Until this trip we had no clue that there was a place
in Oregon named Rainbow. But this is where our ride
for the day would end and we would pitch our tent for
the last night of Cycle Oregon.
This ride could have been renamed the ride between two
rivers. Most of the path followed the Middle Fork of
the Willamette River or the South Fork of the McKenzie
River. The water and the beautiful forests that
surround the banks made for another perfect ride.
Everything was so green and from the road the
diversity of plant life could be seen from our tandem.
We noted that the sword fern and maidenhair ferns
co-existed nicely with the other vegetation. We
could only imagine how this stretch of the course
would look in Spring when the trillium and dog-tooth
violet were in bloom. Maybe we will have opportunity
to return some day and see in person.
The road itself was a nice gradual incline until the
lunch stop. Preceding lunch about five miles, we
climbed 8.4% grade until we reached the top peak
(3,131 feet) . After lunch, as we followed the
McKenzie River it was all downhill. Out of
necessity, we had to stop and cool our brakes. We
found that warm breaks make great hand warmers. The
coasting after lunch left us a little chilled. Later
on we discovered that some riders actually tucked
cardboard boxes in the jerseys to block the wind on
the decline. This trick we would have to remember
for later rides.
This part of Oregon was so incredibly beautiful that
it is hard to describe in words. Pedaling in the
midst of such beauty made it easier for us. At one
of the rest stops earlier in the day, I over heard
another biker say that this latter part of the trip
was about survival. On reflection, I noted that the
energy level and eagerness had mellowed over the week
and that we were relaxing and enjoying the beauty of
our surrounding more than focusing on "getting there".
However, we did note that as much fun as we were
having, we were ready for a break.
When we reached Rainbow, we walked under a rainbow of
balloons that were anchored with gold painted rocks.
We found our bags and pitched our tent near a
semi-truck on the edge of the camp. This would
guarantee we were close to the bag drop in the
morning. (the truck we camped by for the night)
Our dinner conversation this night was the best. A
seasoned C.O. couple sat across the table from us and
shared their wisdom with us. They were just like us
the first year--not knowing what to expect, under
equipped, focusing on speed instead of enjoyment.
They shared how their thinking had changed---staying
warm is key, going a good pace, taking time to really
enjoy the scenery. What drove the man's point home
was one phrase: "So if a biker pushes to go a couple
of miles faster on a course, over the day he might get
into camp thirty minutes earlier, but his body really
pays for the speed." We could relate because our
pain set in after racing others and pushing hard the
day we spent in Cottage Grove. The next two mornings
were slow moving. Our dinner friends advised us to
dress warmly and go a good pace so that we could enjoy
the scenery of the ride. The other golden piece of
wisdom was to sign up for the porter tent service.
That way, the tent is set up and the bags are
delivered to the tent. We wouldn't have to spend so
much energy after the ride doing these things.
After dinner, the entertainment was a female vocal
group who sang folk songs, many of which sounded Irish
in origin. We listened from the warmth of our tent
until we fell asleep.
Statistics for the day: 65 miles and 3,300 ft. gain
in elevation
Weather: Cloudy with the threat of rain.
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