Bernie: We woke to a fresh bright morning and had a fairly leisurely pack up. We were continuing to cycle the route but Tom and Carolyn were going to go straight up to Crater Lake and we hoped to meet at the camp ground the next day. We had considered the ‘Windego Pass Alternate’ which is a 30 mile route over the mountain on a dirt road but 3 things mitigated against this 1) I didn’t like the small section of dirt road near Sisters, 2) the 3 web postings I looked at all said it was awful and don’t do it 3) the forecast was bad with likely rain and thunderstorms. Sense prevailed and we took the ‘main’ route, which we knew would be a fairly tedious day ‘dog-legging’ down to the main highway 97, 15 miles along then climb back into the mountains. Continue reading Day 5. Crescent Creek to Diamond Lake. 60 miles →

David:  Today was one of those days that will stick in the memory for ever.  When I am gaga with memory loss due to one fo the large number of conditions that affect the declining mind, this day will be imprinted so strongly on my consciousness that I will keep returning to it.  It was long, tough and brilliant. Continue reading Bend to Crescent Creek Campground (near Crescent Lake) →

Bernie:  Woke feeling much more refreshed to a crisp bright morning.  The first few miles were easy down to Sisters a picturesque little town of clapboard houses and shops.   Continue reading Indian Ford to Bend: 30 miles. →

Vital statistics: 64 miles, 4300 feet of climbing (and no showers).

This is David writing today’s blog. We got to the cafe after 25 miles and asked if they had a wifi so we could post yesterday’s blog and got the answer “Hell no, you don’t even get cell service here!”. But we did get omlettes and coffee, and a glance at the local newsheet “The Canyon Weekly” which led with the news that “First day of school brings new Superintendent/Principal to Santiam”. The news item included the great sentence “A cheer broke out for Bob Zauner as the children learned he would be their full time PE teacher, re-installing our faith in the never ending energy and tenacity of youth”. Bless them – you don’t get that type of writing in the Guardian!

Continue reading Breitenbush to Indian Ford (Near Sisters) →

This is by Bernie:

We woke to grey skies but at least it was not fog; in fact the skies soon cleared to a bright sunny day as we were now on highway 101 which was now more inland. It was also mostly freeway or dual carriageway as we would say it so we moved on pretty quickly. Continue reading Heading South in California →

It rained all night.  Well I say that not knowing whether it is true or not because it was raining when we went to bed, raining when we woke up and I think I heard rain when I woke in the night, but then again the sound proofing was pretty rubbish at the hotel (“rubbish” being a useful, British and general all purpose word for these occasions for our US readers) and so it could have been the people abve cleaning fish in the sink. Continue reading Last day in Oregon: First day in California →

Woke with proof that David was getting better. He woke at 5 and then at 8 and managed to get himself out of bed by himself both times.  Previously, having stiffened up overnight, getting him out of bed was a complicated manoeuvre of levers and pulleys, leaning my body weight to gently  raise him to vetical with as few yelps and yells as possible. Continue reading Day 3 on the Oregon Coast →

This is by David.

The find of the morning was the Green Salmon Bakery in Yachats,  which for those who are interested in these things is spoken with a silent “c” namely “Ya – Hats”.  This may be the only example of the “silent c” phenomena that I have encountered in over 50 years (although I must confess I have done one or two other things in the last 50 years other than look for words with a silent C, and so may have missed a few).   Continue reading Day 2 of the Oregon Coast →

I have let David do the last few days as he was the wounded party but there have been some requests to continue the blog – I see it as a travelogue and not just a cycling blog – so those only tracking the Sierra Cascades can leave this section out. Those wanting to check we haven’t done anyting else too foolish can read on! Continue reading Day 1 of a “normal” holiday →

 

The helpful doc confirmed the diagnosis of probable fractured but not displaced ribs, which will heal in time and bad muscle damage. He also gave a big thumbs down to carrying on cycling over mountain passes as an aid to recovery (which was pretty obvious after yesterday). Our ever helpful insurance company told us they would cover the medical fees but nothing else as I was not in hospital – so we are not coming home early at their expense!

 

 

Then Wayne and Doris Heigel (friends of Tom and Carolyn Sullivan of Windthorp for avid readers of this blog) who we were due to stay with in Bend, Oregan in a few days became the cavalry coming over the hill. They invited us to stay and heroically drove over to Goverment Camp to collect us. So we will spend the next week off our bikes, with part of the time with them and part exploring this wonderful part of the country without bikes, and fly back as originally planned. Such wonderful hospitality from the great community of cyclists is overwhelming but repeats what we have already experienced.

 

 

We still plan to come back in September to complete the ride – as we always planned – but will do so from Government Camp and not Klameth Falls as per the original plan. All that is if – and it is a modest if – my back heals as anticipated. However it is already showing signs of being better for not being asked to cycle up 5000 feet passes  – funny that!

This is written by David.  With my back muscles still objecting to any form of exercise we took a day off in Hood River.  It turned out to be a US-style version of Bewdley and hence an excellent place to while away a little time.  There is a river (the Columbia) which is a bit bigger than the Severn.  Well massively bigger in fact.  Water sports – here windsurfing and sailing on the river – and we have rowing at home.  Forests – the town is surrounded by forests just as in Bewdley.  Hills – well we have then in Bewdey but not as big as the mountains that surround Hood River, and in particular the wonderful Mount Hood.  And it had cool restaurants – maybe not as cool as the Vhujon but Hood River cannot have everything after all. Continue reading Day 14: Day off in Hood River →