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in search of... August 24th, 2011

B

Bruce_H

Guest

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in search of... August 24th, 2011


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Rural Oregon is a most favorite place for me to ride, little traffic and this time of year warm nights and even warmer days. In search of a summer's dream. The forecast was for unstable weather conditions near the end of the week however checking the internet revealed that most of the activity would be lightening, very little rain. I couldn't leave until after work on Wednesday, too many things to do. It was going to be a late night getting to my camp site. Camping on the eastern side of Mt Hood I could see lightening in the distance, thunder reached me as a low rumble and only a few drops of rain fell. The TV news at breakfast said that there had been five thousand lightening strikes over night resulting in several fires but most were already contained, suppose the fire crews had a busy night. It was cloudy the first part of the day, as it heated up the clouds dissipated, nice!

You can follow my track pasting this into your browser: http://www.spotadventures.com/trip/view/?trip_id=275355

what a fascinating place to ride, Morrow County, Oregon...​
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early morning light, wind towers in the distance, Gilliam County, Oregon...

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Now on the Washington side of the Columbia River, Mt Hood in the background...

Maryhill Stonehenge...

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I spent most of the day along the Columbia River, only a light breeze, ninety nine degrees for a high...

Mt Adams in the background...

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this evening was the most fantastic sunset, not much for a view though, Condon, Oregon...

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Fairbanks School Wasco County, Oregon...

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all aboard, Arlington, Oregon...

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school house? I'd think so, Sherman County, Oregon...

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if these streets could talk, Hardman, Oregon...

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Day time temperatures were under a hundred degrees with the over night at about sixty, the warmest I have experienced this summer, a dream for sure. I had the time to stop and swim many places during the day and take whatever route peaked my interest at the time. I had no place to be and no where to go. The first day was spent along the Columbia River, with only a light breeze and less traffic, very nice. It isn't often to find such conditions along the river. I made camp the second night at Condon, had the entire place to myself. In the morning I set off looking for breakfast. Must have taken a wrong turn because soon I found myself in an area of wheat fields and not exactly sure of where I was heading. There are hundreds of miles of rock roads meandering thru these vast farms.

Friday after making several stops to swim I wanted to go to Olive Lake. As I progressed deeper and deeper into the woods and higher up the mountain my over heat temperature light came on. Guess the bike's cooling fan wasn't working so turned around and went back down, At highway speeds it wasn't a problem, there are plenty of other places to ride. The lightening had sparked several fires and the smoke could be seen in the distance. It never really impacted my ride area until I was ready to go home. By then it was on the ground and the mountains no longer visible. The first day in the distance I could see rain so went the other direction. I did camp two nights at Condon and was far enough east not to have any rain, the lightening was in the distance as well. The second night in Condon the only other person was a bicycle rider and he didn't make any noise. The perfect weekend to be here, not crowded and there were no pay envelopes at the registration post, must be free. All the camp sites had reserved signs on them for next weekend, would be too many people for me anyway.

I set about this ride to do less mileage and at seven hundred fifty was just about right. I tailored my bike out Wednesday evening, camped in the car and rode from Tygh Valley on Thursday. The mileage total didn't include the four hundred and fifty in the car. Home late afternoon on Saturday, a Summer's Dream ride for sure...




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Bruce, thanks for riding along...

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Rural Oregon is a most favorite place for me to ride...

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i love riding in that country, too.

but every time i see one of those volcanoes, it gives me the willies! :nod

great report and photos... thank you for posting.

ian
 
ian,

Thanks for the support. It is a nice place to ride.

Bruce
 
Wow!

I love the high desert; you're lucky to have that in your back yard. Thanks for posting.
 
Bruce... Beautiful tale with beautiful images accompanying. Those volcanoes are so striking. :thumb
 
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