The Thin Blue Ride - Part 2 Day 3 - Otis, OR to Monmouth, OR

Ride Report: 50 Miles, 169 Total Miles, 14.7 Avg mph, 3,333 Calories, 1,821 Ft. Climbing, 1 New Bike Computer.  More on this later...

Supplemental weather report:  Holy Cow, Batman - it's HOT!  Apparently Oregonians aren't as accustomed to the heat as are we Kansans.  Although, in defense of Oregonians everywhere, even I thought it was a bit warm today.  When I looked down, Garmin was telling me something North of 100 degrees, but it was in full sun and is black.  I don't recall the exact number as I tried to blot it from my recollection.  Regardless, hot was the word of the day.  As I type this Susan and I are ensconced in The Rig enjoying the AC and the fact that the people we bought it from were wise enough to include the optional generator with which to power everything when not plugged into shore power.  This because we're sitting in the parking lot of the Cultivate Community Church here in Monmouth - no hook-ups.  Anyway, on with the day.

It was planned as a short day to set us up for the trip over McKenzie pass.  This will be the first real mountain pass of the ride two days hence.  We jiggered the mileage around for the next three days (a departure from my original plan) in order to avoid climbing a freakin mountain at the end of a 68 mile day when we get there.  It was Susan's idea.  Clearly I'm a shallow thinker - I like her plan much better.  The scenery was a step down from the coastal views to which we'd both become accustomed over the past week or so, but we knew that was coming.  It was still pretty country, just not dramatic and sweeping in its vistas.  So on with the pics...

Susan, having apparently become enamored of these "action shots" took this one as I departed for the day's ride from Otis.  I look at it and delude myself that I'm a svelte hill climber.  As the reader likely realizes, reality always intervenes upon encountering the first hill.

The first prolly twenty miles followed the Salmon River upstream.  For the first 15+ of those miles it was no big deal.  The slope was 1-2%, which is pretty tame.  It was very clear and was the best part of the ride today.  Cool, shady, - you know the drill.

This is a better shot.  But as is always the case with following rivers to their point of origin, it grew smaller as we worked our way uphill.  This of course, portends something like...

The reader should ignore the halo effect.  The Good Lord happened to be offering me suggestions on improving my pedal stroke when I came upon this sign.  I hated to interrupt for a pic, and while I may have been communing with Heaven at the time, these signs are usually the first indication that the Believer is approaching the gates of Hell.  Oh well, you know what they say about the road to Hell.  Apparently its paved with both good intentions and bad tarmac.

But after suffering thru the biggest hill of the day (nothing compared to yesterday, BTW) there was a good bit of downhill and eventually a relatively flat valley - where the Sequoia saw this field of...something.  Neither of us knew what it was.  Reader?

There was also this.  The loggers in this part of the state need to talk to the loggers along the coast.  Here they plant the trees in nice straight rows to make felling them easier???  Oh - and speaking of loggers...  today was an official Oregon holiday.  I believe its referred to as Logging Truck Wednesday.  Because...

I was passed by a ton of these today.  They were going both directions; loaded and empty.  To quote Brian Regan (look him up on YouTube) "Ya-know, you'd think that if they have logs over there...and they need logs over here...a phone call would save a whole lot of trouble."

Unfortunately, the State Holiday doesn't exempt logging trucks from physics.  Dunno what happened here, but I came upon it just before turning South on 99 for the final leg into Monmouth.  When I inquired of the O-DOT guy flagging the wreck he told me the driver had survived but was pinned inside for a while.  I said a quick prayer for him.  Then, "Move along.  Nothing to see here."  (A little cop lingo there.)

There was also this.  WHEAT!  We felt at home.  Used by permission of Susan Schoen Photography, LLC/

There were also many fields of tall grass.  Occasionally I'd see one that had been mowed.  Again - I presume as fodder for cows.

The final six miles into Monmouth were on a paved bike path.  I suspect the sheer volume of traffic got the state to install it in order to keep bikes off  99.  Fine with me.   I tire of vehicles roaring past - not that there's much to be done about it.

Ah yes, me arriving in Monmouth.  Taken thru the windshield of The Rig with an I-phone 6s and used by permission of Susan Schoen Photography, LLC.

And finally, some bonus pics.  One of which is by demand...

The reader may recall that in an earlier post I only placed one pic of the "Big Guns", but asserted that I'd include more if I received sufficient requests.  I did.  Thanks Chuck.  I believe this is known as disappearing artillery piece.  It would swivel up to fire, then back down below the barricade in order to avoid incoming fire.  It didn't prove particularly effective as the accuracy of naval gunfire increased and such artillery is no longer in use. I have more, but will defer to my daughter's wishes in this matter as I have to spend four days with her in Breckenridge long before I'll have a chance to get with Chuck again.  Sorry buddy, vote with your feet...

The reader may also wonder why I have a pic of Jim from REI in the today's post.  That's because when my old Garmin 810 (which model had apparently gone the way of the Dodo bird according to Garmin when I called) died today, I ended up talking to Jim at the REI store in Salem.  They had ONE of the new 830s remaining in stock and he held it for me.  A 16 mile jaunt later and it was all mine - for the piddling sum of $400.  Ouch.

Oh yes, the member's $40 rebate is going to Kelsy and Parker since Susan and I aren't members.  So - Kelsy - if I apologize about needling you with Mom making potato salad for me, would you give me my $40???

And lastly there is this...

This pic was taken near Astoria.  I've been waiting to get it included in a post when we had better cell service.  So - here it is.  Susan was quite enamored of these large white flowers, they look like lilies to me - hope she's not standing on someone's grave.  Dunno where she got the life sized bobblehead to put next to them for scale, but c'est la vie.  And that's it...

Until next time.