Archive for January, 2014

It's easy to get sucked into schoolwork sometimes, and I haven't been on a recreational ride since the term started. Sure, I bike to the store every couple weeks and I ride to school every day, but it's hard to find time to just go for a fun ride. Then, after two weeks of non-stop fog, you get a day like this and can't help but stop studying and go outside:

Photo by Nathan Hinkle.

As soon as I got out of class, I threw some snacks and my camera into a pannier and headed out the door with a friend. We've been wanting to check out Finley Wildlife Refuge for a while, but it's a bit too far for a before-dinner ride, so we decided to head that way and scope out just part of the route.

The air was crisp, and the sky nearly devoid of clouds as we zipped through the scenic Willamette Valley farmland. A handful of cars and the occasional schoolbus passed, but we mostly had the road to ourselves. After turning around, we took a shortcut which ended up taking us past an abandoned barn we recognized from a rambling midnight ride freshman year - a spot we weren't sure we'd ever seen again, having been pretty lost the first time.

We stopped alongside a nearby farm field to watch the sun drop behind Mary's Peak, the highest point in Oregon's coast range.

Photo by Nathan Hinkle

Photo by Nathan Hinkle.

The temperature plummeted as soon as the sun's rays disappeared, reminding us that it was still but mid January. The ride home was quick, motivated by the chilly air. It was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon, and I'm looking forward to doing the full route next time!