Oregon 2012

Thursday, Sept. 13 -- Sisters to Rainbow -- 50 miles

Smoke and ice:
Cold temperatures overnight tamped down smoke from the Pole Creek Fire
over the town of Sisters,
and froze the morning dew.

We were warming up on the McKenzie Highway, a very gradual climb at first, when Deb called to confirm plans to pick us up later in Rainbow.

Entering Willamette National Forest at McKenzie Pass, about 15 miles into our ride. The round tower on the righthand side of the road is Dee Wright Observatory, constructed
in the 1930s from lava rock on site.

Summit! Elevation 5,325 feet.

Dee Wright Observatory

A U.S. Forest Service employee gave a fire update. The Pole Creek Fire was not threatening the road, but firefighters couldn't contain the western edge of the fire as it climbed steep terrain.

We got away from the smoke as we descended from McKenzie Pass and got a clearer but more distant view of Belknap Crater.

At Highway 126, we turned toward Eugene and kept going downhill.

Deb & Ferenz picked us up at Finn Rock, about 5 miles
down the road
from Harbick's.

The four of us had a delicious dinner
at Bruno's Chef's Kitchen in Eugene.

Sisters Motor Lodge

The "sea of lava" as we approached
McKenzie Pass was a surprise to us.
Three major lava flows about 1,500 years ago covered more than 50 square miles.

Because of the smoke, we could barely see the Belknap Crater and Mount Washington
in the distance.

The 7-minute road biking video on this page shows the route we took, but in springtime.


	Dee Wright Observatory

Views from Dee Wright Observatory:

Belknap Crater

Two of the Three Sisters: North Sister (left) and Middle Sister (right). South Sister is shy
and is hiding behind North.

From McKenzie Pass, we descended about 22 twisty miles to Highway 126. Woo hoo!
The road has 19 switchbacks and we stopped several times to let our wheel rims cool off.

Back at Harbick's in Rainbow,
where we had started the previous weekend.
Three cheers for the ice machine!