It was the perfect day to cycle. We’d had some rest. We were fresh, and the air was cool. We were going to ride up into the forest on a beautiful day.
Life was good.
The route out of town was straightforward for the most part, but Google took us on a circuitous route to an industrial site. Nothing like a little backtracking to keep us on our toes!
Hwy. 66 out of Klamath to Keno was a lovely way to spend the morning. We made a quick stop at the Keno Market and then we went up Clover Creek Road for a good ride into the mountains. Despite the climbing, we kept thinking how cool it was how lucky we are to spend an afternoon rolling through the forest like this.
We both carry about three liters of water each and like to stay hydrated. As the day wore on, things heated up, and we started to run low. There’s nothing out there—no services, no water, no nothing. And it’s very dry. Around 4 o’clock, we reached a point where we needed a break, and when we stopped we could hear a stream. We’ve got a great water filter and it was the perfect spot to refill.
We could’ve pushed on to where we had planned to camp, but we were feeling pretty done for the day, and made camp at this dispersed site along the creek. And we’re glad we did, because this spot was glorious.
The temperatures in October really start to drop in the mountains. It makes for slow moving in the morning. (Knowing we had more climbing ahead of us made that day made it tough for us to get started, too.)
Clover Creek T-bones with a road called Dead Indian Memorial. (Terrible name, right?)
Despite the lousy nomenclature, it’s beautiful up there. And little wonder as the road crosses paths with paths with the Pacific Crest Trail.
We rolled into Lily Glen Campground for a quick lunch and then there was more climbing to get out of the valley.
Cort wasn’t very happy, but she pedaled through it—and did it with class.
The downhill into Ashland was intense. Roadies were zooming down faster than cars. But with our loaded bikes, we took it nice and slow at a proper party pace. The views all the way into town were amazing.
On the way into town, we ran into another cyclist, Tory. She told us to stop into Piccadilly Cycles if we need anything.
The next morning we swung by to get some help with Cortney’s front tire. It had developed baffling leaky sealant symptoms, and we needed some consult—or a new tire. They were great help and hooked us up with some extra blinky lights. (Can’t ever have enough blinky lights.)
That said, if you’re ever in Ashland, check out this cool local bike shop. They’re friendly, helpful, and super awesome.
We spent the afternoon exploring. Ashland is a truly unique town. Not only is it beautiful, but people here seemed super curious and inquisitive. (More than any other place we’ve been to so far.) We’ve been outside lots of places and people don’t even look at us. But we sat on a corner drinking coffee outside Mix Bakeshop a number of people came up to us with tons of questions and we had great conversations. One guy kindly offered us a place to stay. Another wanted to know how he could encourage his wife to go on bike trips with him. And another had been touring across the country for years and was full of cyclotouring stories.
Lithia Park is a a local gem. We loved it.
After our afternoon in Ashland, we rode up to the town of Talent, OR. We stopped at Legend Cider for a quick one and a bite to eat before heading over to our place to stay for the night. The ride was gorgeous through crazy-beautiful pear orchards. We had a great conversation with our new friend and host Rich. He’s got a fabulous Tiny Cabin Airbnb. So if you’re ever in the area, we highly recommend!
The next morning, we said our goodbyes to Rich and rolled into Medford. It was a short, rainy ride along Bear Creek Trail. (We always appreciate car-free pathways!) We stopped in at Forage Coffee to catch up on some writing and to get some shelter from the rain. (Their Dumpster Fire blend is really good.)
Our stay in Oregon was coming to a close. The riding here has been supremely beautiful. The bikeways are first class. And we’ve enjoyed meeting so many curious and friendly people. Thank you, Oregon.
We’re looking forward to visiting family and friends, new places and old as we return to California. Hard to believe Cortney hasn’t been back since we moved to Idaho in 2016.
-Erik
