Rides

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. 

Water the garden. 

From Waldport. Up Keller Creek and the North Fork. 

Big day in the valley as they were having a farm tour. I did stop and talked to some people. It got a uite hot probably 99. 75 at the beach. 

Escaping the heat. 

Equal time for the Saga. Not really but it’s still the one to ride if I need to carry stuff. 

I started to go over Cardwell Hill, but it was to much for me. Just didn’t have it in me this morning. So Philomath and then some meandering on both sides of the river. 

Full moon night ride. Very nice. Started going up Jackson Creek but the new light does not put out much at low speeds. Need to hook it up to a battery. 

So Mountain View Overlook Arboretum Ryals Independence Hwy 20 Granger 99 and a loop through some neighborhoods. 

Pretty much riding the Ravn for everything now. Year of the Ravn I guess. 

Started at the top of Decker. Took horse trails and logging roads up up up and eventually came down Beaver Creek. 

Nelson is riding his new Jones Bike.

Fourth ride up Dimple Hill this month. In previous years I only did it 3 or 4 times the whole year. 

Out early and up Oak Creek in the shade. Down Lewisburg road. 

Early morning beat the heat ride. It was lovely. Up Jackson Creek and down Oak Creek.

This route could be a RUSA "perm pop" so it needs a name. I decided I'd better get the climbing in early as I never get it in at the end. Lewisburg Saddle - Soap Creek - Berry Creek - Airlie - Elkins. When I go to Helmick I had a decision. The strong north wind was tempting and I initially turned south, but I had a hankering for some espresso which I knew would do wonders for my morale, so it was on to Java Crew in Monmouth. They also had a nice penut butter energy bar. I sat on a bench in the shade to enjoy. It wasn't at all hot yet, in fact it barely got over 80 al day.

I continued north through WOU to whatever that road is that cuts over to Independence. By now the north wind was howling so it was good not to be riding into it anymore. The sidewind was bad enough. My back was hurting so I stopped at Independence park and did some stretches. That helped. I filled my water bottles and headed over the bridge to the WVSB and headed south on RIver Road. Now I really had the wind at my back which really helped on the hills. Took the ferry and another break at BV park before the final stretch home.

Woke up at 3 am. Went for a ride to try out my new Sinewave Beacon light. Very nice bright symmetrical beam. Not much output below 5mph. May need to use a battery when climbing in the woods at night. 

Short ride to meet Adinah and kids at the arboretum.

Cool cloudy morning. Bad truck traffic forced me to take Oak Grove and Scenic. Really didn’t need the hills so early in the ride. Took the ferry and WVSB through Ankeny refuge. Long way around Independence and Monmouth. Was going to go out Airlie to Berry Creek but my legs were dead and there were big dust clouds from the combines out that way, so back on 99 with a loop around old Adair. 

Up Oak Creek down 612 to Lewisburg road and some other hilly roads.

Days are hot now  Jackson Creek gets the morning sun. From the Oak Creek side it was nice and shady all the way up  

Mountain View - Overlook - Hood View. Then out to Independence road and a loop through EE Wilson Refuge. Back Pettibone. 

Up Jackson Creek. Down Sulfur Springs and out to the 700 gate. Back Soap Creek, Tampico, and 99w. 

Afternoon ride to water the garden. Windy. 

Still not recovered from riding Mary’s Peak last week. Easy meander through the ryegrass fields before they start combining and the air gets too dusty to ride. 

Beautiful warm morning. 

Still not recovered from last Saturday's ride up Mary's Peak. Legs hurt to start but then started feeling better.

Warmer today, but still not too hot.

Had to go to Harbor Freight for clamps. Warmer day but still not hot. Headwinds both directions. 

Still nice and cool. Put the RTPs back on the Ravn. Smooth. 

Annual MVBC 4fh of July ride up Mary’s Peak, with a twist. I mentioned on FB that I would do it via Woods Creek road on gravel. A lot of people jumped on that idea. 

It was hard. Very hard. 

Nice cool morning for an easy ride. 

Up Jackson Creek down Oak Creek. 

Cool and misty. Nice for July 1.

Clockwise. Berry Creek  - Airlie  - Sauerkraut - Simpson - Helmick Park - Airlie - D’Armond - Wiles. Back through the wildlife refuge.

Cool day with a few sprinkles. Nice.

Tracy A is off to do the GDMBR.  

My first Tenners ride since the start of the pandemic. Too many people. Most wore masks, some when riding. I tried to stay away from people but got caught in a cluster going up a hill. 

John and Lori then joined me for the gravel loop on Davidson, Haley, and Parker. Stop at Helmick park and then back D’Armond, Robison, and Wiles. 

I’m beat. 

Ann asked if I'd join her on an 'into to gravel' ride. I sugessted we do Harrid Road. I invited the usual suspects. Sunday it was just the guys, today it was 7 women and me. I'm not complaining. Most of them are in much better shape than the men anyway, More of a challenge keeping up with them. After we got to Blodgett Ann said she was good going up Norton Creek. After we went up Norton Creek she said she wanted to do the whole loop. I still haven't recovered from Sunday's ride but what can I do. Actually the steep part in the Mary's River Tree Farm was not as bad as it seemed on Sunday.

When we got to Hoskins road Lori, Tracy, and Tracy decided to do the extra 10 mile Shingle Creek loop. The rest of us continued on. I think Ann would have done that as well if I was into it. I was beat. The climb up Hoskins and then on the highway was enough for me.

So much cooler today. A wonderful relief from yesterday's 92 degrees.

Hot. Got out at 8 and it wasn’t early enough. 

Harris Road to Blodgett. Norton Creek road into Mary’s River tree farm. Eventually came out at Hoskins Road. Then a 10 loop on Shingle Creek. Back over Hoskins Alexander and Kings Valley highway. 

Cool and overcast most of the day but then the sun came out and it got quite warm. 

Time for a longer ride, but didin't lay off the hills. Davidson, Haley, Parker, Simpson, Sauerkrout good gravel hills. Back on Berry Creek for more hills.

Warmer dryer day, lower 70's. Good day to ride as it will get hotter later in the week. I'm feeling like the blood pressure meds I'm on now are helping my performance, not huring it.

Out Soap Creek and did a loop on Wiles - Rifle Range- Wiles.

Just put one new and one old Rat Trap Pass tires on the Ravn. Had to ride. Got caught in the rain. Got soaked.

Pushed hard up the hill. Felt good. Back on 99.

Up Jackson Creek, down Dan's Trail.

Warm damp morning.

Up Jackson Creek. Lower Upper Dan's trail to Dan's-Horse connector. Kept going towards the saddle but when I passed 611 road I thought "one day I'll take that road". Then decided today's the day. It starts up steep and continues steep for a while, but then as soon as it starts going down there is a gate and then it pops out at a parking lot with a tremendous view at the very very top of Lewisburg road. All fast downhill from there.

Another short ride. Up to Chip Ross park but not up the trails. Then down Garden to the river.