We left my friends Bill and Karen's home in Rickreall, OR around 7 AM Saturday, June 28. I do not know how many pounds I was carrying but it was a new experience in bike handling.
Leaving Bill and Karen's required we do some climbing within a quarter mile of leaving. Once we climbed up about 200 feet it was a rolling descent to Hwy 22 and flat roads into Independence for breakfast.
After breakfast we headed south for the Buena Vista ferry to cross the Willamette river and head east for Waterloo, OR.
The roads were flat and the weather warm but comfortable. We stopped in Jefferson for coffee and a milk shake then headed on. The owner of the coffee shop regaled us with local history although he was originally from Dallas, OR. The day was warmer when we left but being from Sacramento it felt normal to us.
When we went through Crabtree we picked up a friend. A small dog appeared out of nowhere and began running along side us. We couldn't convince the dog to go home so Geno decided to engage the dog in a race. Geno got his Bike Friday wound up and took off down the road with the dog in hot pursuit. I might mention the dog was dragging a piece of rope he had apparently chewed in half to make his get away. Although Geno won the race it did not deter the young dog who joined Dick and I as we rode by him. When we reached the Lyons/Albany highway we had to do something about the dog. Dick got off his bike and proceeded to walk the dog back toward Crabtree. Geno and I rode slowly eastward on the highway. Whatever Dick did worked as he was able to get on his bike and join us a bit later.
We elected to go into Lebanon for lunch. I went shopping for dinner after lunch and did not find a mainstream grocery store but I did find a Mennonite discount grocery where I purchased Korean instant noodle for dinner at a cost of 50 cents. I then doubled back to find Geno and Dick who had gone to a park next to the South Santiam River to rest.
The last leg was about 5 miles to Waterloo Park. It was 95 degrees when we got there. We set up our tents then hit the showers. After our showers we walked down to the Waterloo store where I bought an ice cream cone. Geno and Dick bought refreshments too. From there we walked to the bridge. I took the pictures seen in my picasa album. The water looked incredibly refreshing but I didn't go in, although wishing I would all the same.
We ate dinner and walked around the campground some more. We couldn't help notice how many campers had blazing fires going in spite of the 90 degree heat. One family found their fire so hot they abandoned it for the air conditioning of their trailer. We didn't build a fire.
Later that night we awakened to rumbles and lightning; eventually the pitter patter of rain got us out of sleeping bags to throw on rain flies.
