Yesterday

Sorry I missed catching you up yesterday. The lovely B&B we stayed at last night didn't have InterNet service. Actually a great excuse for me as I was really tired by the evening.

Here is a GREAT pic of Mark. Yes, it was taken today and not yesterday as my story proceeds. Give me Grief....I am sooo.ooo.o....o.....o not a techie!! I am sitting here really tired, had a great dinner, and am drinking Gin in grapefruit juice as Ken & Mark plot tomorrow's adventures. I tried attaching this pic on the next blog, and vice-verse. Oh well. If I hadn't told you that, you really wouldn't have known. Back to the start ... isn't this a GREAT pic of Mark???

Thursday: Mark started the ride from Sister, OR while Ken and I drove the van to Mitchell, OR; which is where Ken started to ride. I then drove back and caught up with Mark. He had a great ride with the light wind at his back, rolling roads. Averaged 18 mph!! He believes, even though Eugene is known as the "bicycle friendliest town in the US", his experience wasn't totally supportive of that notion.

He almost became a Mailbox ornament: One long stretch had no shoulder what-so-ever. They instead, built groups of mailboxes on the edge of the road ... in the narrow path a bicycle is clinging to so not to fall off into the ditch. Sure enough, one brief look down to check for glass on the road, look up again, and WHAM, there are the mailboxes. Again, Mark is incredibly skilled in his technical agility and jumped, or flew, or what-ever around them. A heart engaging event. Nope, no caffien needed.

In Prinville Mark and I met up, and switched ... he took over the van and I started to ride.

Now let me explain how we decide where we ride. Put me in a paper sack, shake it, and I sincerely can't find my way out. So directions, maps and planning are not my strongest sskill. So Mark and Ken do the planning, and I smile and say, "OK".

So I knew today they had assigned me "Thee mountain" to climb for the day. Again, that is OK with me as they assured me numerous times what a great downhill I'll have in return for the climb. They know I love screeching down the side of really steep mountains, so, this plan sounds good.

I am now driving the van over Thee Mountain to get Ken to Mitchell. Yup, we remark on the climb: how steep, no shoulder, narrow winding 2 lanes (have I heard this before??) but incredible scenery. Now we reach the top and start down. I remark what great pavement!! They've done a great job keeping this mountain pass fixed and paved. Yup, wide shoulder. Look at that pitch!! I'll bet I can get 45-50 MPH down this puppy!! Yes, I am excited!!

Then we round the corner and there are florescent orange cones, flashing digital reader boards, men in reflective tape. Uh-huh. The entire downside is single lane, more dust than one could ever imagine, 4-6" deep gravel. That's how they keep the road in such good repair. They repair it!! Who would have thunk??

So, it is now nearly an hour to get down that hill; make it to Mitchell, drop off Ken. Then, turn around and make it back up through the construction again. Back into Prinville where Mark is waiting. His first comment as he is removing my bike, Ruby', to put his on the rack...."Cindy, how come your bike is so dusty???".

"Mark, we have to talk."

(Poor Ruby'!! I had to totally clean & wipe her down that evening!! the outer side of both the front and back wheel are totally gorged and chipped due to driving through the gravel 3 times!!! Her gears were totally gray [dust!! Should be shiny silver], all gears mucked with dust and grit!! All bike parts that were originally black, not so much....)

We agreed I would ride. He would then meet me at the top of the construction project, as he would drive ahead, and we would re-evaluate, and decide then.

The ride up was beautiful. Rolling country hills I was able to fly over (kept average 18-26mph). then started the ascent on a perfect weathered day. OK...who knows what the great little birds name is that are about the size of a Robin, pitch black with flame red marks on their wings, and a "chirping" sound? So incredibly startling and beautiful!!

Remember what part of the country this is. Should make a contest of this.

Generally the ride was safe, OK, except for one jerk...brings back memories.....

Many years ago I would ride from Spokane to Deer Lake. Occasionally someone really intense on getting nowhere fast, would pass the car in front of them. OK, you say, I've done that.

Now, imagine you aren't paying attention as you are passing that car, and, because you are going way too fast, you pull over to the left, just a bit more, in order to freely pass that car (again, poor terminology. You aren't "passing". You are #!$?## getting around the @##! jerk). Yes, you now have crossed the OPPOSING shoulder strip. Uh-huh...right where I am riding my bike, in the opposite direction, grinding up Thee Mountain.

I 'get' sitting in a hot vehicle, having to stop for construction, is rough. And yes, you are a really important person that one or two additional minutes in your life is vital to the rotation of the earth. I 'get' that. However, choosing to pass during a brief "pass zone" down the mountain directly into my minimal "shoulder" and my bike, just isn't cool. I'm sure somewhere I said that, in my "YOU ##!!*!//#@$$$!" that I violently screamed. I sincerely believe you all heard that in Spokane. Just probably couldn't quite make out the exact verbage. You probably thought it was the vehicle next to you with the volume up a bit too loud. My option to avoid demise (for me), you need to understand, was Thee no shoulder dropping off Thee side of Thee mountain. More than a few feet down. Again, picture picturesque, gorgeous, too far down to see Thee bottom.

With that stimulating effect, better than a quad espresso, I easily made it to the top. Mark pointed out it would be really unfair to my lungs, and Dr. Sam J, if I choose to attempt the ride down the mountain, barely able to see due to dust. Skip the discussion about breathing.

Ya' know Sam, Mark and you are right.

So I drove down with Mark.

Ken had quite the cultural experience that night at our B&B, and at the one-of-three town restaurants, but the other two were closed for the evening (it was, after all, 6:00). FYI - The ONE gasoline station closed at 5:00; and the Mini-Mart closed at 8:00.

Back to the restaurant ... it had various animal heads, skins, etc hanging from the walls; the local were standing at the bar with their cowboy hats on; main component of each menu item was Red Meat. Can't help but smile and shake my head. I was raised in Montana, so here, I'm just "back home". So fun.

Ken, on the other hand, found it totally amazing. What vacations are made of!!!

Back we go to the ranch, yes, it really was. Talked about cow herds, pigs, water rights, salmon, etc. Played pool in their game room. This morning had a really great breakfast. And off we were again.

You'll just have to wait for the next blog. I would love to do so now...I'm just really tired. You'll understand why.....