On to Oregon.

5 days in BC wasn't enough (could NEVER be enough!) but I needed to at least start heading in a homeward direction.

I have lots and lots to say about the riding, the trails, and the bike I rode in Whistler, but until I find time to edit the ~8+ hours of helmet cam footage I ain't sayin' nothin'. In other words, to be continued...

I dumped Skippy at the airport, drove straight through Washington and found myself in the Cascades--in Oakridge, Oregon to be exact.

If you know nothing else about the Cascades at this very minute (NOW!), know this:


Blackberries are off the hook! Whether on road or trail, riotous ripeness accosts you in every direction. I *loved* Montana's huckleberries, but if forced to choose I'd pick the sweet/tartness of the Oregon blacks.

(I blame the blurriness of the above pic on the super-saturation of berry-derived antioxidants in my bloodstream...)

If you can manage to peel yourself away from the berry bushes long enough to notice a trail underfoot, chances are good it'll look a lot like this:


And if you can somehow coerce your pseudo-guide to slow the hell down for one cotton-pickin' minute, you might find yourself admiring views akin to this:


And all of that would be damn fine, in my opinion.

Not quite sure what to make of this:


Guess I'll have to come back next year to find out...

On to Nevada!

MC