Long Distance ... Rain

Miles: 88.03
November Total: 221.09
Rides in the Rain: 4

I have been wanting to do a new route - the Mt. Sheridan Route. It runs north from Salem up to Carlton. Then west toward the coast to the crest of the Coast Range. There it turns south on Bald Mountain Road toward Willamina and then back to Salem. Distance is around 100 to 110, depending upon the starting location. I intended to ride this last Friday, but the weather was just too rough.

So, last Sunday, Keith Kohan (team member on RAO Speedwagon) left Salem at 8:30 am. Because the Wheatland Ferry was closed due to high water, we headed south and cross the Willamette River in downtown Salem. There was a strong tailwind which blew us up to Carlton where we made a quick stop for fuel.

Keith is a very strong rider, much stronger than me. I know he was matching my speed; I was not matching his.

From Carlton, the climbing begins. After a couple of bumps, the route is almost a continuous climb from 150 feet to 2900 feet at the Mt. Sheridan Viewpoint. There, we did not see much as we were inside of a cloud. So far. the weather had been nice to us. Rain and wind were forecast, but for the evening. We were hoping to be back in Salem before the storm hit.

But, it just started to rain as we left the viewpoint. The descent was on a narrow, one lane, paved road covered with fallen leaves. As such, I kept my speed down and this gave me the opportunity to view the forest on each side of me. Most of the fall colors were fading, but the Vine Maple were still spectacular! Bright yellows beaming out of the dark, wet forest greeted my eyes.

Then, just in front of me, a White Tail Deer jumped out of the forest and pranced along down the road in front of me before leaping back into the forest. Ah, life is good.

But, Keith was no longer behind me when I check my mirror. No worries I thought, Keith is a very experienced rider and can take care of himself. Besides, I was having too much fun to stop. I decided to wait for him at the next junction.

As I descended, the rain increased to a light shower and I could begin to feel the cold. Because I was coasting down the hill, my body was no longer generating heat. In addition, the wind chill was causing me to feel the cold. My fingers felt the brunt of it. My gloves were now wet and my fingers began to really feel the cold. But soon I reached the junction and stopped.

While I waited for Keith, I ate a Paley Bar and then warmed my hands inside of my pants. Funny, Keith should have been here by now. The rain was picking up as I waited, and waited. Something was wrong. I had waited over fifteen minutes and Keith was still not there. After ten more anxious minutes, a car came down the hill and I waved it to stop. I was told that Keith was about four miles up the hill and walking his bike. Oh no, something was really wrong. I saddled up and started climbing the hill looking for Keith.

I found him four and a half mile up the hill. Just after we left the viewpoint, he ran off of the road (for no reason he could remember) and broke the connecting rod between his handlebar and front fork on his recumbent bike. As such, he could not even coast down the hill.

Just then, a pickup truck stopped and offered to take Keith down the hill to Willimina and back into cell phone territory. I turned around to head back down the hill intending to meet him in Willamina.

By now, the rain was falling hard and it was very cold. Soon my fingers chilled again, to the point where it became painful. While descending, I had to brake and even this became hard. I was very glad when I reach the valley floor.

At Williamina, Keith was no where to be found. And I was not in good shape either. I went inside the local restaurant, Coyote Joe's. I was cold, I was wet, and I did not have enough daylight left to ride back to Salem. I called for rescue and friend Tom Tilque came out and picked me up. I finished the day with under 90 miles but nearly 5500 feet of elevation gain.

In the future, I need to pay better attention to the weather forecast. But more importantly, I need to pay attention to people riding with me. If they drop off of the radar, I need to stop and find out why. The day would have been much better if I had.

Posted 8:37 PM by John Henry