Rides

Cold but dry and not foggy like yesterday. The sun even started peaking through right before it went behind the trees. 

No rain. 50 degrees. Best you can hope for on Thanksgiving. 

Just up to where the road to McColough Peak turns off. Then up 620 to where it crosses the creek. Then meander through town. 

Cold gray day but no rain or wind. 

Break in the weather so off I went 

Pretty nice day so I had to get out forecast is for a week of rain. 

Everything got super muddy on Simpson Road. 

First stop at tax office. Then Garden. 

Was raining all morning but it stopped when I went out. I dressed way too warm. 

Got out for a ride to the river on what was probably the last sunny afternoon for a while.

A little rain, a little sun, a little cold. First club ride since May. 

Dentist appointment. Coffee at Kings street CC. The meander to the garden. Dark, windy, and warm. No rain. 

Maybe the last sunny afternoon for a while. Had to get out. On Saturday's Halloween ride I stopped and looked at the names at the Jewish Cemetery in Albany. I then learned that one of the prominent residents Lewis G. Kline built this house on 8th and Van Buren in Corvallis. So I rode by it today. There is also an old building on 2nd street that was once his dry goods store.

Fantastic ride. Beautiful day. Halloween day. I needed 52 miles to get 500 for the month and got it exactly.

The bike club always stops at cemeteries on Halloween. I passed a few on Riverside and then again in Albany. Then I couldn't resist stopping at the historic Jewish Cemetery in Albany and looking at the names. Amazing to think there were Jewish pioneers here in the 1800s.

Stopped at the boat launch on the Santiam in Jefferson. Then on Talbot road I was passed by an emergency vehicle towing a boat. Uh oh. There were a bunch of them at the ferry landing and they were doing a water rescue, but the ferry was not delayed and I got across fine. Then a stop at Buena Vista park before enjoying a nice tailwind home.

Drove up with family, rode back. Another gorgeous day. Took Airlie and Berry Creek. 

Gorgeous sunny late autumn day. About 50 degrees, little wind.

Turned around at the gravel. First winter ride. Although it had warmed up to 50 by the time I got out, there was a strong cold north wind. 

Cold morning in Waldport, 44 when I left at 9:30. Warmed up a bit but stayed nice and cool all day. Stoped at Blackberry and made some hot tea out of the cold bottled tea I got on the way out. Stopped again at Salmonberry. Rain was starting when I got to Alsea where I waited for Linda to pick me up.

Once again 34 was a lovely ride home. Once again traffic was very light. Once again there was always a wide spot to pull off just as a log truck was approaching, The later was really uncanny. I had 4 log trucks pass. Only one time did I have to pull off on the gravel shoulder. Three times a driveway or wide spot just appeared out of nowhere right on time. Another time a big oversized load truch passed as I was stopped off the road to pee. Highway 34 has always been a great ride for me.

Around town and around Bayshore. Sunny with a cold north wind. Very warm out of the wind. 

Harlan Road to Elk City. A little rain in Toledo. A little wind and a little rain on Yaquina Bay Road. Sunny with a tailwind on the coast. 

Over the mountains and through the woods. Left at 10:30 arrived at 3:30. 

Ride into town to drop off ballots. Then coffee by the river. 

Another gorgeous fall day. Waited until about noon to start. Warmed up nicely. 

Too nice a day not to ride. 

Nice day but stiff north wind made it tough. 

Coffeeneuring #1

Waited for the rain to stop. Still got a few sprinkles. 

Loaded up with the last of the green tomatoes.

Over the top and down the creek.

I just rode to the top of Woods Creek and then drove the SAG.

Monthly milage on the Saga. Moslty around town and to the garden,

This month started well. I felt strong on the Labor Day ride up Mary's Peak. Then 2 weeks of no riding due to smoke really set me back. CRGA is in 2 days I don't feel very strong at all.

Getting some hills in before the CRGA Friday.

Beautiful first ride of fall and 5781. First ride since Mary's Peak two weeks ago. Historic forest fires had the valley smoked in for 10 days. Couldn't even go outside. AQI was in the hazardous range. Then came some rain, including a deluge thunder storm, and now the air is fresh and clean.

Just took it easy and stuck to the easy route, out Fern, back Bellefountain.

Labor Day club event. Hot day so early stat in Philomath. 

I felt much stronger than on the July 4th edition. 

Straight road rode by the easiest route. Out through Buena Vista, back through Helmick and 99.

Cooler day but very nice.

Full moon night ride. 

Another great ride. 

Out and up Decker via Peterson, then up the horse trail. Took the second right hoping to get back to Decker but instead climbed for a couple more miles. Eventually found my way down to Botkin and hwy 34. 

Well the fellow I talked to was right. Just past his place the road is very overgrown. Doesn't look like a vehicle has gobe up there in years. Not so much nettles though but everything else. I was able to dodge most of it going from right to left, and sometimes riding the middle which was soft weeds. There were deep water bars cut in the road as well, which I guess they do when they decommission a road. And it was wet in a lot of places. It crosses the creek on an old, but sturdy bridge and then starts clibming. I couldn't make much progress as it got steeper. Knobbies would have helped. After a couple of miles I gave up and headed back.

Since I had turned back when the going got tough the last two rides I decided I should go up Hilltop, which has always seemed like a mega climb. What a difference smooth pavement makes. It was not hard at all and so plesant in the cool shady woods. I went up to almost the highest point, around the bend from the photo op of Mary's Peak, and then left on the spur road that goes above that clear cut, to try and get a better view. None was to be had so I headed back down. Super fun downhill.

Went back to camp, which I had already backed up before the ride, and had lunch. I wanted to get some more, easier, miles so I drove to Eddyville and did the Crystal Creek Loop. Very enjoyable to ride the old highway with no traffic.
 

The fellow I talked to the night before on Grant Creek said Feagles Creek would be in better shape. He was right. It appears to be a main logging route. I was passed by one empty truck going up. I just went a few miles up to where it was getting pretty steep and turned around.

I then continued west to the C2C which I rode up to the west end of the national forest segment. Very overgrown since last year. Ridable but overgrown.

Plus a couple of miles in town before I left. Drove out to Big Elk CG. Set up my tent, had dinner, and went for a ride at dusk. Grant Creek is lovely. I saw where the west section of the C2C starts. I went as far as the last house, which is only 2 miles up, where I talked to a guy who said the road was overgrown with stinging nettle farther on. We shall see...

Philomath- Old Peak to the gravel - Gelatly - Decker - Ervin - Airport - Fern 

Got out early. Got back late. 

Over Lewisburg Saddle out Soap Creek - Tampico - Berry Creek - Airlie and over Maxfield Creek. Got to the Kings Valley store at 10:00, but it doesn’t open until 11:00. 

Stopped for a snack at the covered bridge then kept going all the way to Monmouth highway. Turned off on Smith to Fishback but then just before the steep part, which was nasty washboard, I took Cooper Canyon back to the main road. 

Lunch in Monmouth and on to Independence and across the bridge to the WVSB. Ferry to Buena Vista and on home.