Sept. 7, 2002 - CYCLE OREGON

The ride started up with Ray knocking at the door. We talked till Marilane and Jerry showed up. After putting Jerry’s bike together, we loaded the van and went to an Omnimax movie. We saw Lewis and Clark. The next day we were on the road early. Myran drove us and Ilene came as a return car driver for Valli’s pick up. We stopped to see some of the sights on the way. We saw many of the falls throughout the Gorge and Maryhill’s Stonehenge on the Washington side of the Columbia.

We arrived in Nyssa and did all the registration things you need to do to go on the ride. Yes, Valli found us. Looking for each other would last throughout the trip. That night some people were cold.

Day One: Nyssa to Ironside - 72 miles

The morning started out good, a little cold, but the toilet seats were warm. There was a headwind to keep you cool, just a little one. We dipped our tires in the Snake River, took pictures. I think that is where I picked up a bullhead in one of my tires. That is where my day took a new twist from most people. Yes, the tire went flat, so I told the rest to go on. I fixed the tire and didn’t get the thorn out all the way. Another flat - I put in another tube and the stem was bad. I said, “Oh gosh.” Not really. I get lots of flats. I put in another tube but I think I pinched it. Pulled out my spare tire and put it and a new tube on the rim. This held air until I could pump it up with a better pump. The rest of the day went well. At lunch I bought 4 new tubes and had them put on the tire that I started with that morning. The back one went flat so I had it fixed too.

Keeping together is a big problem, but at the end of the week, we were getting good at it and actually camping together. Some of our party rode faster than the rest - about 3 hours faster.

The campsite has to be experienced; a new wrinkle in camping. We saw Deer and Antelope today. The stars were just spectacular because there were no big towns nearby.

Day Two: Ironside to John Day – 76 miles

It was a clear day; we got a late start and had to ride hard to get to camp at 6:30. There were four hills. At the top of the third one was lunch. Time for lunch – YES - how about 3:30 p.m.? Now let me see, lunch is usually in the middle of the ride. There is one more hill to go, about 40 miles. They close the course at 6:00 p.m. This is not looking good. The hill was a little one and the rest was down hill with a breeze in the face to keep you cool. Valli and I pumped hard, 18 to 20 miles an hour. When we got to camp, we went to eat, and then shower. No one was in the shower. No line. No clouds in the sky all day. No blue room lines, no food lines – I am liking this.

Day Three: John Day to Mitchell - 77 miles.

The first 17.7 miles was fast because there were a bunch of riders breaking the wind for us and we were going down hill. However, it got hot in the canyons, no wind. Around 40 miles into it Valli dropped out on one of the hills. I don’t know why; it was only a steep hill and 101 degrees. I pushed on. It was a good decision on her part. One 47-year-old guy didn’t and he is in biker heaven. The good part is he was doing something he wanted to do and living life to the fullest.

As I ride along, I like to sing. Some people wanted to know what I did with the money for lessons.

At the top and down again, I let it run up to 40 miles an hour. The road was smooth and fast, no sharp turns. What a rush.

Being with three good friends on their first Cycle Oregon, the town of Mitchell was a whole new ball game and a lot to talk about. They called it the hot dust bowl and that in it’s self was something to see. Ray made the comment, “a little seed and some water would be great.” The last time it rained there was in November and they were in a 10-year drought. They took it like it was a learning experience.

Day four: Mitchell to Sisters - 97 miles.

This too was a good day for riding - Warm in the morning and YES, a flat in the back to start the day. The good part was I was at camp so there were mechanics to fix it for me. That made six. The day went well with a swim in a river. This is how this works; you just walk in with all your things on like helmet, shoes, and gloves. It doesn’t take long for them to dry when it is so hot.

We were on the end of the course; signed the waiver, got an armband so they would not stop us again. We arrived just before dark. I think we were last or close to it. Missed the riders’ meeting of 9-11; ate, set up camp in the dark and showered and went to bed on the green grass. At the dinner table this guy was trying to read the paper so I gave him my funky glasses. He could not read with them either, but didn’t think it was funny. I did. It was hard to hold it in. I did feel sorry for the guy. The glasses are sunglasses that have painted Eye balls on the front that move and change color.

Day five: Sisters to Wizard Falls and back 50 miles.

Another great ride, Ha Ha. The road was Chipseal so you get your butt massaged as you ride along. My butt was telling me it had been massaged enough! There were still two more days to go. The rest of me was great.

The Metolius River comes out of the ground and does not change its flow through out the year. The flow stays the same, so the grass grows right to the edge. It is so cold that there is no way to swim in it. There was a lifeguard on the bridge, paid for by Cycle Oregon. Wizard Falls was the name of a fish hatchery. There were no falls.

Valli started back but got Sagged. The 100 degrees did not go well with her. I met Paul and we talked all the way back. That made us pedal faster and the time go fast.

Day six: Sisters to Coburg 98 miles.

Was a cool day with about a 15-mile climb and a downhill the rest of the day. At the top there was a rock building built out of the lava beds. The lava beds were big. The portholes inside the building were pointed toward the mountains; then a short climb to the top and another spectacular view.

The downhill had some 180-degree turns in it. My maximum speed was 35. The 98 miles makes for a long day but what else are you going to do? The towns are not that big. Being late to camp is becoming the normal thing to do. We now are getting Jerry and Ray trained to get our bags to a site. They are good guys and a lot of fun to be around. Valli is getting better with every day. Three people I like being around.

We all took a school bus to town to eat and see the show. It was an old one but I didn’t have to walk. It reminded me of when I was a kid going to school.

All the shows and rider meetings were great and the food was too. There was lot of food. They do such a great job with so many different kinds of people and the riders in the back get Butterfinger Cheese Cake. Eat your heart out Ray. It was so goooood.

If you want to be rich, buy Zipper stock. Every one on the ride must use 10 or 15 zippers a day and over half of them in the morning before 5 a.m. I never used my Alarm. I would just lie there and listen to the Zippers until it got light outside. Oh yes, there were people who ran there air pump to blow up their air mattress that went down during the night. I will not say names, but she has a white helmet.

The Last Day Out of Coburg to Florence. 98.5 miles

It was a cool morning and I took my raincoat to keep warm. I told Valli what I was doing so she grabbed her rain pants instead of her raincoat. They looked the same. When she got cold in the food line, she noticed the problem. She went to the Bike Gallery store. Thank you biking gods for plastic. She now has a real good-looking coat.

Jerry and Ray road with us all day long. They were great to ride with and Ray broke the wind most of the day for Valli. Jerry with his Titanium bike must have been in low gear all day. He is a good fast rider.

The 98.5 miles went good with a great lunch stop. We had to walk a mile or so to the lunch stop. The road was gravel, not smooth enough for my bike. There were a lot of people walking.

The head winds were a lot less than I thought they would be and no rain so it was a great ride. Total ride 569 miles!!!

When we got to Florence, Jerry and Ray stopped at the trucks to get the bags and Valli and I went on to put our tires in the big blue thing. As I was trying to ride and not sit on the seat too hard, I was thinking, “ I hope Ilene is at the Pacific Ocean waiting for me. I don’t want to ride back to the trucks. NOT. We dipped our tires and Valli got a ride to the trucks.” I washed off the sand as best I could. They let Valli use their cell phone to call Ilene and drove her to Ilene. They were nice people. Ilene was having too much fun in the Casino to be early.

Jerry’s wife, Marilane, had a nice room for us to shower in and get clean clothes. It was late by the time we got to our home. It was fun having seven people staying in the house for the night.

Valli left to see relatives; Jerry and Ray boxed Jerry’s bike. I watched. We went to the rose gardens and the Rice Rock Museum.

The next day Myran took us Jet skiing. We went up to Mt Hood and walked the mile to the upper lodge in the fog. On the way back we stopped and caught some fish. The big one was 21.5 inches or was that pounds. Jerry was having a hard time getting his fish but Ray was knocking them dead. I took his pole; he was going to put me in the poor house. Pay by the inch and the two were 24.5 inches long. Finally Jerry figured it out and caught two 32.5-inch fish. Myran cooked up the 35.5-inch fish on the barbeque. Fresh fish are so good.

Tuesday came so quick and Jerry and Ray left early to go their own ways.

Valli called in the morning to see what I was doing. She and her son, Gary came over. We thought of some things to do and went target shooting. A 30-06 will go through a .5-inch plate. Then Myran took us Jet skiing. Ilene cooked a good dinner with the last two 37.5 inch fish. Valli and Gary left to go to her relatives. Oh yes, the kids were over to eat with us and they left too so it is back to the three of us. It was sure fun while it lasted.