Milestone

Ray and I set out to ride the North Plains - Banks Vernonia Trail perm pop this Thursday.  The temperatures had dropped, we'd be mostly riding in the shade, and my vertigo seemed to have subsided.  I had ridden a few miles in the previous couple of days, and there had been a few disequilibriating moments.  So, we'd see.



Given my almost continual hotfoot, I moved my cleats back about 4mm.  I could shove them all the way back, but I didn't want to shock my system too much at one time.

I planned on first and second breakfast - cereal, fruit, and coffee at home, and then some sausage burritos at the North Plains McDonalds.  Ray arrived shortly after I started eating; he also went for the burritos.  They are pretty tasty!

Off we went, not more than 5 minutes after our 7:30am start.  My head seemed mostly ok...



Past the first info control.  Through Banks.  Onto the trail.  All good until we got into the shade.  The sun was very bright, so the light was super contrasty.  Hard to tell where the trail was, sometimes.  I guess my eyes/head were still not entirely there.  That said, it was ok, if not quite the pace I usually keep riding the trail.  I sent Ray ahead if I wanted to drink, so I wouldn't have to worry about maintaining balance in close quarters.

The feet seemed ok, so far, anyway.

There was the usual info control/picture pause at Vernonia Lake (or, as the locals call it, the old mill pond), then we adjourned to the Black Bear for coffee and sticky buns.



Before the ride, I had contemplated pulling out the Lemond, but after looking at the odometer on Sweetpea, I realized that a Very Big Milestone would be reached, about 58-59 miles into the ride.



We headed back.  Again, on the descent after the summit, the lighting was messing with my eyes, so I didn't fly down the trail with my usual abandon.  Plus, by now there were other actual trail users, so I needed to really slow down when a group of riders headed my way.

Ray went on ahead, but I figured I'd see him at the traditional regroup points.  Nope.  Nope.  Nope.  I started asking oncoming riders if they'd seen a rider with a blue jersey and silver bike.  They were unclear.

I finally popped out of the trees, and was asking one more rider, when I saw a cyclist up ahead, turning back, wearing a blue jersey and riding a silver bike.  He was envisioning me crumpled and bleeding on gravel.  I was envisioning him off the trail, down a ravine.  My, we have active imaginations.

So, after all that, we arrived at the trailhead, and I started checking the odometer.



A few miles before the finish, right at the historic Harrison Cemetery, there it was - 20000 mi.  We paused for a photo break and a brief cemetery explore.  I knew it was there, but hadn't ever checked it out.  Famous Oregon People are buried there!





Then, off to the finish, with 5 minutes to spare.



(date on perm card is incorrect. This retirement thing has me generally fuzzy on day and date...)

Blast Furnace 200k

Oregon Randonneurs held the Kings Valley 200k/600k over the June 6/7 weekend.  I signed up for the 200k, and figured I'd be riding solo.  I had not ridden Hwy 233 (Kings Valley Highway) south of Dallas, and, while I had been on Maxfield Creek and Airlie Rd, it was dark.

Weather forecast was for spectacular heat.  Heat advisories.  Stay inside between 10am and 4pm.  Given that, I located every water source on the route (no further than 30 miles at any point), dug out my sun skins, refreshed the electrolyte tablets on the bike, refilled the sunscreen bottle, and called it good.

Michal and Cyndi had invited me by for pre-ride coffee (Michal was riding the 600, to complete his qualification for PBP), so I arrived around 6:20am, to find Cyndi wandering around with a coffee pot and cups :-)  Cyndi and I made plans to meet up at Burgerville afterward.  I ended up drinking two cups of coffee, and jittering a bit the first couple of hours.

Lots of familiar faces showed up.  Even Nate A, who I hadn't seen for 4 years!

At that hour of the morning the temperature was pleasant.

7am, off we went.  The route was entirely familiar for the first 36 miles.  I chatted with Jeff A, until he stopped to get a picture of an old car with a canoe on top in Dayton, and Burnley from AK.  After a brief stop in Dayton to dispose of the used coffee, it was on to Dallas.  Steve M. came up about this time, and we rode along together until Perrydale Rd started rolling up.





I found him and a few others at the Dallas Safeway, where I bought a banana and V-8, and refilled my bottles.  A kind rider had left a partial sack of ice, which I stuffed into my non-insulated bottle.



At this point, I have always turned around and headed back, but we now rode through Dallas on the Kings Valley Highway for another 20 miles.  The terrain rolled along southward, with one noticeable climb and a couple of shorter ones.  The sun was blasting down by now, so I was delighted any time I was fortunate to ride in the shade.




Speaking of that, I kept my lights on, because of the contrasty lighting.



Rode through Pedee, past a covered bridge, and, finally arrived at the Kings Valley Store.  There were a few cyclists there - Steve, Duane, and ???, plus others not on our ride, but out enjoying the sun.  They were a little taken aback that we had ridden there all the way from Newberg, and some were going to ride a good long way before returning to Newberg.  Not that the almost 70 miles remaining for the 200k riders isn't a good long way, either.



Bought some potato salad, ice cream, and another V-8, and sat down to work my way through all that, and chat with Steve.  It was definitely quite hot by now.  After finishing all that, I put more sunscreen on my face, and topped off my bottles.  24 miles to Independence.

Maxfield Creek started with a 5 mile climb.  I had left what tailwind I had behind at the turn, and it was a slog.  Not ever steep, but really hot.  I didn't remember this climb from the last time I rode it, but, as I mentioned, it was dark, and just around 300k of a 400k ride.







The descent was certainly fun, and opened into the Willamette Valley.  I could see Mt Jefferson to the east.  Turned onto Airlie, eventually crossed Hwy 99W, and then bumped into Corvallis Rd.

Corvallis Rd is nasty and brutish.  I mean, the scenery is quite nice, but it has short, nasty climbs, and, by now, I was headed right into the headwind.  Not helped by some troglodytes who deliberately crowded me on the last little rise.



So, in that fine mood, I finally pulled into Independence, and headed for the c-store.  More banana and V-8, plus some of my sandwich (I'd been eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches and Fig Newtons all long), refilling the bottles, more sunscreen...

The temperature had moved from really hot to whopping hot.  The 9 miles into Rickreall seemed endless.

From there it was 13+ miles on Hwy 99W to Amity, directly into the headwind.  For the first 7 miles, the shoulder was rough chipseal :-(  There was stopping to drink, and sometimes some walking.  The elevator on Bethel Rd finally came into view. 5+ more miles to Amity.  Ride to the top of the next rise.  Repeat.  Don't want to quit.  (Well, I *did*, but wouldn't let myself do it.)

Amity.  Finally.  Rolled over to the Amity Market, a relatively new store which I have only stopped at once.  Amity isn't ever a control, and I don't usually need to stop there.  Today I did.  It was air conditioned inside.  More cold things to drink, including a Red Bull.  Some eating.  Some sitting.  Off to finish the last 22 miles.

It had gotten perceptibly cooler, as in the wind wasn't quite as blast furnace hot.  I was hoping by turning NE out of Amity that I'd have more of a crosswind.  When I pulled into Lafayette, the last on-course control, I headed straight for the new c-store, bought a bottle of Ruby Red grapefruit juice, sat in the shade, and drank it.  And sat a bit more.  Only about 10 miles to go, all on Hwy 99W.

The pavement is shiny new.  There was a shoulder starting out, but at times when there was a turning lane or a passing lane thrown into the mix, the shoulder dwindled down to about 8 inches (!)  This is a pretty high-speed road, and that seems rather irresponsible to me.  Fortunately, no traffic stoppage in Dundee, so I didn't get stuck behind any trucks encroaching on the shoulder. (Letter to ODOT sent)

Through Dundee (pavement still at its previous level of awful), into Newberg, though the historic downtown, out the other side... the Burgerville comes into view like an oasis in the desert.  Done.

Wow, that took a long time.  All those cooling down stops (2:45 total) probably had something to do with it.  Cyndi joined me, and we both enjoyed our dinner.

(Here it is 5 days later.  Randonesia has still not set in.  I ended up with a post ride vertigo migraine, which might finally be on its way out.  Guess I just don't do heat well any more.)

All the pictures here.

North Plains Carlton, Mostly Fun

As I was busy with a bicycle safety fair on Saturday, I asked Ray if he wanted to ride on Sunday.  His choice of route, as long as it wasn't a climbfest.  His reply: "tired of Carlton yet?"  Nope.  North Plains - Carlton it was.

We both arrived at Hits the Spot.  Ray got coffee; I ordered a small second breakfast.  The owner showed up (she's had knee surgery), and we all got on her for standing up so soon.

It was sunny, and working up to being warm.



The crimson clover is finished blooming; I am happy I got to see it.  Uneventful ride south, and I had fun with the gravel bit on Yamhill Rd, both up and down.





We discussed where to eat.  There is the bakery, and the breakfast place.  I'd already had breakfast.  Oh darn, we'd have to eat at the bakery.  I went for the quiche; Ray ordered a sandwich.







Back out of Carlton, up Yamhill Rd, then onto NE Laughlin.  This quickly became the not fun part - a motorcyclist came up behind us, honking (road was empty and straight, we were not riding two abreast), then parked himself next to me and started moving to the right.  Yeah.  He then went up and did the same thing to Ray.

We found the motorcycle parked at a house about a a mile along.  I noted the location, because I was definitely going to report it.*

So, a bit less enjoyment on the return.  It did get warmer, and somewhat humid.  Ray suggested pulling over at the Fernhill Wetlands park area - there is a restroom, a covered pavilion, nice plants, and a view of the wetland.  I think the same folks were hanging out there since we stopped on the way out.  I probably should have eaten something at the stop.

Last 11 miles, on very familiar roads.  I did manage to eat the other half of my sandwich, and kept drinking.  The haybales and dairy cows in Verboort rated a picture stop.





When we pulled into the Hits the Spot cafe, I asked the cook if they had ice cream floats.  Yes they did.  Ahh.





A few more pictures where those came from.

*Fitz and I drove back on Wednesday to verify the address.  Perhaps we also did some wine tasting a mile down the road :-) and had lunch at the bakery in Carlton.  The sheriff heard all about it, and a deputy talked to the driver, who was under the misinformation that bicyclists had to get off the road.  Yeah.  Mind you, there were 1.5 lanes available to him to continue on.  I'll probably flinch every time I ride down that road for quite some time.

Beaverton Hagg Lake Carlton May 2015

I received an email from Paul from the Tri-Cities - he was going to be in town, would Asta and I like to ride an undemanding 100k?  I really needed to ride a 200k, and offered up mine, wherein we'd search for a lot of info controls.  Then Steve wanted to ride the same route, but on Monday, and asked if I'd join him.  I invited him to join us instead.

I also planned to feed everyone afterward, because I'm nice that way.

We gathered at Starbucks for preride coffee and/or snacks, and pretty much right at 7am, headed out.



Paul thought the route was awfully pretty - it is, I stuck together all my favorite roads to create it!

Eventually we ended up at the first timed control in Forest Grove, where, it being Sunday, we would have the best control situation at the c-store.

We then headed out for the climby part of the route - Hagg Lake, first pausing at the Lake Store.  For some reason, there were a lot of pauses.  Anyway, heading west on Scoggins Valley Drive - my oh my, smooooooooth new pavement.  Wonderful!



As we started around the lake, Asta asked about swimming.  Yes, people did swim in the lake.

When we got about halfway around, she and Paul peeled off to go swimming.  Steve and I kept going; I knew they'd catch us.  Then Steve pulled off.  I still kept going.  I wanted to save my stopping time for the bakery in Carlton.



Steve caught me about 9 miles later, and Asta and Paul found us 5 miles after that. 11 miles later, we were pulling into the bakery parking lot.

I had been keeping up on my eating thoughout the ride, so my stomach was calm.  I celebrated by ordering a Reuben and a cold brew coffee, and ate the WHOLE THING.  On a 200k.  After 82 miles.  Pretty good!



We continued on, and possibly after turning north at Kuehne Road, we might have had a tailwind.  In any case, Paul provided a monster pull all the way to Flett Rd, and then the traffic (such as it was) dropped off, and so did we. A stop at the corner of Geiger (Red Bull.  I wanted to drink my Red Bull), and then a stop at the golf course (plumbing), and then we passed the penultimate info control at the cemetery, and arrived at the last timed control for some quick snacks.

Last stretch down Baseline, and Asta pulled over...  Her chain had an issue.  Given that we were not far out - she could have walked and still finished in time - Steve and I went ahead.

Starbucks was still open, so I got a cold coffee drink.  Asta and Paul appeared a few minutes later.  We then headed up the hill and ate a wonderfully filling dinner.  With apple cake for dessert.

Paul's pictures here.