A MonkeyFace, and Some Clean Monkeys

Short Version:
Rode bikes, drove over mountains, hiked cool rocks, got clean

Long Version:
Woke to dead salmon on the beach and a reinvigorated wind from off the mountain*, which made breaking camp a fraught endeavor. Hit the backroads through to Post Canyon, where we found more fantastic riding than a) we could shake a stick at and b) we could cram into a day, especially with tired legs ready to complain at the first hint of up.

Having said that, the Seven Streams trail up from the parking area was a fantastic ride; smooth, fast sections broken up by interesting features**, trending uphill but not a grinding climb. We reached the grinding climb not far past the Family Man Staging Area, which was a low-height stunt park in which we could - and possibly should - have spent more time playing before getting mildly lost and then changing our ride plan after a long chat to a friendly local (Hi Duncan!). Heading for the trail named 8-Track, we climbed the forest road. For ages. It was steep. Legs were tired. There was sweating. Janine waited for me at the top, which was quite nice of her.

And then down. Fast. Sweeping corners and tight switchbacks, bypassable jumps and a few mandatory features. 8-Track was great!

Post Canyon reminded both of us of SummerHill near Tauranga, but with more trails, and older. We'd originally thought to hit a bunch of other trails to the north, but we were knackered, so we blasted back down Seven Streams to the parking area, packed up, and set off up the mountain, to Timberline Lodge. (We went via Bennett Pass, atop which - at 4647ft - we saw a couple of cycle tourers, having a well-deserved rest. In the rain. We gave them a cheery wave as we drove by).

Apparently the views from Timberline are spectacular. We, of course, saw nothing, as the lodge was completely encapsulated in cloud. Cool place though. Built in the 1930s as part of a government job-creation scheme, in 2010 it's being renovated, as part of a government job-creation scheme. Parts of The Shining were filmed there, although I don't remember a gigantic octagonal room with a multiple-fireplace, nor a wooden table-tennis table, nor any vaguely hobbit-style architecture featuring in that film***. We did a bit of sneaking around, looking at things which we probably weren't supposed to****, and then left in search of somewhere both warmer and cheaper in which to spend our time and money.

The place we found was called Skull Hollow, and it was a high desert campground. Still cold, but not as bitter as it'd been up in the mountains. We heard coyotes in the hills, and the sound of the wind over the sage bushes*****. Then we heard our late-arrival camp-neighbours appalling music******, and our other late-arrival camp-neighbours' voices, then we were the last ones awake, playing a game by the sun-bright light of the Coleman gas lantern.

Rather than ride again the next day, we drove to Smith Rock State Park, and hiked the buttes and mesas for a couple of hours, because that's restful. The place was pretty spectacularly beautiful, and it was really nice not to be on the bike! Saw eagles' nests, lots of falcons, and an enormous rock shaped like the head of a monkey.

Then we found the showers, and we danced a happy little dance, and we sung a happy little song, and we got in and got wet and got clean. For the first time in a LONG time. And it felt GOOD.








* = Mount Hood, in this case. It's a bloody big hillock, apparently, as are Mt St Helens, Mt Bachelor, Mt Adams, Mt Washington, the Three Sisters, and all the others in the range that runs up through Central Oregon and Washington. We've driven up them, ridden bikes on them, even slept on them, but have we seen any of them from a distance as anything more than a snow-laden foothill capped with cloud? No, we bloody well haven't.

** = Rocks and roots, and a fair few bridges, some of which were spectacularly skinny and enjoying a variety of strange twists and turns. Thankfully, all of these were side-by-side with a nice, safe, normal bridge.

*** = Having said that, I`ve never actually SEEN that film.

**** = If they really meant "Employees Only" they'd've locked the doors

***** = which Janine thought smelled like wees

****** = Kind of like Auckland's George FM (ie wanky cafe background music). Interesting couple to stare at (like people-watching, but without any subtle) - the woman danced around the place while the bloke set up camp and cooked dinner