C2C Day 4-We Knew it Would Be This Way

I’m sitting in the Albany Amtrak Station, finally warming up. There’s time before my train to let you all know how the final day of the C2C tour went. So, sit back and be glad you weren’t here today. 

We got a little lucky in that it didn’t start raining until the middle of the night, but it was raining from then on. I told Bob and Thomas that my plan was to leave by 8:00 or 8:15 at the latest, and if they weren’t ready, I’d be leaving without them (not because I wanted to, but because I had a train to catch). Those boys were ready to go at 7:30!!!

Almost ready to go!

Sly is ready. I kept the piece of Tyvek over the seat for as long as possible. 

I’d sort of been dreading this day since Day 1 of the trip. It was not going to be easy, and the rain didn’t help. All the ups would be downs, and all the downs would be ups. 

It was a nice ride along the valley until we got to where we turned off the road to follow the C2C route at the beginning of the muddy singletrack. 

Beyond the gate lies the overgrown double track to the singletrack, and the beginning of the big climb for the day. 

I did okay for most of the double track. When I stopped just before the beginning of the singletrack, for some reason, Sly decided to drop his chain, and get it thoroughly stuck between the chain ring and the frame. Finally had to turn Sly over, and Bob was able to “finesse” it loose. Then, we started walking up the singletrack. At points, I was able to ride for very short bits before having to get off and push again. My feet were immediately soaked…often sucking into the mud as I tromped my way along the path. Because I was walking, I managed to see this little fella. 

Newt or salamander??? Actually, I ended up seeing a total of six of the little fellas, and I didn’t run over any of them!

Going back up the switchbacks with slippery mud underfoot was especially fun! Have I mentioned how I am NOT A MOUNTAIN BIKER???

First switchback just around the corner. 

Mountain bikers could ride this…probably. I could not. 

Funny thing though, even walking up, it almost didn’t seem as long as it had coming down. However, it definitely took more time (no duh). 

Thomas in the center of the photo, a couple of switchbacks below where I was. 

I was finally back to the double track, and was then able to ride. Each different section, while I could not have said, this or that section is next, when I came upon them, I remembered being there on Monday. That was reassuring. 

I stopped to wait for the guys at the trail info kiosk at the other end gate. 

Looking from whence I came. 

Looking to where we would go (fortunately, we did not have to go up the road to the right). 

Before too long, here came Thomas, followed closely by Bob. Thomas thought we were about halfway. I laughed, and told him we were only 7.8 miles in…not even close to halfway, and still quite a bit of climbing to do!

We got back to Slot Pouch Rd intersection and continued climbing. It was so steep, we all ended up walking. I hollered back to Thomas that I remembered when I came down this, I was thinking it was going to be a beast to go back up! At the top, I was able to get back on, and then rode the entire remainder of the climb to the highest point of the C2C. 

C2C Summit!

I waited quite awhile for Bob and Thomas. It was quite windy, rainy, and very cold. Once they arrived, I told them if they could, it would be better if they didn’t stop, because now it was a long long downhill, and they would get even colder if they stopped for a break. 

By the time I got to Hwy 20, I was freezing cold. At the intersection of 20 and Woods Creek Rd, I waited a good 10 minutes, but I was shivering so bad, I decided I needed to get moving. 

Hwy 20 was unpleasant. There was a ton of traffic, including several log trucks (when I was going, maybe because I was later in the day, I didn’t encounter a single log truck). My rain poncho was whipping like mad! There was, mostly, a good shoulder though, so I just kept grinding along. 

I came into Philomath, and stopped at the turn onto Applegate St (and back to the actual C2C route…Hwy 20 was a detour due to a closed section of the route). Once again I waited. While I was waiting, one of those little rolling robots went by me. This one even had a “head”. When it rolled by me, it swiveled its head, blinked its “eyes”, and did a little chirping beep. I watched it cross the busy road, amazed that it didn’t get smashed to bits! I would have taken a photo, but my hands were too cold to be able to get my glove off in time. 

I just couldn’t wait any longer, so I continued on, hoping the guys were okay. I retraced my route through the rest of Philomath, and on to Corvallis, doing the same bike paths as before. There was one confusing part where the rout marking on the corner said I could go straight or left (I had come from the left on Monday). I thought, maybe I was supposed to go back the other way, but when I started that way, my Garmin said I was off route. I went back, and continued the other way. Garmin was happy then. 

I made my way back through the covered bridge, and on through the OSU campus. When I reached the beginning of the route, at the park, I asked Garmin to route me back to Albany. I knew most of it, but didn’t want to make any wrong turns in my frozen state. The way it wanted to route me was not the way I had come. Since I really needed to get to the train station, not just Albany, I went the way I knew I had come. In time, Garmin recalculated, and took me all the way back the way I had come. 

By the time I rolled into Albany, besides being frozen, I was starving. Just where I was turning onto the road that the station was on, I spied a Subway. That would do nicely!

After I parked Sly, I tried to get my helmet unbuckled so I could take the poncho off. I couldn’t do it. My fingers were too cold. After trying several times, a you g woman was walking by, so I asked her if she could please unbuckle my helmet for me. Sheesh!!!

I had plenty of time, so I ate and warmed up some before riding the last bit to the station. Once at the station, I rolled Sly in, got his “Unstaffed Station” baggage car tag, then changed into dry clothes before preparing everything for the train. I was really quite surprised that I was pretty dry under the poncho. The only parts that were wet were my legs from the knees down (and soaking wet feet), and my hands and wrists halfway up my forearms (which was from having my hands/forearms sticking out through the slits on the poncho so I could still see my Garmin). Everything else was amazingly dry! The poncho really did a good job! After Monday, I had decided I was going back to rain pants and a jacket, but now I’m thinking I’ll stick with the poncho, and just wear my long gaiters. 

After taking everything off Sly (also took the handlebar bag off…because I forgot I didn’t have to), I took my towel and wiped Sly down a much as possible so I’m not handing a dirty bike up to the baggage person. 

This was an interesting and challenging route. I have to give major kudos to the whole group! I did get a message from Bob saying they made it back, and that they were as frozen as I was. I think we were extraordinarily lucky to have our two middle days be beautiful weather. Today’s ride would have still been challenging, but better if we weren’t freezing cold!