47 miles, 1053 feet of climb (200 ft/division)
47 miles, 1053 feet of climb (200 ft/division)
Today the plan was for several members to drive the vehicles to Tumalo State
Park while the rest of us rode there on back roads. That was the plan.
When we got to Conklin Road, we found that it consists of 4 miles of loose
gravel. So we backtracked and headed north on US97, a busy 4-lane highway.
Actually, the riding wasn't bad – there was a wide shoulder and the rumble
strip was to the left, near the traffic lane, leaving plenty of room to ride
well away from the cars and trucks. It didn't hurt that it was mostly
downhill with a tailwind.
One advantage of the change in plans was that it allowed us to visit the High
Desert Museum, which is only accessible via Hwy 97. The folks who were driving
that day were surprised to see us since we were not supposed to go that way.
It's an interesting museum. They have live animals, such as this bald eagle,
a mountain lion, and two spotted owl chicks, Polka and Dot, bred in captivity.
They also have outdoor displays of frontier life with volunteer actors as well
as more traditional indoor exhibits.
Not long before the end of the day's ride, while waiting for Dave to fix a flat, I discovered I also had a flat, caused by a staple. Here's hoping it's the only one I get this trip.
Sue and I are both running short of clean clothes so we planned to ride from camp to the little town of Tumalo, about two miles away, to find a laundromat. But with the extra miles from the route change plus the two hours we spent at the museum, we got into camp too late to make that feasible. So we washed enough clothes to get us through the trip in the sink behind the men's room and hung them from our clothesline to dry. Maybe they will be dry by tomorrow morning.
Dinner tonight was tri-tip. I don't eat steak very often, but every once in
awhile it really hits the spot. For dessert there was home-made (hand-cranked)
ice cream.