May 17, 2013
A Friday ride in my Mehama, Oregon neighborhood
I was greeted this morning by my neighbor Bald Eagle who was checking out the river for breakfast possibilities. He was setting on a large moss covered, no needles, Doug Fir limb about 30 feet up. When I got too aggressive with the iPhone; I wanted to get a close up from the back railing; he took flight.
INSERT PHOTO
After my second cup of coffee I decided I would ride today. I was flexible on which option to take, although aware I hadn't been riding a lot lately, so I chose to ride up Little North Fork Road to mile post 4. I chose mile post 4 because I saw a sign saying 'watch out for log trucks.' I never made it to mile post 4 (or never saw it) instead I turned around where the road turns to hard packed dirt with a covering of rock, which was after mile post 3.
Before I arrived at mile post 2 I elected to explore Pioneer Road and Taylor Park Road. I road several miles on pavement then hard pack dirt with gravel on top. I rode, perhaps a mile, when the road a took sharp decline and I didn't want to climb a steep gravel pitch on the way back as it would eventually dead end.
The last mile or more it rained pretty steady. Not a down pour but a rain that came down a little faster than my clothing could shed. I could feel the dampness coming on. Not a soaking. I opted not to stop and put on the rain jacket. It had been showery all the time I had been here(since Wednesday, early evening) thus the optimism.
The rain was a little persistent on the descent shortly after turning around. Of course, I was going faster. Then the rain stopped and the sun was out and it was very warm(just like that, wah-la). The sun came and went and it was warm when the clouds got out of the way.
When I reached Hwy 22 extending the ride appealed to me. The course correction now put me on a new destination, the Farm Cafe for brunch.
Food reserves were replenished with a Farm Hand BLT, 3 pieces of home made white bread, home style bacon between each piece, very fresh, tasty tomato slices, a slice of cheddar between two of the bread pieces and lettuce between all 3 pieces of bread. Tasty, tasty, tasty. On the side was a small bowl of Italian Wedding Soup, good, but needed some spicing up or herbing up, plus fresh strawberries slices, cantaloupe slices and blueberries, all fresh. Needless to say the plates and bowls were cleaned off.
After my mid-day meal I headed for home at a moderately easy pace.
T= 1:27, MX= 34.3, AV= 13.8, EL GAIN= 823', High Pt= 872', D=20.1 mi., ODO= 6327.
