Friday, September 22, "Day 7"

The next morning we woke up to filtered sunshine and packed up.  It is much nicer to put away a dry tent than a wet one! 

It took a while  to load up those of us heading back to the casino as we had more bikes and gear even than people present as some of us were bringing home the gear of others who flew or took other methods home.

Fortunately, it was only an hour back to the casino and mild traffic.  We had a bit of a set back because the battery was dead on Jerry's van, but he was prepared and had a battery charger with him.  So, not much harm done.

Finally, we hit the road some time between 11 and 11:30!  Jerry drove the first shift and I promptly feel asleep.  How great it was to wake up an hour later (give or take) to bright sun.

In order to make as much time as possible and not get home too terribly late, we had a very quick fast food lunch, something I almost never eat.

We had an easy drive home in that there were no traffic or weather problems all the way.  When we reached the town of Corning, I was ready for dinner.  We agreed to just go to the Taco Bell next to the gas station we were at but it turned out that only the drive through was open and cars were backed up on to the road.  I guess that's the place to be on Friday night at 7:30 pm. 

In trying to turn around, we found a taco truck, which was a much better option anyway.  Delicious dinner eaten while Jerry drove.

From there, it really wasn't very far to get home, thank goodness.  I was happy to be back at my house by about 10:30 pm.  What a week!

Thursday, September 21, Day 6

The night before at dinner, we found out there would be some route alterations due to a road being closed and not accessible due to heavy construction work.   As a result, we left camp later than we normally would so that we wouldn't arrive at the closest one while people were going to work.

We also heard that the chance of rain was the lowest it had been since starting day 2.  Some rolled out without rain gear but I had mine ready and wore the booties, the most challenging item to put on on the side of the road.

As our final day, our team, cycling4fun, gathered for a picture.  We were moving slowly, following yesterday's long ride as well as the others.

When I left camp, I was nearly the last one again.  We had a 70 mile day ahead and I was tired, so I planned on taking things slower and taking more pictures.  The picture below is from a dairy just a few miles outside camp.

Our campground is quite close to the nearest town, so we were in it before we knew it.  There was the first of the road construction as we approached town.  They had a flagger out, so it wasn't too bad.

On the edge of town I looked for the alpacas we had seen last year, but they weren't out.

After the detour for closed road, we came back to a more rural area with a lot of vinyards.  It's a great area to ride because there's so much variety: rolling hills, winding road, various kinds of farms, a small lake, and more.

At rest stop #1 I had a hot drink. The temperature was lower than it had been (52 degrees when pulling out our bicycles in the morning).  I also found out that we weren't going to be able to go around Haag Lake.  The road was closed part way around for construction.

I arrived at rest stop #2 which was shortly before the closure.  I took a few pictures and headed back.  A number of people went all the way to the closure, but I didn't feel the need.

We went back just the way we came.  The road around the lake has nice wide shoulders, plenty of trees, ferns and other greenery.

Rest stop #1 was now #3 on the way back.  A whole bunch of people came in just after me, so I just moved on to make space.

It was a fairly quiet ride back, saw the alpacas, and was looking forward to get back to camp.  However, the traffic getting through the road work in town just before was a little hair raising. 

The rest was quiet and the whole day was 100 percent dry!

As we entered the camp, we found it had been decorated to celebrate the completion of the tour and 400 miles.  We had a delicious dinner, some awards, and one last night together around the camp fire before going our separate ways.

Wednesday, September 20, Day 5

Within two short turns of the campground, we had to cross a large busy highway.  There was a left turn lane to help achieve that, but it was hair raising to get there.  But, we were dry.

We wound around through farming areas. Almost no one was out and about on the farms that I could see and traffic was fairly light.

Around mile 20, rain started.  I pulled off the road under a tree to put my gear on and continued.  I did less looking at the scenery with the rain. 

Pulling into rest stop #1, it seemed like the rain was stopping, but it was just a momentary lull.  The rest stop was at a winery that still had grapes on the vine.  Fall is harvest time.

Shortly after leaving the stop, the rain returned and eventually started pouring as we were approaching Salem, Oregon's state capitol.  We were on the Oregon Scenic Byway but it was hard to see a thing.  It would probably seem more scenic on a better weather day.

Once in town, I met up with two other riders at the rest stop.  We proceeded together.  The forecast at the time was for the rain to end in another hour.  The turns were a bit tricky in town and particularly when we came to what seemed like the end of a bike trail.  We missed a turn and went about 2 miles before we realized there was a problem.  With directions over the phone, we returned to the intersection and found our way.

True enough, the rain stopped within the hour.  I continued on while the other two cyclists took a short break.  

With dry roads, mostly free of traffic as we returned to a more rural setting, I turned it up to a high gear and booked for the campground.  

Including the detour, it was an 80 mile day!  It was great to finally arrive.  Our afternoon "snack" was some delicious cheese from Rogue Creamery.  Delicious.  We got to enjoy it at a winery just a 1/4 mile away, Lady Hill, where tastings were available.

By the time we returned, dinner was being served.

The picture is of a sign I have seen just here and there in people's yards, like an election sign.  I like the message and will see if I can get one.

Tuesday, September 19, Day 4

There were predictions of serious rain for today, but for the most part we only got a glancing blow.

I headed out of camp, practically the last one and in full rain gear.  We took Peoria Road to Harrisburg.  It was mostly a long, straight road through a farming area.  Much of the ride was flat, including this section of about 23 miles, but there was a strong head wind. 

Head wind is like a climb that never ends.  All I can do is put my head down and pedal on.  I stopped at about mile 15 and took off the rain pants.  There wasn't any rain and I was getting overheated.

I was never so happy to reach a rest stop!  Our stop was sponsored by Mo's, a famous chowder place here.  They didn't have a way to keep the chowder warm, so brought other goodies instead.

What a relief to ride out in a different direction and have no head wind!  It was fabulous and I felt lighter, not having to struggle against the wind.  I finally decided that it was  safe to take the rain jacket off around mile 35.  We traveled through a lovely section with rolling hills, trees, and farms.  This was a favorite section of mine from our rides so far.

Without the wind, I arrived at stop #2 fairly quickly.  The stop was in Browsville where much of the movie Stand by Me was filmed.  It seems like a town worth checking out, including a large synagogue with stained glass windows.

Not far beyond the rest stop, I started feeling a little drizzle and thought of how lucky we were to only have drizzle on a day when serious rain was predicted.

Maybe you have already guessed where this story is going.  As I rode further, the size of the drops increased and then so did the speed at which they came.  I was hoping to ride past the clouds because I could see better skies ahead.

Unfortunately, the rain got down to business while I was going up a hill without much shoulder. At the top of the hill, I got out the jacket and started for the pants as well but it seemed to be stopping, so I left the pants in my bag and continued.   After a turn at the bottom of the descent, the rain poured full force, in fact, seemed to be flying sideways right at me. Well, too late for the rain pants now!  I was in the thick of it.  Not only was there no place to pull over and put them on, there was no use, I was already soaked.

I still had the booties on, but the force of the rain meant that the water ran inside them anyway.  Fortunately, the cloud burst was short lived.  I dried out pretty quickly except for the shoes and socks which staying sopping wet.

I continued along great terrain, saw some sheep and ducks and enjoying myself again.

Somewhere around mile 57, I made a turn and went smack into another terrible head wind.  It was taking a lot of effort to make any progress, but at least the drizzling had stopped and the sun was out.  I pulled into a driveway of sorts and took off the rain jacket and booties.  I was hoping that the strong winds would dry my sodden socks and shoes.  That was not wholly a success, but they did get drier.

At that point, all I could do was put my head down and turn the pedals and hopefully the next turn in the road would get me out of the wind. 

At the last turn, my wish was granted and it was like the wind didn't exist!  I cranked up the gears and sped down the road to camp.  I got up to 24 MPH at one point, which leads me to believe that I had a tail wind.

After the ride, I stopped by the massage therapist's tent for a massage.  My neck was quite sore and tight, which typically happens after multiple days of riding.  One's position on a bike isn't natural and it will get to you.  For me the neck can be much more uncomfortable than the legs.

Rain returned while I was getting a massage.  I'm thankful to the person who brought in the towel that I had put out to dry.

The picture is of rest stop #1.  Old fashioned gazebo next to a river.

Day 3 picture

The campground turned out to be right next to a pot farm.

Monday, September 18, Day 3

I woke up earlier than expected when the caterer cranked  up her generator to start breakfast.  I tried going back to sleep,now but it wasn't working.

After it poured on us most of yesterday and overnight, everyone geared up in all the rain wear; there were coats, jackets, pants, hats, booties and more.  We gathered around the camp fire to warm up and dry out.

My shoes were almost totally dry, which was the most important thing for me.  We put them around the fire last night.  The heel of one of my shoes got somewhat melted but it is still functional since the clip-in part is the most important part.  Mine was not the only one that got a little melty.

As we ate breakfast, the rain stopped for a bit and some wondered if we might be avoiding the rain.  About 9 miles along, I took off my jacket because I was feeling overheated and there was no rain yet, but I probably didn't even go a mile when the rain started.

With my jacket back on, I continued along the route.  There were some small family farms, plenty of trees, and a great quiet road.  It was a surprise when I rode past an area that was clear cut.  There weren't large swaths cut, but a section here and there.

After a while, I came to a mostly dirt road.  It had some gravel and a small amount of very bad asphalt.  Not counting a few areas where the mud was mushy and sucked the tires a bit, it wasn't bad at all.  I was cautious with the speed downhill and only one car came along.

After the dirt road, we continued on some tree lined roads that were lovely and green.  We passed through the tiny town of Nashville and did some climbing and rolling hills up to the town of Summit.

The rain was light and, coming off and on, so very manageable, but I was glad to keep my gear on the rest of the day.

At mile 26 we were shuttled 10 miles due to the bad condition of the road from a construction project.  As we set out from there, we were immdiately hit by a very strong rain cell, but fortunately it didn't last that long.  We rolled through farming areas until the outskirts of Corvallis where we got on a local bike path. We wound through town and had our second rest stop right in downtown just next to Oregon State University.

We took a break for lunch then rode the last 10 miles to camp, just barely beating another heavy cell.

Rain had continued on and off, sometimes pouring for long periods as we sat around the camp fire.

Weather report for tomorrow is rain overnight and through much of the day.

Day 1 picture

I had to remove this picture before the text would post for my day 1 entry.  Now, I'm posting the picture separately.  I took this between Lincoln City and Depoe Bay.

When I return home, I will add the other pictures with the text.

Sunday, September 17, Day 2

Rain was predicted for day two, so we left as early as we could to try to get as far as possible before it started.  I was hoping that by carrying all my gear that would prevent the rain from coming, but that didn't happen.

We cycled to Newport and went through town and then around Yaquina Lake.  Great views of boats, tree-lined hills in the near distance, just near the end of our ride around was a climb to wake us up. That lead into the town of Toledo and rest stop #1.

From here was an out and back loop.  I had been riding with Dave and followed him out of the stop.  We got a little way out of town and Dave took off.  I rode on for about 10 miles and expected to see the fast people heading back on the loop but never did. To my surprise, I ended up at rest stop #3. Turns out, we missed the turn to do the loop and were most of the way to camp!

At that point, with rain coming down (and not expected to stop) I wasn't going to go back for it.  I put on my rain jacket and pants but not the booties because I didn't want to get overheated.  I continued on to camp in the rain. I arrived just as they were setting up, with on Dave ahead of me.

When the truck with the equipment arrived, I got my tent and set it up while there was still a dry spot under a tree.

We started a campfire and started to dry out/warm up.  Gradually, soggy riders came into camp.  We had pop up covers/tents to keep us dry so that we could huddle around the fire. 

It was very rainy and wet but we had a good time.

Rain continued almost all night. Rain coming down on a tent is quite loud, so I woke up a few times during the night and then early in the morning when the generator for the caterer started up.

I'll post pictures separately to make sure the entries are able to get up.

Saturday, September 16, Day 1 (the real post)

I tried several times to post this entry on Saturday with no luck.  I'm trying this again without any photos to see if that works any better.  In a case, the earliest it will be posted is Monday because there's no phone service at the Moonshine campground, our day two overnight.

When our route got changed at the last minute, there weren't a lot of options, but we were welcomed with open arms by the Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde.

We rode out from the casino in brisk morning air after a group photo. Initially, we were on busier highways but then moved to quieter country roads. 

The sun came out and we warmed up as we rode.  We passed some nice scenery, almost all new to this ride, but my favorite spot was Slab Creek Road, which we have done before.  This time we had a dry day and plenty of sunlight.  At one time in the distant past, it was part of old 101, now a quiet road that runs through a national forrest.

It was peaceful and relaxing despite being a climb.  Compared to climbs we do at home, it low-moderate.  Hardly a car passed in either direction and trees and ferns everywhere.

Following that we skirted most of the town of Lincoln City by going around the lake.  Good views of the lake and nice houses surrounding.

We did have a stretch on 101, but the traffic wasn't so bad considering it was a Saturday and people inland were coming west to get away from the smoke of the fires.

Although tolerable, it was great to leave 101 behind for the side road that climbs up to Otter Crest.  We have been here as well, but if you are going to repeat an overnight spot, it should be here. Fantastic view of the ocean from the cliffs above. 

I could hear the waves while I typed my original message (but also some snoring, too. 

Saturday, September 16, Day 1

I made numerous attempts to post this entry and failed.  It's going to have to wait for 2 days.  Tomorrow we won't have any service at the campground.  I'll have to post days 1-3 on day 3.

Friday, September 15, Day 0

We spent almost the entire day driving.  The new start location was about 1 hr 45 minutes further than the original, but we couldn't really alter our start time, so we arrived just before 7 pm, missing the welcome meeting.

We checked in for the ride and then ate dinner at the hotel.  Although I hoped to turn in early, after dinner and all the prep, it was 11 pm when we turned in.

Two Weeks to Go

9/2 Training ride: Cancelled due to excessive heat and poor air quality.  A heat advisory was called for the entire Bay Area through Saturday night.  Temperatures soared.  San Francisco had two consecutive days over 100 degrees!  I went to a spin class Saturday morning where the AC was on full blast and it was nice and cool.

9/4 Substitute training Ride:  Temperatures had come down to normal-warm.  Mary and I decided to do a 60 mile ride that would mostly hug the coast.  We left from Nicasio and headed over Platform Bridge and out to western Marin via Sir Francis Drake Blvd.  It was somewhat muggy and warm, but reasonable.  The further west we got, the cooler and winder it got.  We were headed for the lighthouse above Drake's Beach, but found the wind so difficult that we decided to stop where Sir Francis Drake goes off to the right (west) and Drake's Beach Road goes straight.  In addition to some strong headwinds, we were also experiencing a lot of cross winds, making it difficult to maintain a predictable line while riding, in turn making it difficult for the cars trying to go around us.  I had some concerns about this as well as being blown off the road.

The wind receded as we headed back, with a detour through Pt. Reyes Station.  On Pt. Reyes-Petaluma highway we started getting some random rain drops, which turned into full-on rain with big, fat drops on Nicasio Valley Road.  We had considered adding some miles from Nicasio on Lucas Valley Road to make up for the 10 we cut off by not going to the lighthouse, but with the rain, we decided not to.

As it turned out, the rain stopped not long after we left in the car.  Traffic-wise, it was probably better to have gotten on the road earlier than later as it would have been if we added the miles.  No pictures from this ride, but below is one from the last few weeks where I am wearing the same clothes ; )

It's me at Castro Ranch Rd and Alhambra Valley Rd.

9/6 mid-week evening training ride:  I hit my usual route earlier than previous weeks so that I could get home before dark.  Due to the elevated humidity, I thought it might be a pretty warm ride, but mostly it was quite pleasant.  Skies were grey, but otherwise it was a nice night to be out.  Traffic was a little heavier, especially on Happy Valley than I have been experiencing, but that was probably because I was out a half hour or more earlier and experiencing some commuter traffic. 

After all the heat we have had recently, I expected Orinda to be warmer than it was, but still nice.  I ran into someone from my bike club as I was waiting for the signal to turn from San Pablo Dam Rd. to Wildcat.  It is a large club with over 600 members, so I don't know many of the members, but he had the Grizzly Peak Cyclist jersey on.  We chatted about the weather for a minute and I was about to ask him if he was our new club president, whom I have only seen once, but didn't get the chance.  From his tan extremities and lack of any body fat, I suspected that he would be pretty fast up the hills and he sure was.  It didn't take long for him to be out of sight.

As in the past, as soon as I rounded the last bit of the climb before Inspiration Point, I could feel the cold air crank up and see heavy fog blowing in.  It is amazing how the weather changes right at that spot.  For a brief period it was hard to see due to the dense fog!  It was also condensing on the trees and then dropping on me like rain.  Fortunately, the heavy fog didn't last too long and I was well clear of it before the Brazilian Room.  The rest was literally all down hill from there.

9/9 Training ride:  Eleanor, Ray, and I met at the steam trains in Tilden Park.  It was a little foggy when I got started, but it got pea soup foggy by the time I got to the steam trains.  Thank goodness for the little light I always have on the back of my helmet for when I stumble into situations where I need to be seen and wasn't expecting it.  I am also thankful for the cars that had their headlights on.  There was times when I could barely make out cars in the opposing land.  I also have to wonder what was going on with those folks who didn't put their lights on.  The left turn off Grizzly Peak into the steam trains parking lot was a bit treacherous with such heavy fog.  Cars traveling the other direction were so hard to see that I could have turned right in front of one.

My estimate of how long it would take to ride from my house to the steam trains was off and I was running late, but not too bad.

We descended South Park Rd. and, although cold, we were out of the fog right away.  By Inspiration Point, the sun was starting to burn through.  We proceeded to San Pablo Dam Rd. and continued into Moraga.  Along the way, some strange guy tried to attach himself to our ride.  I don't mind inviting new people that I meet along the way to join a ride I am on, but I definitely don't like someone forcing their presence on me and getting in my "personal space."  I picked up my pace enough to drop him, but he was very persistent and when I got a couple of red lights and then slowed for a turn and to locate our re-group spot, he caught me.  Fortunately, when he saw that I was getting off my bike and sitting down at a cafe, he left, but he did follow me right up onto the sidewalk in front of the cafe.

We had a nice break at Si Si Cafe on School Street and from there could easily get on a bike path and then a dirt path that took us past the closure on Canyon Rd.  We continued on Canyon and then ascended the south side of Pinehurst, continuing on Redwood Rd. and then proceeding up to Skyline for another re-group.  I haven't been on those paths ever, so that was interesting to learn and haven't been up that side of Pinehurst in years, which was a nice change of pace. 

At Skyline, we each took a different route, depending on our distance and climbing goals for the day.  I continued on Skyline through Redwood Regional Park and beyond to Grizzly Peak and then home again.

I didn't take any pretty landscape photos or shots of us riders, but I did get a few shots of things seen along the way.  This one is a picture of heavy equipment at Skyline and Grizzly Peak in the exact spot where we had our bake sale a few weeks ago.

A "Berkeley Stands United Against Hate" sign in the window of a house in the hills.

 

Just a few blocks from my house, I stopped to consider this free couch.  I'm not handy so decided not to return for it.  It needed it's back leg(s) reattached and the hole was stripped already. 

What's Happening in Oregon??!?

I haven't seen much national news in a while (like since November), so it was a shock to me that fires were ravaging Oregon and "Forty-four percent of acres burning nationally are in Oregon.  Fifty percent of individuals fighting fires nationally are in Oregon and Washington.  Eight of the highest trained firefighting teams in the nation are working on the fires in Oregon.  These fires are spread throughout the entire state, with the heaviest fires being in central and southern Oregon..."  (from Cycle Oregon website).  This would have been the 30th year for Cycle Oregon's annual bike tour but fires would have impacted almost every day of their tour, so it was canceled late last week.  Their tour was scheduled to begin this weekend (9/10).

The route the Arthritis Bike Classic-Oregon will take appeared to be safe when I checked with our tour director, but since that time we have been informed that day 1-3 are being rerouted.  Days 4-6, so far, will remain the same.  At this time the tour is not being threatened with cancellation.  Rider and crew safety are the utmost concern.


Real time wildfire map provided by the Oregonian:
http://projects.oregonlive.com/wildfires/map#6/39.198/-112.061

Keep good thoughts for the people in Oregon, including those fighting the fires.