Today’s ride was without a camera so, unfortunately, no pictures.

With the unsettled and slightly wet weather in western Oregon the past few days, much of the brownness is returning to green! So many visitors whine about rain and then return home to perpetually scorched earth, tornados, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, etc…I’ll take the cool rain and wonderfully green hills any time!

Yesterday I had my first physical exam in a ‘few years’ and returned to the lab this AM to have a fasting lipid panel drawn. My doctors office is about 17 driving miles away so I decided to get a nice bike ride in and avoid the inevitable weekday traffic.

Now, I don’t routinely recommend a hilly, 45 mile ride following a 12 hour fast but, for those without blood sugar issues, it certainly isn’t terrible. Other than a morning cup of tea, I headed out about 9 am after eating nothing since a snack at 9:30 pm last night (cold pizza from dinner at the Dundee Market!)

Since there isn’t any reasonable way to avoid climbing the over the Chehalem ridge, I decided to head along our favorite ride, up Bell Rd, past the old Gibbs cemetery, then down through Sherwood. After my blood was drawn I headed straight to the closest Panera Bread for my brunch, their Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich. That tomato basil bread is fantastic!

The return trip found me doing a 1000 foot, 6 mile climb up past the comm tower atop Parrett Mountain and the 2.5 mile partially paved descent. The upper sections of Old Parrett Mountain Rd and all of Schaad Rd are gravel and fairly steep so careful attention must be paid. I don’t think I’d enjoy doing this in reverse.

I’ll be working 2 of 3 days this holiday weekend so another ride tomorrow is necessary. Next weekend Janet and I will head out for a 3 day tour of the Willamette National Forest between Blue River, Oakridge and Dexter, OR. These towns might not be in the general consciousness of touring cyclists but the riding can’t be beat and the weather should be perfect.

Enjoy the ride,

Jay