News

5 Comments

Big (Alluvial) Fan of Cycle Oregon — Day Three 2013

Today gave the riders a bit of a break, with fewer miles and a lot less climbing. What didn’t let up was the perfect weather or the spectacular scenery, though the views today were far different. The first climb took us up Wright’s Point, which marks the route of an ancient stream on a large alluvial fan made of volcanic materials (not sure what that actually means, but it sounds impressive nonetheless). After a decent descent it was a long trek through some wide open spaces on the way to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters, a haven for bird watchers and a shady green oasis that made for a perfect lunch spot.

After lunch there was another short but surprisingly steep hill, then a long romp through scenic badlands. Tonight we’ll be camped in Diamond Valley. This is a remote and sparsely populated area (with surprisingly great wireless Internet access). It is so remote, in fact, that it is one of the bast places in the region for looking at stars, which we’ll be doing this and tomorrow evening with the aid of several Oregon astronomy clubs.

Tomorrow is the option day. Some will be riding and some will be resting while taking in local attractions.

Cycle Oregon 2013-33 Cycle Oregon 2013-34 Cycle Oregon 2013-35 Cycle Oregon 2013-36 Cycle Oregon 2013-37 Cycle Oregon 2013-38 Cycle Oregon 2013-39


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

5 Comments

  1. Loving Reading All Here, Thank You!

    A Shout Out To My Older Sister, Kerri
    Tyler(10Yrs) Making
    Me Look Bad..I’m On
    The Couch Now,
    Thinking Maybe Next
    Year I’ll Ride Oregon
    With You All!!

    REST Well, RIDE Well!!!

  2. Syclesuzi says:

    Looks like a great ride! Miss you all and so jealous I’m not there!

  3. From a first-time participant, this year’s Cycle Oregon experience has been exceptional! It’s certainly apparent that the massive crew of staff and volunteers have a well-oiled machine here. That said, contrary to how easy they make it look, I know that this must be a very challenging event to pull-off, as the visible logistics alone seem daunting to the outside observer.

    I am continually impressed by the level of detail that goes into each day’s events –not just the planning that went into the ride route itself (no small feat), but the general orchestration that encompasses all things related to the setup, operation and take-down of a small city. Mind you, this moving metropolis is often far larger than the communities that we call home for an evening.

    And I cannot help but believe that it’s no small task keeping a close eye on the wants and needs of 2,000 unique cyclists, let alone the needs of those communities we visit. To this, I offer a toast to the Cycle Oregon crew for a job well done.

    And to the citizens and volunteers of the fine communities we’re traveling through, a massive thanks for your hospitality, friendliness and open arms to a massive tribe of strangers. Your kindness adds unparalleled color to this journey and I am humbly appreciative for the opportunity to meet you all and experience a slice of your lives, if for just one day.

    Thank you, Cycle Oregon!

    1. Dean Rodgers says:

      Glad you’re having a great time, Jeremy, you picked a fantastic first. Thanks for recognizing the hard work of all the volunteers and communities, they are the backbone of this event to be sure. Hope to see you on many more in the future.

  4. Carol Jo Pettit says:

    Thank you for this interesting blog. Can you tell me if there alluvial fans in So. Ore. Or No. Calif.? We would like to travel to one.
    Again, thanks. cjp