Life Cycles

Biker Fuel.

 

Lifecyles team two pampers ourselves with a trip to Baker City, one of our favorite dances of the year with a national caller….and some spectacular riding in one of the most beautuful places on earth.

Here we are launching at the bottom of the Anthony lakes hillclimb. Nine miles of excruciatingly beautiful peaks and painful blacktop.

 

We never passed a single car. The road was still blocked by snow after the resort.

Some of the best blacktop I’ve ever been on….Oregon roads are the best.

We only have one hour to make it to the top and back down. We have reservations for lobster at the Geiser at six. As usual.. we’re behind schedule.

Its cold when we start, but in minutes, we’re too hot.

The road was closed up ahead, the rest of the Elkhorn Scenic Byway.

Looking across at the Eagle Cap mountains. We’ve already climbed into the sky.

 

Not sure what this is all about. Must be something up there. I was on telephoto.

The jackets go back on as we ride into snow.

The satisfaction of the climb. We’re out of time, only  a few miles from the ski resort.

We FLY down the hill, topping 40 mph..(its almost routine now,) get cleaned up and head to one of our favorite places in the world where we have reservations.

 

 

We have to hand pick our dinner from live lobsters. Fonda wouldn’t do it, so I tapped two of these on the head, they averaged 2lbs.

Here are the fortunate volunteers.

We had a secluded table in the back. Classical music was playing. The atmosphere thick with history and opulence. They treated us like kings.

They called this the “Presentation.”

 

This is Celene, our server. We have actually gotten to know her as a personal friend. She has waited on us every time we’ve ate at the Geiser over the past six years.

Fonda is momentarily overcome….Celene asked us if we wanted her to show us how to “clean” a lobster.  Are you kidding? of course we do… she told us she enjoyed it.

Celene took off their little blankets,  the flowers out of their little claws….and snapped their heads and tails off.

She takes out the tail meat and we crack the claws and legs to get at the delectable white meat.

 

 

 

 

After all you can salads, bread steamed vegetables and lobster with butter. We are crazy, but go for this decadent dessert.

We sit back and enjoy the rest of the hotel.

We were so full…that we skipped the Friday night dance and went to the movies. Sat in a dark movie theater, kicked back and watched and awesome action movie called “Lockout.”

The next morning we meet up with Jonathan and hit the road, starting from the greenbelt in town.

 

We head out Pocahontas road, cool and windy.

The Elkhorns are just spectacular.

They rise up abruptly.

It’s already warm, and very pleasant to ride with Jonathan.

 

Again, we’re watching the clock. We’re already at ten miles, with another ten to go before we head back to meet other dancers for dinner.

Almost like a painting out here.

 

 

We make a great big loop.

Get cleaned up and head out to the big show. We dance till eleven o’clock. What a blast.

 

Lifecyles team two heads west for another attempt at the Immigrant road hillclimb.  But just as it was last time, weather defeated the trip –  sort of — it gave us an excuse to pamper ourselves at our favorite resort, the Wildhorse outside Pendleton. And this time…in the new Wildhorse tower.

 

 

The first night, we hit the most famous dinner in the west, the legendary Wildhorse all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. We were both bloody and covered in clarified butter after cracking about a hundred of these delectable legs. We’ve had lots of seafood all over the northwest. This is the best I’ve ever had. Salmon shrimp, halibut, clams, oysters etc….We were almost sick from eating so much seafood….what a way to go….we slept that night dreaming of giant  crabs attacking us.

Before bed that night I was joking with Fonda. “I hope we don’t see Bruce Willis.” I was referencing the movie “Die Hard.” Remember people stuck on the upper stories of a tower? Well at about 3 am the wind blew so hard that it knocked the power out in the hotel. We were both up instantly wondering if the elevators worked. We got our cloths on and took the stairs down to the casino. “We’ve just had a major power failure!” said the astonished clerk. Security was all over the place. It was exiting. The emergency power came on. Satisfied that we were going to live…we went back to bed.

We were supposed to ride the next day….it rained so hard, that we abandoned the idea. Hit the hot tub, sauna and cinema.

The new Wildhorse now has a five screen cinema…it’s awesome! We watched John Carter (great adventure movie) as the wind and rain howled outside…we had an awesome day, even though we didn’t ride.

Had to throw away some money first.

The next morning it’s freezing, but at least its not raining! We launch for the trail behind the resort.

The is a spectacular trail the Wildhorse put in through the wheatfields.

It drops over the hill into the small Indian community of Mission.

It then connects into  Immigrant road that climbs up the old cabbage hill and then on to La Grande. We only had about 90 minutes to do our ride, get back and hit the hot tub before we had to check out. So we didn’t make it up the hill.

I climbed the hill about six months ago, so wasn’t too upset.

 

 

This is where the trail turns to go back to Wildhorse.

We climb back up to the wheatfields.

The clouds are starting to break up a bit.

Cabbage hill ahead.

 

The clouds part just a bit before they close again.

 

 

The atmosphere is almost surreal in this light mist.

Looking across the fields to the south. The interstate is out there somewhere.

wWe reluctantly head back to the hotel. The old hotel is in the foreground. We hit the hot tub. Grab some biscuits and gravy in one of the cafe’s and hit the road. We still have a dance tonight at home.

We find this adorable ceramics shop in La Grande on the way home. It’s so quaint that we could have wandered around in there for quite a while. We did purchase an elephant.  An enjoyable trip, even if we didn’t get to ride the immigrant trail…oh well, now we have an excuse to go back.

 

Cyclists come from all over the world to ride this stretch of road.  This was one leg of the women’s version of the tour De  France for many years.

We meet Lifecyles team five members  Jonathan, Cinder and Richy at the Alb. parking lot. It’s the best day we’ve had this year. Temps finally allow us to ride in shorts for one of the first times this year.

 

Richy was still healing from a knee injury while snow skiing. He wears tights to keep knee warm.

With spirits soaring, we head out Cascade road past the sand plant.

 

 

The only place where you encounter traffic of any consequence, a short stretch of connecting highway. We bunch up in a paceline for about 3oo yards.

The first small hill as we turn onto South Slope road. It get scenic.

This little hill is steeper than it looks, but just warms you up as the ride turns into something magical.

We gather at top for some delicious strawberry water.

We fly down this hill into the best ride in the country. Right at our doorstep.

 

 

The night before, we all participated in the biggest dance of the year, the “let it Be” 60′s bash. We all became hippies. They flashed me the peace sign as they flew by.

 

 

After some woop-tee-dues, curves, dips and compressions we stop for some more water as the scenery is  a desert environment on one side.

Only half way through the ride, the road beckons you on. The adrenaline is just surging.

We enter another version of the ride… the orchards.

The road turns curvy and almost like a painting.

This is a windmill used to keep warm air in the orchards when the blossoms are tender. Just a few more weeks before everything blooms. Not sure what Richy is thinking here….determination?

 

 

Just one shot of the lifecyles cameraman. He’s too fat to be on camera.

The road enters the high-rent district. Some of the nicest homes and ranches began to appear here a few years ago. Most are gorgeous and fit into the landscape.

Shell, one of our best friends, has a ranch here. We stop for a short visit and get to feed this adorable little lamb. It has fur like a cat, not wool. It’s a special breed.

 

As the weather begins to turn. We head out for the final leg of the best ride in Gem County.

 

 

 

Another snowless day in Idaho. Lifecyles team-two heads out to one of our favorite locations, the Owhyee Front. We decide to climb into the Reynolds creek watershed. Look close, just above the edge of the front door…that’s Squaw Butte in the distance.

The lifecyles Flagship, a 2007 Roubaix. It turned over 13 thousand miles on this trip.

 

Just for the record, that’s the original chain. Unheard of. I’m thinking about contacting Specialized. Thier recommended mileage to change the chain is 2 thousand miles, this chain has far exceeded that.

My total accumulated mileage for 2011…..3255 miles.

I digress: Moving on, we got a really late start, not sure if we would even make it to the summit before dark (we wouldn’t.) Fonda’s bike thermometer registered 32 degrees as we started up the long, long hill.

The scenery is spectacular as the valley drops away.

That’s Bogus Basin in the far distance.

Only a very short downill, the rest is all up. We build up heat as we climb….this would prove to be very cold later.

It’s almost 5 oclock. The sun has set. Its now 29 degrees.

Another shot of the valley. Just awesome.

Nearing the summit, but not sure how much farther, its getting dark. Hard to tell by the photos, but we don’t want to go much longer. We have about a 10 mile downhill…..not something you want to do in the dark. We turn back.

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I just love the way Fonda looks in a Backlava.

Ok I just have to rant about something….wind chill. I believe it to be pure bullsh*t dreamed up by overly dramatic weathermen on TV. For example: we were hitting close to 35 mph on this downhill with a temperature of 29 degrees. That means we would be riding at 50 degrees below zero!!…. My god!… Give me a break.

We get back to the Aztec about 5:40… its getting a bit dark. Fonda’s fingers are so cold, she can’t get her helmet or coat off. I assist as mine have just enough movement left in them. What a great ride……

 

 

 

Lifecycles team three wraps up 2011 with our annual Freezout hillclimb. It was an almost perfect day, a balmy 28 degrees when we began the climb. An not much warmer when we finished.

The two day even begins the night before, when lifecyles team two attends the Mardi Gras ball to kick off the New Years Celebration with our other club, the Silverleaf dance club.

 

As usuall, and as everyone expects, Fonda outdoes herself with this fantastic makup job. She decides on a Peirot theme, which is a version of the french mardi gras. It turns out Fantastic. We are transformed before our very eyes.

With our dear friend Sherry.

Other close friends Dan and Sandy.

We have food, soft drinks and dance till the wee hours.  Our club was the sponsor this year so we had to come up with all the goodies. Living up to our reputation as the most progressive club in the Federation, we also include a pancake and ham breakfast after the ball.

Fonda and Jonathan, our esteemed caller, cuer, and close friend.

Pam and Fonda

Dance!

 

Two peirot clowns doing a two-step. The waltzes were spectacular.

Getting the sparkling grape juice ready, no alcohol….ever.

Jonathan running the big show.

Happy New Year!

The next morning, we have only slept a few hours, we hit the road for our hillclimb.

Beginning the arduous climb.

Much nicer weather than last year. The hill drops away.

 

 

Invigorating.

 

The famous squaw butte in the background as the lifecyles cameraman hands over the camera briefly.

 

I just had to include this shot of Richy’s helmet…..Beautiful.

We make it to the highway 52 summit. Another year behind us.

 

 

Flying down off the mountain, we hit 30 mph. Talk about windchill! What an invigorating way to kick off a new year.

 

 

My apologies to all who follow this blog: I will do better to keep it updated from now on. Since the last entry I’ve had a complete computer meltdown. Its been replaced and I’ve had a heck of a time getting my programs, such as the photo software and sizing stuff back up. It’s still not right, but I’ve almost got it back to normal. Work has also been very demanding: I’m now working twice as hard to make half the money…..okay enough whining.

 

Lifecyles takes it’s first trip ever without our bikes, they just wouldn’t fit on the plane. That’s mount hood down there by the way….and oh yea, we did find some bikes.

Gotta love the progressive city of Portland, my favorite big city behind Seattle……Check it out…they even have a place to put bikes together…priceless. BYT I don’t fly well… I’m about half way sick here.

Like I said, we did find some bikes, but not the kind we’re used to. And there are NO flat spots in Eugene either, it’s all hills, but like I always say… “Its a hill…get over it.”

Our first stop was Becky’s house on the Willamette river at Oregon City. I’m beginning to love this historic city. It’s got charm.

 

You can stand here for hours overlooking the old paper mill.

 

Keaton, my little man had just chomped into a lemon at the Irish pub on the hill above the river. Becky takes us here when we’re in town. The atmosphere here is just amazing. Its a good place to relax, get some great food and drink above the river.

We keep moving. If you’re familiar with Portland at all, you will recognize the infamous Voo Doo doughnut shop. At absolutely must see attraction in Portland.

We rented this 2012 Buick, LaCross. Put 400 miles on it. It was so quiet.

It had everything including an onboard computer that practically drove the car.

 

 

 

 

Our gracious hosts, the Chisholms, let us take their bikes out on our afternoon ride. This is where Kristin is staying with Colin until she moves to Chicago.

 

Look both ways before crossing the street.

 

We went searching for a trail, didn’t find it but the ride was just as good anyway.

 

 

Not the traditional over the bars shot that I usually take, but pretty cool.

 

Eugene has some great trails and back roads. I recommend riding there.

 

We were winded. You can get a great workout on cruisers, especially in hills.

Back at Becky’s house. We are in the company of those furry creatures that we all love around here.

The cat whisperer. “Really! You share your food with a raccoon? Cool!!”

Keaton goofing around trying to keep us entertained so I don’t have to think about getting on a plane the next morning.

First of all I hate flying on nice days. Here the plane is getting de-iced while I have a panic attack.  I start making confffesions to Fonda, because I don’t have much time left.

 

We break through the clouds….but the plane is flying in the wrong direction…oh, no! we’ve been hijacked….the drama continues……

dfs

 

Fonda and I have rode into some interesting places in the past, but the rugged Owhyee mountains have more history, more reclusive, remote secrets than anywhere I’ve ever been.

The Owhyee Front has been described as the most deserted piece of real estate in the lower 48 states.

But people have lived out here for hundreds of years, and left their ancestry. Some still live out here.

 

Even though mountain bikes are more appropriate out here, Fonda and I found this isolated 20 mile blacktop loop by satellite that was perfect for our road bikes.

 

We make sure that we have snacks and water. We’re not sure what’s out there.

Incredible scenery. It reminded me of the Pillars of Rome that we visited about a hundred miles downstream on the Owhyee river last year.

We were headed for a valley that I thought I visited as a child. I remember an ancient church. I doesn’t seem like there’s anything at all out here though.

It was beginning to doubt my instincts when we came to this vista. I knew then that we were on the right path. You could see green vegetation, maybe a creek and some habitation.

The desert dropped away. That has to be it down there.

 

I was disappointed when all we could see was this big old white hall. “That can’t be what I remember.” I yelled at Fonda. “Maybe the church is gone.” Just about then, the old church emerged from behind the building……Cool.

The Catholic mission at Oreana. Like something from an Eastwood movie.

 

 

We just walked around it, took pictures and marveled at the building, built about 1800. They took refuge from Indians, floods and long winters hundreds of miles from the next town. The ghost town of Silver City was probably the closest.

The building in back, I’m guessing was some kind of a cold storage. It was open, but it was a disaster inside.

We desperately wanted to look inside, but there was no way.

 

Believe it or not. A two ladies pulled up in a Lexus and let us in. They were there to clean….incredible timing.

The inside was just as cool as the outside. But had been updated.

I spent the last 17 years of my life doing carvings and building sanctuary furniture, but I have never seen a life-size crucifix with detail like this. Incredible. I found out later that it was carved by a dutch craftsman who specialized in passion carving along the lines of Leonardo Da Vinci.

 

Stepping back out into the bright sunlight we head south into the desert again.

We have to stop at the old cemetery. I wish we had more time.

 

Some ambitious rancher  planted corn along one side. I don’t know where the water comes from to irrigate, but the corn was doing great.

A few miles down the road from the church we enter this weed tunnel. I’ve never seen one like it. Just a tunnel burrowed out on both sides.

The road turns and heads back into the sagebrush.

 

Time for our shock blocks. We have been enjoying these treats. Kind of like the best, most satisfying gummy bear ice cube you’ve ever had. I know that sounds disgusting, but these things are amazing. We had margarita flavor.

The road turns east. I hope it joins the highway 78 again at some point.

 

We come down into I think it was Castle creek. There was more old houses. Some very old.

I would just love to climb the fence and explore that old homestead. But Fonda was insistent. “Don’t even think about it.” she said. “That’s why that sign is there.”

If walls could talk.

Finally we intersect highway 78 again. It’s about six or seven miles back to the Aztec…I think. Not a problem, but the headwind is.

The welcome sight. The headwind took a toll on us. We have ice cold drinks in the cooler.

On the way back home, we stop in the small village of Murhpy. Even though we were tired and sweaty we had to stop here. They have a spectacular museum, and that’s about all they have except a big jail. This credenza came from Silver City.

 

They had a spur and bit collection that was unbelievable. We spent an hour in this amazing museum.

We fueled up a the gas station….. There was something strange about it. Can’t quite put my finger on it though.

Satisfyingly tired, we head home.

 

 

 

Lifecycles spends four incredible days in cycling paradise.  We spend two days cycling the  pristine blacktop along the emerald waters on the trail of the Couer d Alenes, the second day a complete century. On day three we plunge down a rocky, twisted trail from the top of Silver Mountain twice. If that wasn’t enough, on day four we check off the infamous Whitebird hill to our bucket list of hills that are not too tall to climb.

DAY ONE:  We arrive in Kellogg in the afternoon with enough time to visit a historic site that I’ve always wanted to check out.  I had a cousin die in this mine.  And I just read a book about this place. We rode up the trail about 10 miles from Kellogg to visit it.

 

From the trail you ride up a narrow canyon to the mine.  It was supposed to have shut down in 1972. I befriended a caretaker there and he told us they secretly opened up two years ago and getting the mine ready for Silver prices to go up.

143 miners entered the mine that day. 91 of them didn’t make it out alive. It kind of gives you the creeps. It was getting late and we headed back to Kellogg.

Right on the trail there’s this great garden down a few miles from the Sunshine mine. You put your names in a box and the caretaker puts your name on these balls and hangs them. She also gives you a Tibetan style blessing, wising you a safe trip on the trail.

Just a few days ago, I broke a  bridge in half.  So if I look a bit strange, it’s because I’m missing four front teeth on the right side.

This would turn out to be an advantage later. I was heartily accepted into the local community as a hard living hillbilly who just happens to like cycling….but now that I think about it…. that’s about right.

 

 

DAY TWO: We rise up at daybreak. We would ride 100 miles of the trail today. This is the view from the garage at Tony’s house, Fonda’s first husband,a s the sun rises.  He was a generous and gracious host as he offered a place to stay while we were in Kellogg.

We hit the trail. It was already getting hot.

 

One of many bridges across the Couer d Alene river. We would cross many times before staying on the south side of the river to Lake Couer D Alene, 50 miles away.

The trail is the best pavement I’ve ever felt.

 

Just draws you in.

 

We hit an unexpected headwind about 10 miles into the ride when the trail briefly leaves the trees. (no pun intended)

I climbed up on one of the few overpasses before we leave civilization.

 

 

 

The headwind took an unexpected toll on us. We were so tired from it, that we considered abandoning our 100 mile goal.

The town of Harrison, a very welcome sight one of the very few towns along the trail. We would have a nice dinner overlooking the lake and decide how far to push.

This town caters to cyclists.

We had an incredible lunch as we were suffering from endorphin overload. Cyslist recognize this condition as a point where your senses are heightened. This was the best quessadilla and sweet potato fries ever made in the world…ever.

After lunch we both felt normal again and decided to push on to the swinging bridge over the lake, another 10 miles.

 

 

Riding along the shore of this deep blue lake, it’s almost like being on the ocean.

 

 

We make it to the bridge, very happy and exited.

The bridge is scalloped like a fish ladder to aid cyclists, both climbing and descending.

 

The flat spots or “whoop tee dues” are really cool on bikes.

From the top of the world. We hit our halfway point and turn around.

Fonda hits 30 on the way down, gaining weightlessness coming out of the compressions each time.

 

We head back for Kellogg. On the way, we get attacked by these monstrous mosquitoes.

 

Its about 98 degrees. We are overheated at about 85 miles. We stop at one of our favorite places, the Old Mission Inn at Cataldo, right on the trail for the best huckleberry milkshake you can imagine.

DAY THREE: This sign says it all as we climb aboard the gondola to ride it to the top of Silver Mountain.  Is this going to hurt?

 

We have done this before, but it always gives you butterflies to think of going up that high.

 

Kellogg drops away.

 

 

 

I hope we don’t need it.

We try to find one of the easier trails as we don’t have body armor. We do this twice, the second time we are invited to a special downhiller party. They feed us pizza and Red Bull after we make it down safely the first time.

 

I asked them what trail I should take down….they told me this one.

Another top of the world photo before we go down. We are on cross country mountain bikes that we brought from home, not downhill bikes.

It gives you the willies looking over the edge.

 

Fonda did awesome. These trails were technical.

This is so much fun.

After riding about a half hour, we are still high on the mountain.

Going down anyone? That’s the town down there that hopefully, we see pretty soon in one piece.

More twists and turns.

We are getting the feel of mountain bikes again, getting more confident as we pick up more speed.

 

We make it!!!  We get back on the Gondola for another run.

 

On the right is Tony Victory, our host and a man that I’m proud to call my friend. He is also a biker, just a different kind of bike.

DAY FOUR: Two hundred plus miles away, on our way home, we get out the bikes to climb this hill that we’ve always wanted to try at Whitebird.

You can see the switchbacks farther up on top. We would be there in about an hour.

Hot, Fonda’s bike thermometer is 103 degrees.

 

Looking down at some of the switchbacks.

That diagonal line on the hill in the distance is the new highway. The grade we are on is the old highway, mostly abandoned except for sightseeing.

 

Some incredible views and speeds coming down off Whitebird.

Its almost 5 o’clock. We stop to ponder the last few days and feel gratified…..no maybe that’s just sweat. We have about 2 hundred miles to drive. Tired? Yes, but pleasantly satisfied. We are both out of water and we’re HOT. Fonda reminds me we have ice cold red bull, vitamin water and trail mix in the Aztec…. It sounds like a five star dinner…. We FLY down the mountain……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the only picture of Captain Vintage Blowout still on his bike. We would witness crashes, blowouts, laughter, creatures, insects, fairies, monsters, vikings, gnomes, superhero’s, hookers……..etc all before noon.

Lifecycles hits one of our favorite rides…Tour de Fat!! As always our close friends and lifecycles team members “Monark Man” aka Buck Nash, “Morning Child” aka Jill Nash, “Rock Legend” Ian Nash,” Pirate Gypsy Woman” aka Fonda and “Captain Vintage Blowout” aka me. Were in attendance. Also along for the ride were close friends, “Tea Bag” aka not sure of his real name, and “Cat Woman,” aka Audra, wife of Tea Bag.

In the staging area Morning Child and Gypsy Woman, examine a rare Tour de Fat license plate.

Getting fired up by medieval drums coming our way to lead the strange procession of creatures and alter ego’s.

We’re off! In a strange quirk. The parade started in reverse, putting the lifecycles team in the lead with three thousand creatures behind us!

Into the first turn heading toward Capitol boulevard. The atmosphere is charged and electric.

See the depot?

Turning onto Capitol Boulevard.

Waiting for the creatures to catch up and form a huge critical mass so we can all cross together.

It takes a few minutes for everyone to get tight. The drums begin chanting louder as everyone gets caught up it the spirit of the Tour de Fat. We all begin to whoop and holler for no real reason……its an incredible feeling. Monark man leads a huge wave.

We pull out onto Capitol….. This is just before I became Captain Vintage Blowout.

BANG!….. Everyone though it was a gunshot… Foxy Brown, a ballerina and a china doll screamed beside me.   “That was me!!!” I shouted to Gypsy woman ahead of me. ” I’m going down with the ship!! Don’t wait.” I yelled. “Save yourself!  See you at the finish line!”

The pavement was probably over 100 degrees… I’m guessing that it was the heat…… and the fact that the tire is 60 years old. We live and learn…… I walked back. It was just me, walking down Capitol Boulevard wearing a pirate costume.

I used this opportunity to photograph this weird procession as I went down with the ship.

This is what cyclist call “critical mass.”

 I was only back a few minutes before they started rolling back to the park.

Tea Bag looks stunning in his Panama hat.

Back in Black…….Ian and a gorilla.

I learned of a horrific crash that Monark Man was involved in. A chain reaction happened when he was clipped by another biker causing him to clip the biker beside him causing a domino effect. Fortunately the biker he crashed into and went down was a girl in a bikini. Still, Monark man was severely traumatized. Here he is showing his damaged bike. These parts are irreplaceable. It broke support springs and scratched the tank.

I hope Monark Man doesn’t need counseling after this horrendous crash. Just relating it to us was almost too much for him.

If it wasn’t enough for lifecyles blogging to handle, Channel six news interviewed us too. We are now on TV.

This was a long, cool woman in a black…huh, she was just ah…um…….gorgeous.

This guy had a pogo stick that would fart fire.

Gypsy woman and superman signing up for free stuff.

There were beautiful women everywhere.

This girl made me a smoothie on her bike powered blender….it was delicious.

Posers.

Color was everywhere.

I think those two with the flower hats were my favorite.

She’s looking into the wrong end of a kaleidoscope.

This guy didn’t give a sh………..

More posers.

It was a weird, skinny crowd at times.

Or not.

There were three thousand of us.

After a long hard day of pillaging, Gypsy Pirate Woman gives Captain Vintage Blowout a ride home.

 

 

Lifecycles flies solo this week to see one of the newest cyclist on the team at the end of the Oregon Trail in Oregon City. Becky, Klayton and Keaton, the happiest little guy I’ve ever seen welcomed me for a three day tour.

This is the monument where the wagons stopped. Just a few yards from here, the mighty Willamette river stopped them at a cliff. They just rolled up in thier wagons and stopped after about six months of traveling. ” I guess this is about as good as any place to stop.” One guy said.

 

Happy happy faces at Becky’s house. Well,  Keaton actually looks kinda scared. “Eeek, the scratchy guy has me!”

The next morning I set out early to explore the city. I find this vertical tower and a really cool cliff-side promenade to ride on.

Wouldn’t you know it, a bike shop at the base of the cliff.

Its’ spectacular, but kinda makes you queasy hanging out over the edge.

This is the original power plant that supplied Portland with power at the turn of the century.

The views of this old industrial complex are just incredible from the promenade in the early morning mist.

It’s a power plant, two old paper mills and a variety of shut down old industrial buildings. I would give my left … to walk around down there.

Water goes in one end, and out the other.

I could have stood there and looked into that complex for hours.

The old part of the powerhouse. Rumor has it that the Japanese is bidding on all that stuff down there. They want to dismantle it and ship it back to Japan. That’s what a tour guide told us anyway.

The promenade keeps going. It was getting late in the morning, and I wanted to get back so Becky, me and Keaton could go out for breakfast.

Becky’s driveway. This city is on three levels of cliff sides.

Her stairs are steep. But its cool.

We decided to have brunch at this little pub overlooking the Willamette and all the old buildings.

This was one of the highlights of the trip. We had sausages on buns and these little pockets of meat and vegetables, everything was Scottish. It was just delicious.  See the cannon on the hillside behind Becky. See Keaton laugh.

The front of the pub wasn’t as nice as the back.

Then we toured the city. This is the vertical cliff elevator from the front.

We rode it up.

And then we took a trolley around town while munching on paper.

The next day we hit the Portland street market. It was even more awesome than I had expected. I had to wear my work t-shirt for a photo op. It’s kinda like the garden gnome thing, how many places can we take the shirts.

Its a jungle out there.

Becky built this radically cool bunch of fresh flowers. The bouquet was stunning.

I had to depart the next day. I had a hill to get over on my bike. This is tThe Columbia river in the gorge from Rowena Crest.  It’s a backroad above the freeway, a ride that I’ve been planning. We do it next year leaving from the Dalles.

I have reached my destination. Although you wouldn’t recognize it it’s one of lifecycle’s favorite locations, the Wildhorse resort. It’s under construction again, soon to be about 500 rooms. This part of the building is now sitting where the swimming pool/ sauna was last time we were here.

 

I still have daylight so I ride out the old emigrant trail road to climb the infamous “cabbage hill.” Never have figured out why they call it that.

 

It turns out to be almost more than I gave it credit for.

Half way up, I’m about seven miles from the Wildhorse. See it between the freeway and the immigrant road. It’s the little box in the middle, in the distance.

I underestimate this hill. It’s a lot like freezout to the tenth power. The problem was that there are no breathers, almost fifteen miles of climbing.

I hadn’t ate today, I think that was part of the reason I started to get a bit queasy on the way up.

The famous cabbage hill, now below me complete with it’s diesel escape truck ramps.

I take a few minutes to reflect from the top of this mountain.  I don’t know why, but I feel at home around here. Even at Wildhorse, and down the road at the little Mission store and Yellowknife community where most of the people are Indians, I’m  relaxed and at peace. I  love my landscapes brown, gray and yellow instead of dense green like most people, and the rolling hills around here just suit me I guess. I think there’s something to be said about the Indians, the way they respect the earth, and those around them.

The next morning I discover that the Wildhorse, in its desire to be a bike friendly resort, built this trail out through the wheat fields. It’s incredible. That’s the Tomastlickt cultural center where the trail starts.

The indian reservation is huge. They have enough land to build trails almost anywhere they want.

This one drops over the hill to the Yellowknife clinic where the immigrant road starts up the hill.  This is just the way to end this journey. Like it began. I get showered up, fire up the Aztec and head home.