Double Trouble

 I rode Double Trouble today.  Double Trouble this year was a 200k, shortened from previous 200 mi versions. This non competitive ride can be ridden as a solo rider, but is best geared to the "ride and tie" event.  My friend Julie joined me today in this endeavor.  She is a self described social rider and was going to be challenged by this ride, and you can't say I wasn't warned.

Beware all Desert Coyotes who enter here!

Despite the trepidations, I started our team off with a good climb on Bakeoven Road. I pushed hard knowing that my partner had parked the pickup at the top of the hill and was now pedaling up the course.  We continued this trading back and forth as we moved our way up the course, that follows part of the Race Across Oregon route.

I rode reasonably hard today.  We got off later than planned, and my partner continues to tell me how slow she is.  I knew we'd do better with more time rather than less. It is a non competitive ride, but that's the official description.  With these folks, when on the road, you don't want to make their passing you easy.  In fact, you don't want them passing you at all.  I didn't stop to take photos today.

We rode a generally uphill ride all the way out to Clarno Summit.  We rode up through Shaniko then had a fun descent into Antelope on the way out there.



 Once to the top of the Clarno climb we turned around and rode back.
I rode the top half of the climb out of Maupin heading west.  The route then took a side trip on Juniper Flat Road.  This was my first time on this road.

There were many scents in the air today, and none more prevalent than along this stretch of road.  Along with the Juniper and sage, there was the aroma of alfalfa.   I also spotted 7 deer and managed to get the phone out of my pocket and get this photo with it will maintaining a brisk pace.

Julie had moved the pickup up to the Hwy 216/Shearer Bridge intersection near Tygh Valley.  I had planned that I would make my climb out of Maupin, the Juniper Flat loop, and the Tygh Valley fairgrounds loop, and catch her before she began the descent to the Deschutes River.

I got to the pickup and loaded the bike and began to chase her down. I was surprised when I did not catch her before the descent, but  not overly so.  I figured I had about a 50% chance to catch her before she started down.  I was really surprised when I did not catch her by Shearer's Falls.  I looked around the portable toilets, figuring she might have ducked in there.

When I got to the bridge I got a strange feeling.  She is not at all familiar with the area we were riding in.  I was hoping she did not make the wrong turn and end up climbing to Grass Valley.  If she did that she was not going to be a happy camper.  I took off along the Deschutes River and with each passing mile I became more convinced that she had made a wrong turn.  My plan was to continue on to Maupin, make sure that someone had not sagged her in because of a flat or other mechanical, fill with gas, and take off toward Grass Valley in search of her.

To my utter amazement I came across her about 1.5 miles from Maupin. She was pedaling like a madman. The social rider had become very much a bike racer!

She communicated to me that she had really wanted to beat me to Maupin!

What could I do?  I let her ride the last mile into Maupin where I got her photo as she finished the ride up.

Her smile of accomplishment was priceless.


  ............road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total Today..........76..............0.............0..........0...........76 Jan...........105.............34.............0..........0..........139 Feb...........428............108.............0.........24..........536 March.........809..............0.............0.........22..........831 April........1010..............0.............0..........0.........1010 May..........1000..............0............20..........0........1020 June.........1500..............0.............0..........0.........1500 July.........1558..............0.............0..........0.........1558 Aug...........531..............0.............0..........0..........531 Sept..........730..............0.............0..........0..........730 Oct............479.............0.............0..........0..........479 YTD..........8136.........142..........20.......46.........8295