Monthly Archives: May 2013

A Date With A Storm

Seven in the morning came all to early yet i was eager to move on. Time to wake up and pack. As I finished packing I closed the garage door and noticed my host standing at the door ready for us to head to breakfast.

We went to breakfast at Jakes Diner. I had my usual power breakfast consisting of eggs hash-browns toast and flapjacks. While chowing on breakfast I noticed an American Flag being tossed about in a decent wind. I thought as I sat in the restaurant that the flag was being blown from the north. When my host and I finished breakfast we walked outside and I soon discovered that the flag was being assaulted from the Southwest. Not good.

The wind was relentless making the cycling tough all day. I took the back roads to Sunriver. I went south on Century Drive from Bend Oregon and then turned East on FS 42. The day was made exhausting by the hail sleet wind rain and cold temperatures.

As I was nearing La Pine I could see the sky’s darkening. I kicked up my speed hoping to beat the impending storm to my intended destination. A motel room.

The closer I got to La Pine so to were the storm clouds. I was coming up to a BiMart when the sky’s opened up and the winds howled. A gust of wind violently shoved my bike around like a ping pong ball in a wind tunnel.

I quickly turned into the parking lot of the BiMart racing towards the covered entrance of the building. There I stood waiting out the downpour. Five minutes later the sun came out and the rains stopped. Back on the side road and into La Pine I arrived at the intersection of Huntington Road and highway 97. Looking southward towards the sky I saw the storm. It had arrived in La Pine just as I had.

Quickly I rushed to the Motel. The sign said “No Vacancy” but I was going to inquire anyhow. I parked my bike checked the door to the Motel office. Locked! I rang the night bell. No answer. Fuck! The sky was still holding to the moisture but the winds were angry. I checked the next motel on my map geared up and headed to the South end of La Pine. Reaching the Motel the sign indicated vacancy. I parked my bike and headed inside as the sign on the door suggested.

The office was empty and a sign on the desk said “Sorry No Vacancy.” My heart sank instantaneously. Why did the sign out front say vacancy. There was just one Motel left in town. A Best Western expensive business class. I decided to ring the night bell as the note taped on the desk instructed. No response. Again I pushed the button. Still no response. I checked my map and located the best western and then it happened. The torrential rains came rushing out of the sky and the winds raced back towards Bend Oregon.

I decided I needed to make contact with someone at the West View Motel so I looked up the number on my iPhone. I called the telephone number and score. “Hi my name is Tim. Your sign out front says you have vacancy and I’m inquiring as to staying the night.” “Okay well I will have to check.” “Okay good cause I’m in your lobby now.” “You are!?”

A heavy set lady walks in from a sliding glass door that was curtained off from the opposite side of the lobby. After a few minutes of paper work and money exchange she hands me the room key and says, “Wow! It sure got nasty real quick, didn’t it.” “Nope, things just got a lot better.”

Week 1 review

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The first week of touring ends with me cycling out of Bend, OR. on day seven. My route took me from the North side of Vancouver into Portland then East via highway 30 to Cascade Locks. That first day brought me cold rains, and first day jitters.

Day two, would offer pleasant cycling through the small town of Mosier, and on into The Dalles. In Mosier I met a cyclist who once pedaled from Florida to Seattle, Washington.

Day three brought cold morning rains and a twenty mile ascent south to Maupin, where I would camp at an over priced county park. Oh, and the park was infested with little black bugs that reminded me of fleas!

Day four brought cold down pours and cloudy sky’s all the way into Madras with some descents that included some wicked headwinds that challenged my bicycle handling skills. On this evening my knee would act up and cause severe doubts about the trip. Plus an awful nights rest due to some unpleasantness from teenage neighbors in the towns trashy Juniper Motel on highway 26.

Day 5 would find me adjusting my bike in the morning. My stiff and sore knee would loosen up on the pleasant easy ride into Bend, Oregon along a dangerously busy highway 97.

Day six, I’d wake up to a pain free knee. My adjustment appeared to work. And day six was a rest day.

To end out the week on Day seven I head south through Sunriver, Oregon and will be camping east of Crescent.

Picture taking during the first week was hampered by the weather.

Black Magic Rides Again

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Life can get real crazy, really fast. I’m ready to head out on my first big 2013 bike journey. These past few months have felt like a roller coaster ride straight into hell.

The shakedown ride was a success, all things considered. The weather didn’t cooperate – my knee was relatively pain free which equals success. The trip was supposed to be a four day adventure heading east on Oregon highway 224, beyond the little town of Estacada. The first night I camped at Milo McIver State Park. The second night I snuck into a closed campground and stealth-camped near the Carter Bridge, on Oregon highway 224.

Camp at Milo McIver

My plan was to head all the way to the end of Oregon 224 where it turns into Forest Service Road 46. Things didn’t go as planned because, and as I found out on the second day, all the campgrounds (with the exception of Milo McIver State park which is open year round) were still closed. Near the end of Oregon highway 224 is a little village named Ripplebrook, which has a campground where I planned on staying. Well, Ripplebrook has a very active USFS Ranger Station, and being that the campgrounds were still closed, there was no way I was going to try and stealth camp next to a very lively Ranger Station.

Stealth camp near Carter Bridge

On the second night, the skies opened up at 3:00am and the big faucet in the heavens didn’t shut off until I had pedaled my wet ass all the way back into Clackamas, Oregon.

That three day journey rendered my body exhausted. The three day adventure was relatively successful, all things considered. However, my body wasn’t quite up to the task. I’ve been dealing with some issues on the heart disease front. These issues are beginning to work themselves out though. And hopefully, as the departure date draws near my body will begin firing on all cylinders.

These issues stemming from heart disease have proven something far beyond a reasonable doubt. I am completely, and one hundred percent, healthy. I’ve now had a (April 30th) stress test, numerous EKGs, blood tests; and everything else under the sun at one time, or another, and they’ve all proven that I’m completely healthy. The issues seemed to have resolved themselves with the decision to discontinue with a recently prescribed medication, and I’m now sleeping regularly (which had been eluding me for approximately three months), and the PVCs have declined (which have also been plaguing me for three months) to an almost zero daily average.

So, as I begin to soak up the regular sleep while continuing to adjust the bicycle so as to conquer this crappy knee tension, my body should be ready to depart on an adventure that has taken way too long to arrive.

Yosemite, It’s about damn time!