a monster ride in Oakridge. I can't give you exact mileage, I can only piece together what I think it was from our map. It looks like around 30 miles with somewhere in the field of 5500' of climbing and uh, yah, some hiking too. We actually probably hiked a few miles all together. The sun was smothering us and it was impossible to drink in all we sweated out. The first 6 miles were pretty flat and then the next 10 were all uphill and then the rest was downhill followed by uphill with lots of undulation. No crashes, but plenty of near misses, and lots of scratches from overgrown brush Enough words.










You can't see the salt sweat stain on my shorts good enough.



Derek had a minor meltdown about 2/3 through the ride and while I waited, I looked for the lucky 4 leaf clover.



Here he is REFUSING to smile or look at the camera.

Brrrr

I went swimming at lunch yesterday and the massive swarm of kids that usually covers the kids area like a busy clan of ants rushing to rebuild their nest after destruction was absent. I had the lane to myself and did an easy mile before riding back to work. The day was kind of cool and when I rode after work I actually caught a chill coming downhill. I did two laps of the circuit race - so out past Shevlin and around to OB Riley and up Archie Briggs past the college and down around for the loop. Not a bad nights work before heading to my friend's place for halibut fish tacos and wine. YUM!

As I softly pedaled home afterwards, watching the sun set and the colors morph and swirl around the clouds, I couldn't help but smile to myself and think how lucky I am. What a great day.

Bike Polo

I got this email the other day and was intrigued:

This thurs. July 19th at 7:30pm at the the Highland Magnet Elementary School (7th and Newport) parking lot (in back caddycorner to Harmon park), Bend will have its first (that I know of) Bike polo game!!

"Whats bike polo?" you may be mulling over in your not-so-metro-savvy-head. Well, its a game, supposedly a national sport for some country but most importantly its a chance to get together and move at breakneck speeds towards your friends and strangers with a golf club sized mallet in your hand...... just remember the whole eye for an eye, whole worlds blind and not biking thing.


Heres a site thats got a YouTube thinger so you can see what you might be getting into: http://www.myspace.com/vanbikepolo
or bikepolo.com we'll probably be playing a version of their game

any bike will do, we have some crochet mallets but anything like a golf club or make your own device will do.... Also, I have to advise helmets and knee pads are recommended but not manditory...play at your own risk. Come and play or just watch the madness unfold!

Rain, Sweet Rain

Just coming awake I listened intently, straining to hear over the constant white noise of the air purifier. Yes, I believe that is, yes, it's rain! I hopped out of bed and rushed to the window where I peeped through the blinds. It looked like it had been raining for quite some time and I swear things were already greener than they were the day before!

My commute to work was fun. With my waterproof shorts, backpack, a light rain vest, and fenders, I streamed to work. Just think what good this rain is doing for our lower dustbowl trails!

Woohoo - happy Wednesday!

Oh yah, and guess what these magically turned into:



Fruit crisp! Oh so delicious.

Hell On Wheels

I went to Webcyclery movie night last night at McMenamins. Hell on Wheels was playing. It's about the 2003 Tour de France and it follows mainly one team through the 3 week stage race. It's tough because two of the guys that star in it have come forward now and admitted to doping in the past (not specifically in 2003). So they are cheaters. But, it's insightful to watch what they go through over the race; their feelings about racing and the pressures of the sport. They doubt themselves, they are scared they can't win or do the job they are paid to do. I'm not condoning doping, but the movie is still very good.

I watch the Tour every year regardless of the doping allegations, the lack of Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, or Jan Ullrich. I watch it because no matter what, that sport is amazing. What other sport can you get that close to the competitors, participate in on the same roads they do, go to for free, and see amazing countryside? It's a tough sport and I love it.

Where is everyone?

Derek and I rode up North Fork and Metolius Windigo, through Happy Valley and past the Broken Top Trailhead. We were the only cyclists I saw the entire ride. We did an out and back only veered off and down Mrazek/Farewell to end.

Here is the fix for the bridge that got damaged this past winter. That's a jack of some sort placed under it.






Little stream crossing as we head higher towards fresh snow melt.



Pretty creek and wildflowers up at higher altitude.



Waterfalls are the center of focus on North Fork.





The first year I did this ride that was almost a river and it took me some time to find a good place to cross. It wasn't deep or that fast this year. We took our lunch break here.



Great ride - in all I estimate about 30 miles or so? Derek got attacked by mosquitos, I only picked up about 4 new bites even with my DEET coverage.

Crit pics

Here is an assortment of photos from the Friday night downtown criterium. The kids race was awesome, they are so cute. This kid is on a wooden bike with no pedals and he was still having a good time.




Here is Zoey. While she was warming up before the race she informed me she just turned 4 on Monday.



Here is local boy Tim Jones - he races mountain bikes for Webcyclery and is a good all around rider...ended up finished 2nd in the CAT 3 crit.



The enormous guy is Ryan Trebon - a world class mountain biker for KONA and cyclocross champion. He's appropriately nicknamed "Tree Farm". He was out in the break for most of the night and then got caught towards the end of the 90 minute hammerfest.



Artsy shot.



Stay tuned for pics of our mountain bike ride on Sat and details of what happened Sunday as well.

Crit

Yesterday I watched the Category 3, Masters, kids, and then the Pro Men criterium downtown. It was a blast and the crowd was very appreciative of the show that was put on. I saw a lot of guys digging deep and throwing more heart into that thing then they could probably afford to. As they said in New Zealand, "Good on ya!". I'll have a couple pics up later.

After I finish watching the Tour de France this morning, we're headed out for our own mountain bike ride...complete with pics! We'll have our own category 1 climb.

Wow!

What is going on with the Tour de France this year? There have been so many crashes and surprises the first week! I can only imagine what is going to happen when they hit the Alps. I really do feel sorry for the favorite GC guy Vino - with that big crash he had yesterday he is hurtin for certain.

What have I been doing? Let's see, we rode mountain the other night - up around Swampy and those trails where I promptly collected 3 new mosquito bites. Grrrrrrrrr. I've been swimming or riding at lunch, even did some deep water running the other day when my goggles weren't cooperating.

Tonight we're headed down to watch the crit and I suppose tomorrow we'll ride dirt again...something long. I'm bummed I forgot my camera today so there will be no crit pictures. Sorry. Maybe I'll get some new photos this weekend. I've been slacking.

Happy Friday 13th!

Derek and I rode up Skyliners after work yesterday. Part of the Navigators team passed us at the start - they were out checking out the time trial course for the Cascade Cycling Classic time trial stage Friday morning. Then Toyota United Pro came down the road the opposite direction. It was busy out there!

The fire out east is causing an eerie red clouded over sky. That's going to suck for the racers who are heading out east into Prineville and then back today. The finish is atop Pilot Butte again this year. Last year I rode up there and watched them finish - not sure I'll get up there this year though.

Tonight is mountain bike night. Woohoo!

Is it Friday yet?

Why Do Gorillas Have Big Nostrils?


Because They Have Big Fingers.

Top 30

I just got my new issue of Outside Magazine. Surprise - Bend got named as one of the top 30 towns in America. They should have pointed out that people die a lot here. Another person died on the river this past weekend.

I had a nice ride up to M. Bachelor yesterday morning before the Webcyclery team pool party and BBQ. Luckily it wasn't too hot since I got on early-ish start. Then I sat in the sun eating brownies, chips and dip, and drinking beer. Quite a good Sunday.

No pictures, sorry.

Leaves of three...

We didn't accomplish what we set out to ride but I can't blame Derek too much. He's been off the bike for a few weeks now with his rib injury and then another pinched nerve in his back. It was a long hard ride and we had no idea what was in store for us. We got an early start and drove about an hour out by McKenzie Pass. We then rode about 6 miles of mostly uphill on a serious grade of pavement and then dirt road until we hit the trailhead an hour later. It was a brutal singletrack climb for another 3.5 miles. The trail was overgrown with all kinds of vegetation. I chanted, "leaves of three, let them be" for about the first arduous mile but then that disappeared from my mind as I just tried to keep pedaling uphill. It was so steep and narrow that it took us about an hour to go those measly miles. It was really hot and humid back in the forest and when I would scootch forward on my saddle to get as low to the bike as I could on the really steep parts, sweat would squeeze out my shorts and drip all the way down my legs into my socks. We didn't have that great a map but we were looking for a singletrack to split off the side of that trail and one appeared so we took it. The trail was primative at best and very hard to see in places. We were riding through bushes and vegetation that was shoulder high! The ground underneath that you couldn't see, was choppy and rough. After picking through a couple miles of that Derek started getting skeptical. We might not even be on the right trail and he was already dead tired. So, angrily, I turned back. I hate having to abort ride plans but in all, we climbed I don't know how many thousand feet and rode about 13 miles or so all uphill and then back downhill.

And now for the pics.









I was riding out front following what I thought might have been the trail when all tracks disappeared and all I saw ahead was this.




You couldn't possbily fit another tree in here.

Sometimes it's hot

Yep, it was hot yesterday. I rode up past the Swampy Snopark after work when it was maybe only in the 90's. I swear the asphalt was melting and dripping down into town. Odd, I only saw one other person braving their life. Before I even got to the turnoff for 41 there was sweat coming out of my eyes. My waterbottles had been prefrozen in anticipation of the heat but they thawed and were hot about 10 miles up the road.

Have a great weekend!

Went for a nice mountain bike ride yesterday. It wasn't as hot under the cover of trees and shade out there in the forest thankfully. Oh, and in case you didn't see it on ESPN live, Joey Chestnut won the Coney Island hot dog eating contest yesterday. 63 hotdogs in 12 minutes. He was weaving and bobbing the whole time...claims he contracts and works his ab muscles so the food will go down easier. It was impressive yet disgusting to watch. I could have used that technique Tuesday night when we met friends for nachos and beer, and then went to dinner with some other friends and ate more. UHG.

The Cascade Cycling Classic starts next week! I'm sad the women won't be racing, but at least we still have the guys to watch. The Twilight Crit downtown will be THE place to be!

The Tour de France starts Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait. I have watched it every year faithfully and this year will be no different.

Cheers.

Girls Ride

Sunday I rode around the Newberry Crater with Celia and Dana. The climb up the fireroad seemed shorter than usual once my legs settled into it. We dropped into the singeltrack and away we went. The trail was in great condition and the forest service had done a good job clearing most of the downed trees. We only saw one other mountain biker the whole day!





Here's Dana











Celia having a good time.



We made it around the giant loop in around 3 hours. Not bad for a Sunday ride.