Flat, the first half of the first day the Oregon Outback is flat. And so was I. I peddled and peddled waiting to feel just a hint of something, but all I got was flat, flat and a slightly elevated heart rate for the effort.
My plan this year was to ride "straight through" little stopping, no real sleeping, maybe a 10min cat nap or two when the hallucinations set in. Klamath Falls Oregon to the Deschutes River Recreation area in under 48 hours total time. 580 Km it two days, should be doable, but I was flat. And with flat came a change of plan, plan B. At Silver Lake, I chose to move to a three day ride with my fellow Campbell River riders. Geoff, Kiya (The Kid), and Glen (The Hoff).
Did I mention it rained? Most of the first day it drizzled, except for the hail and downpour late in the afternoon this of course meant the sky was flat. The forecast had been for rain in the morning and clearing through out the evening and night to sunny on Saturday Sunday. So why carry any sleeping gear? After all the plan was to ride all night. My condition of flatness and the decision made to move to a three day ride, I suddenly realized I had no camping gear! We were hanging out at Silver Lake Mercantile and Motel when Les the owner announced that the local Pastor O'Leary had opened his shop for us all to camp in and there was a fire! Night solved, I would sleep next to the fire, we ate hotdogs, purchased beer and headed for the barn.
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| My palate mattress in the foreground! maybe 40 or so people slept in various buildings at the O'Leary Ranch. That's The Hoff in the orange cap |
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| Ready to sleep |
The night passed fairly well, I got up to pee every two hours until 3:30 when I began to shiver a bit, finally about 4:45 I added some wood to the fire and started to warm back up. I had thought I would head out about 4am and possibly ride the rest of the way in one big push, however the nonstop rain seemed to make the mattress all the more attractive and a late start it was. a fairly uneventful day two took us from Pastor O'Learys shop to Prineville past Fort Rock.
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| Fort Rock |
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| The Hoff's Copper something or another |
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| Gratuitous flower shot |
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| The Crooked River |
Part Two: I never was much for the Rolling Stones
As the day continues we roll into Prineville and head straight to Ochocco Brewing Company, I am thinking of a hotel room for the night, maybe 4 hours sleep a shower and finish this off. I have not told anyone about the pain in my right Achilles it has come on late in the day and is close to bringing a tear to my eye, but when I step off the bike in the pub the pain is gone! A beer miracle? As we learn there are no rooms available in Prineville, I am asked by the pub owner Joe where we are staying the night, I respond "on your deck" he looks confused and answers Ok! As the evening goes on Joe learns myself and our new American friend Scott have no camping gear and arranges matts, sleeping bags and pillows for us! Next thing you along comes Pepper with all the sleeping gear! Thank you Pepper! Did we have a fire on the deck? You bet! Pepper got that going for us also!
After several trips to relieve myself, 4am came quickly and the pain I felt every time got up during the night is gone. We pack up and continue.
We climb directly out of Prineville into the Ochoco National Forest and the rising sun.
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| Geoff and The Kid, the true climbing has yet to begin |
From the crest of the climb begins the decent into Trout Creek Valley and on to the town of Ashwood (there ain't much in Ashwood!). From Ashwood you climb again up onto and across a high plateau then you descend down into Antelope. Antelope was made famous by the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Once in Antelope there is a small city park with water this is a good place to recover, drink and prepare yourself for the climb up to Shaniko.
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| Trout Creek Valley |
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| High plateau between Ashwood and Antelope |
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| Help needed for The Hoff! |
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| The Hoff, The Kid, and Scott, Antelope was kinder to some than others! |
The feeling climbing the road to Shaniko was different this year, there were other riders, it was mid day, strangely I missed the morning mist and solitude of last year and I focused on that, keeping my mind off my screaming Achilles tendon. Shaniko awaited and past that the Rollers of Doom!
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| Goldie's Ice Cream Bar in Shaniko |
When you ride out of Shaniko there is a stretch of rolling pavement, it was here my pace slowed as I struggled more and more to find relief from pain ultimately at the turn off to gravel and the Rollers of Doom I could take no more, I found a ride to the Deschutes River Recreation area in a car. Strangely, I wasn't unhappy. I had not rode as I intended, I had mostly rode feeling flat, I had not finished the 2015 Oregon Outback but I was happy, satisfied even, I guess in spite the drugs and alcohol the Rolling Stones got it right, I didn't get the ride I wanted but I just might have got the ride I needed.
Solitude and suffering was replaced with friendships old and new, and while the ride still was not easy, I gained a new appreciation for slowing down to take it all in.
The End:
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After Thoughts and Shit Stains:
It is coming up upon a month since the 2015 running of the Oregon Outback, plenty of time to reflect upon the personal experience. With all the news that has come to light of disrespectful Oregon Outback participants, perhaps now is the time to reflect upon our impact on the people and communities that shared their homes/businesses with us. I experienced graceful, giving, welcoming people everywhere along the Outback route, I had thought the locals experience of the riders would be similar. Apparently not. As a self appointed ambassador of cycling this weighs heavy on me and it should on you. For right or wrong as riders we are all painted with the same brush in the non riding public's eye. Currently that brush is shit brown.
