deCycles Pacific Mountains 2010
Journal Entry
Date: June 18
Day 6: Friday
Departure: Eugene, OR
Arrival: Crescent, OR

Distance: 92 miles
Highlights: Ride through Willamette National Forest and past Lake Odell
Description: Cooooold again!. This is definitely the coldest, most gray, most rainy deCycles trip ever. We’ve worn everything in our duffle bags and then some. It’s difficult to get comfortable. At first after breakfast outside in low 40-degree temps, then you get overheated with all our riding apparel. Then you stop and get chilled. It’s taking it’s toll. The knees and Achilles tendons are turning into mush. At least a dozen riders are suffering Achilles bursitis and at least 14-riders are hurting in their knees. I expect that to go on about 3-4 more days, then things will settle down. It takes about 7-10 days for some riders to acclimate to these conditions especially if they were undertrained. There have been tears. Crying doesn’t help them get up hills. Several riders have found excuses to get in the SAG wagon. A couple are sick with stomach aches, and most every other problem is musculoskeletal in nature. It’s keeping the medical team busy.

Our significant challenge besides 92-miles in cold weather was a 5000-ft climb over 20-miles. It was never ending. But we enjoyed great scenery along the way. We were greeted by a church ready to serve a meal and provide overnight accommodations. It’s a tiny church but we’ll manage. This congregation and minister are extremely helpful and alerted us about road closings in Crater Lake NP. We will have to divert our route due to snowfall in the park. We are hoping to van shuttle as many riders a possible over the weekend in Klamath Falls.

The weather calls for overnight freezing temps. Why would anyone live in Oregon? Their summer is still non-existent.
Climate: Cloudy & cold early. Partly sunny in pm. Low 60s.
Overnight: Crescent Baptist Church