Day 41: The McKenzie River Valley; There's a Rainbow at the End

August 11, 2015

Notes:

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2.) Climbing Today: 1,557 ft Total So Far; 94,180 ft

3.) Average Speed While Biking Today: 11.3 mph

4.) Mechanical Issues Today: none

5.) Miles Traveled to Date on This Half of the Journey: 214

6.) Miles Remaining to Canon City: Approximately 1,786

I was up at 4:30 and rolling at 5:40 this morn. My route today was south from Harrisburg to Coburg (just north of Eugene), and then east along the McKenzie River to a motel in Rainbow (near the town of McKenzie Bridge). As I cycled south towards Coburg, I was lost in thought and enjoying the cool early morn with no other traffic on the road when a lamb bleated as I rode past; it startled me! Courageous guy I am, huh, scared by a lamb. In the pre-sunrise light I could see the foothills of the Cascades looming in the distance.

Willamette River Valley, Cascades in the Distance

I always love old barns, so here are a couple;

The sunrise finally caught up to my morning, shining brightly as it poked out over the ridge shortly before I made it to Coburg.

A very neatly stacked dry-mortar rock fence is the nicest looking fence I have seen that is being used to hem off real cropland from the roadway.

Rolling into Coburg, I'm transitioning from the Willamette Valley to the valley of the McKenzie River. I know Oregon is a liberal state, but I’ve never encountered a stop sign like this one in Coburg.

Wow - I Knew Oregon was Liberal, But it Seems as Though Even Stop Signs are Optional

The sign seems to be saying “stop if you want to, but you don’t have to if you’re turning right.” I was turning right, but I stopped anyway so I could snap the pic. This sign warns drivers that bicycles are on the roadway;

How do they know that? Are bicycles ALWAYS on this roadway? I doubt that. More crashes are caused by motor vehicles than by bicycles. Why is it necessary to warn that bikes are on the roadway and not warn that other motor vehicles are also on the roadway? Such signs always seem silly to me, it's like they are saying "Ok, now you should pay attention." Shouldn't you always pay attention while driving? The forest along the McKenzie River is lush with old growth and undergrowth.

Dense Forest Undergrowth in the McKenzie River Valley

Honey, I found the cabin we want. Now I just need to win the lottery.

Honey, I Found our Cabin! Now If I Can Only Win the Lottery

I haven't seen a mailbox like this since Missouri.

I Haven't Encountered One of These Since Missouri

And here I am reflected in a mirror set up to help the sideroad drivers see oncoming traffic;

My Reflection - Surely There's a Philosophical Point Here Somewhere?

There's probably some clever philosophical thing to be said about reflecting on life, but I'm currently running about a quart low on philosophy. The Cascades are ever present now, and the McKenzie River Valley also has a lot of agriculture.

Farms Continue into the McKenzie River Valley

I met Jordan, a solo cyclist who started from Yorktown, VA on May 26th and is now within a few days of completing the continental crossing.

My route through Coburg skirted the north side of Eugene and took me through some scenic rural areas before arriving in Walterville and the junction with highway 126, which is also known as the Mckenzie Highway. Someone in Walterville must have been very confused if they thought this was traffic congestion.

I bought a poppy seed muffin and orange juice at the food market in Walterville, and asked the lady cashier if there was a restaurant nearby. I had cycled 29 miles at this point, and with my frequent photo stops that meant it had been 3 hours since I had my “1st breakfast” of cheerios and a plum, so I was ready for “2nd breakfast.” She told me there was a restaurant to the west about ¼ mile away “right before you cross the bridge.” I was headed east, so I didn’t want to waste effort going west, but a tired/hungry cyclist isn’t going to worry about ¼ mile out of the way. Big mistake. I found the bridge she referenced about 1.5 miles away, but there was no restaurant. So I crossed over the McKenzie River (thinking that perhaps she meant it was “right before the bridge” if you were coming from the other direction; there was no restaurant within ¼ mile of the bridge, so I crossed back over the bridge and was going to give up, but I noticed a farmer’s market off to the side and decided to inquire there. But you couldn’t just leave the road and get to the farmer’s market; you had to travel a bit up the main road and then double back on a side road, and so I did. By this point I was committed and determined to find this $%#@! restaurant. The nice lady at the farmer’s market told me that there was indeed a restaurant on the other side of the bridge, but that it was about ½ mile away; I just hadn’t gone far enough. So I rode back on the side road to the main road, then crossed over the bridge again and proceeded about ½ mile down the road and Voila! There was “Patsy’s Stage Stop” café, and I triumphantly entered to claim my prize of eggs and hash browns and sausage and toast; and it was fantastic! When I finally managed to get back to where this run-around had all commenced, I had added about 5 miles to my day. But my tank was full and I was content, so that’s something. Rolling upstream along the McKenzie River, most of the river views were blocked by trees and foliage between the road and river. The McKenzie is a mountain stream that is just indescribably beautiful; no words can paint that picture. The sun was glistening off the water, there were numerous shallow shoals that created little falls, and the deeper sections were so crystal clear that you could easily see the bottom. In the harsh sunlight my feeble photography attempts couldn't do it justice, but here are a few shots of this amazing river;

The McKenzie River is a Gorgeous Mountain Stream

The McKenzie River Moves Swiftly Downstream

You Can See the Rocks on the Bottom Through the Cold Clear Water

I was a bit surprised to discover this dam at Leaburg;

At Leaburg, the Only Dam I Saw on the McKenzie

I'm cycling uphill all day today, moving upstream along the McKenzie. But the grade is so gradual that it's quite tolerable. The Mckenzie has cut a swath through the Cascades for me, so I'm actually traveling through almost all of the mountain range today and doing so rather leisurely for a cyclist traversing through mountains. When I reached the town of Vida, I had a craving for ice cream, so I made a stop at a general store and claimed my prize of an ice cream sandwich. Sitting outside on a picnic table I had quite a few folks asking me about my adventure. Most of these folks were vacationers, as this area is a tourist haven for folks hiking the Cascades and rafting down the McKenzie. Rolling onward, this was my path ahead;

My Path Today was Constantly but Gently Rising as I Rode Upstream Along the McKenzie

There were numerous little streams and falls along the roadside.

Small Waterfall Near the Roadway, One of Many

As I neared my destination for the night, the mountains were closing in.

The Mckenzie River Valley Has Led Me Gently Uphill Into the Cascades. Tomorrow the "Gently" Part Ends as I Must Ascend the Mountains to Continue.

I had a relatively easy ride upriver along the McKenzie today, but all things must end and so must this. I've now approached a point where the valley is hemmed in by mountains on all sides, and to continue I must climb up the mountains tomorrow. My destination tonight was Rainbow, OR (see, there really was a rainbow at the end), and I was happy to reach Harbicks Country Inn. When I arrived the owner was outside, and he said "You must be George. Will is already here and I put him in your room." Now where there's a Will there must be a Way, but there's no way some guy named Will should be in my room. The owner laughed when he heard this and said, "Oh, you must be the other George!" Seems that there was another cyclist named George destined for the Inn tonight, and he was traveling with a cyclist named Will.

I enjoyed the nightly special at the restaurant across the street and turned in early. Tomorrow is a big day, and I'm apprehensive to say the least. Tomorrow I climb McKenzie Pass. The climb is 4100 feet higher than my present elevation, and that will be the largest elevation gain I have ever done at once on a bicycle. And my bicycle is about 100 pounds with my gear loaded. I had been cycling on tour now for 4 days straight, and I was tired and hadn't quite gotten my "touring legs" back yet. So tomorrow is special. Until then, good night all...

Today's ride: 72 miles (116 km)
Total: 2,511 miles (4,041 km)

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