Late Arrivals

I finished Vegas qualifying then got talking to Jayne on the phone when Ross, Jen, JoJoe and Levi walked through the door. Cleo went defensive, already determined to prevent intruders from entering this new place we were in, but she soon calmed down when she saw Jen. The boys were in bed pretty quickly – they’d all had a long day of driving. Jen and I had a lot to catch-up on so we got it all out of the way right there and then. It reminded me of me and Vanessa getting all our Tesla frustrations out before enjoying a weekend away. It felt great for both of us to let everything out of our systems before having a good time.

Funner

I was up before the rest of the house to walk Cleo. Snow! The rain had turned into white stuff and sprinkled maybe an inch over the ground. When we were back, we said hello to Levi properly. He was happy to see us and already talking way more than when I’d last seen him. He’ll be four in February.

Once everyone was up, we all went to the back area of the condos to be in the snow. JoJoe taught me how to catch a baseball using a proper glove and we tested our our throwing arms. With the snow still falling lightly, we took a tour around the Sunriver village. Sunriver is a resort-style town just south of Bend and had a lovely holiday feel to it. We hit a coffee shop and posted up on the “Friends” couch by the fire sipping on hot chocolates and coffee. This would become our daily routine over the next week, hitting a different coffee spot each day and I loved it.

Back at the house, it was time to plan the day’s activity and Ross was keen for some mountain biking because the conditions (just above frozen) were just right. The drive up to the trailhead was very snow covered and I was started to feel underdressed. When we turned into the park, I saw a pump track in the middle of the lot and my eyes widened. This is the spot where I rode my bike, Scottie, for the very first time! The last time I’d been in Bend, I bought my bike and these were the trails where I decided Scottie would be my ride of the future. How cool! I was bringing her home!

Another family showed up and rode off before us, meaning we’d missed out on fresh tracks by five minutes. The snow-covered trail was untouched apart from their tyre marks when we hit it. With Levi tucked into his trailer under a blanket with snacks at the ready, we were off. Funner was the trail.

This was my first time back on the bike since my crash and my knee was very stiff, probably not helped by the cold. I was grateful for JoJoe and Ross riding with the trailer because it meant we weren’t going full-tilt. After a mile or so, riding felt fine, but I didn’t want to risk a fall and it would be easy to do on snow.

As Ross suspected, the snow was the perfect texture. It was still cold enough that it hadn’t turned to muddy slush but not too cold that we rode on top of it like ice. Our tires crunched in nicely giving us grip where we needed it.

Halfway down, we got our fresh tracks. JoJoe and I were stopped waiting for Ross and Levi and when we heard them coming, we yelled out, “FRESH TRACKS!” This was going to be good!

We didn’t see anyone the whole way down Storm King and Cash on Delivery. JoJoe and I switched out taking turns getting the fresh tracks and started yelling as we went on a rollercoaster ride through the berms. This was Bend at its best.

We rolled out into a carpark then cruised along a tarmac trail into town. This was when Ross and I got to have a proper catch-up, pedaling along the flat talking shit about life and SSRL. All the while, JoJoe was out front riding no-hands which scared both of us as we started crossing roads, but we all survived.

Once in Bend, we rode along the river and despite the cold and cloudy conditions, it was nice to see so many people out and about either walking their dogs or just themselves.

We found Jen at a coffee shop studying. When we tapped on the window, she joined us at a table outside. The sun had poked through so we were able to soak up its rays before it dipped below the nearby houses. We ate our sandwiches and had a couple of beers.

Back home, I’d been talking up a big Vegas show and the boys were keen. I was impressed that JoJoe had remembered some of the finer details of F1 from the last time we’d watched and I was sad to tell him that his boy, Checo, wasn’t having the best season.

The race was a blinder and I was happy to watch it with friends. JoJoe was genuinely interested in the racing and asked a bunch of questions, Jen and Ross were interested in the show and couldn’t quite believe the spectacle before their eyes and Levi didn’t last long. I’ll have to work on him when he’s older.

Tiddlywinks

This morning’s coffee stop was a bit of a walk away. I’d been cold yesterday so got out the snow pants this time and ended up too hot. Typical. Coffees/hot chocolates in hand, we toured the nearby hardware store and came out with some warm socks for me and a frisbee for the team.

Back home, we rallied for another ride. Cleo was happy to enjoy some couch time after all the driving so she happily let us go. We drove up to the same trailhead as yesterday. The skies were clear which meant it was a lot cooler, but there was way less snow on the road.

There were quite a few people at the trailhead so there’d be no fresh tracks today, but that didn’t matter. It was a Monday and obviously when the locals come out, explaining yesterday’s quietness because most tourists aren’t game for snow.

Tiddlywinks was our path today and its beautiful flowing berms through the forest were magical. Further down into the forest were some gorgeous zero-consequence jumps which I enjoyed hitting, even if it was only moderately. It was just perfect. Neither JoJoe or I could keep our mouths shut the whole way down. We were whooping and hollering like the twelve-year-olds we both are.

We joined onto Storm King and COD and did a carbon copy of yesterday’s ride into town. The town was noticeably quieter and we found Jen in her usual spot at the coffee shop. We locked the bikes to the car and sat inside this time since it was later and there was no more sun to be had.

We had a late lunch/early dinner of pizza, fried chicken and squash rings. It was a perfect post-winter ride warm-up. By the time we left I think JoJoe could finally feel his toes again.

Back home, I played my first Magic the Gathering card game with JoJoe. He’s an expert and it was a steep learning curve but he was a good teacher so I persevered and think I might have understood about half of it by the end of the night.

Sun River Tour

After taking Cleo on an early morning walk, then for another tour with the family through the village, it was a Jen-ride day. She’d been studying hard for two days and it was time for her to get into holiday mode.

Ross knew where we were headed and said it was dog-friendly so Cleo came along. A ride with the whole family! The day was warming up nicely as we prepared to leave and Jen and I both had the same look on our face in the carpark – to wear the shell or to go without? We both left them at home and it was the perfect decision.

We rode away from our place, waving goodbye to Berta and looking like the model outdoorsy family.

Sunriver is a network of bike paths so we didn’t share the way with a single car as we did a tour of the area. We left the neighborhood pretty quickly then toured around the regional airport where people had houses nearby with sheds for their planes! Oh, how the other half live.

We were following the river then and while it wasn’t the main event (Sun river), it was a nice babbling brook to ride alongside.

When we came across a section of river that was iced over, I was stoked that we stopped. Turns out the Arthurs like throwing rocks onto frozen bodies of water too! Levi got out of the trailer to join the fun and everyone managed to keep their shoes dry while throwing ice and rocks out over the ice.

Onwards, we rode into the nature center and walked our bikes by the enclosures. The owls housed there fluffed up at the sight (or maybe smell) of Cleo. Their wide eyes tracked her every move and she seemed intimidated by it. They are such beautiful creatures, it was serene to see them so clearly and up close.

Sadly, the nearby observatory was closed and any night tours we might have been interested in were booked out solid. No matter, we’d already proved we could make our own fun.

As we approached the SHARC recreation center, Cleo was slowing down and Levi was keen for some out-of-trailer time so we stopped in at the park. Cleo had a lie down while us kids played around climbing and making shapes in the sand pit intended for Bocci ball. Our AirBnB gave us passes to the SHARC place and Ross confirmed their open hours for later.

Having done an eight-mile loop, we got home and made some lunch then we grabbed our swimmers and went off again, in the car this time, to go swimming at SHARC. I know Cleo had enjoyed the ride, but I’m sure she was happy to be getting a long nap.

The SHARC indoor pool was 84*C which was nowhere near warm enough for any of us. Still, we played around playing volleyball while Levi mastered the slide. Us adults took turns ducking outside to warm up in the hot tub but alas, kids were not allowed. After two hours, Levi was properly shivering, physically displaying the cold that we all felt, so we departed.

At home we filled up on crackers and cheese so didn’t need dinner. As a special treat, we watched the “Home” movie which was an Arthur family favorite and a new one for me. It was a beautiful story with just the right amount of humor. It also gave me a couple of new songs to enjoy.

JoJoe and I had time for another round of Magic before bed and I bloody won!

Bend Tour

After our usual morning routine, Levi helped me to feed Cleo breakfast, then we loaded up for the day. The one-up made it easy to get four bikes onto the back of the Mazda. With Levi’s trailer in the boot along with all our riding stuff and our bodies, we were full up!

There was a slight threat of rain, but that didn’t scare us, it just meant we wore our shells. We parked up near the town center and started touring along the river together. As we bumped along a rocky trail, we looked forlornly across the water to a busy path that did not allow bikes. It was easy enough for us with suspension but Jen’s bike wasn’t made for the rocks so me and her split off. We climbed a short hill then met up with the boys a little bit further down the trail where things had smoothed out.

After a few miles, we found ourselves in the old mill district, which is a gorgeous down town area. The old mill was now an REI store and we all went in for a look. I wasn’t interested in the merchandise but the historical factor was great. They’d left a lot of the mill’s infrastructure in place which gave it a great feel.

Across the road, there was a huge fire going outside a pub and we fancied a drink sitting by it. JoJoe and I went in to enquire and was surprised to find the place near-empty. On the day before Thanksgiving? They must be doing something wrong.

I got us a round of drinks and some chippies and we posted up to enjoy the fire’s warmth and watch the comings and goings of townfolk and tourists. The kids soon became our entertainment when I challenged JoJoe to see if he could get himself upside-down in a ring statue across the grass. He did a bloody good job of it, then Levi had to have a go.

With the sun determined to stay behind the clouds, after a bit more riding, the cold was getting to all of us. The boys and I corrected that temporarily by having races around a park pathway but it was time to be inside for a bit. We rode back to the car and I marveled at Ross’ skills as he mounted the handlebars on his bike, Levi in tow not able to tell the difference.

Back home, we had a snack, I took Cleo on a walk and we just hung out a while. Before it got dark, it was ice skating time. Of course the village had an ice skating rink!

I opted out due to my knee, knowing that a fall on a hard surface would suck. It was good because I really enjoyed watching everyone. Ross tried one lap with Levi on his feet, but he soon got him in one of those plastic frames so that he could push the little kid around.

He was loving it. Jen and Ross made it look pretty easy and JoJoe was down to a t-shirt in a flash he was putting so much effort in. He was getting the hang of it after an hour or so, or at least trying harder because he fell a few times.

Everyone was happy to get out of their skates which hadn’t quite fit anyone properly and at home, it was time to make apple pie. Ever since I’d mentioned It, Levi was determined to be involved so he was with me every step of the way. JoJoe was involved too, rolling out the pastry and decorating the top. When JoJoe asked me where the recipe had come from, I laughed, I was making it all up! With friends this good, the stakes were low. It didn’t matter if it was a total flop.

Happy Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving day started off like any other day that week – our coffee walk. Of course Thanksgiving doesn’t stop the coffee shops.

Since we were near a ski hill, we had to do an activity involving snow so tobogganing was the order of the day. But this was no ordinary tobogganing, this was Arthur-style.

We stopped in at Mount Bachelor for a look. Opening day was supposed to be tomorrow but there’s no way that was going to happen. Ross looked and they’d pushed it back two weeks for the obvious reason that there wasn’t nearly enough snow.

Despite that, there were heaps of tracks on the mountain from people hiking up and we kept an eye on a snowboarder at the top of the nearest peak hoping he’d start carving a line down the snow. When we kept dawdling, hoping to see some action, Jen pointed out that we were looking at a tree.

No sledding or tobogganing allowed at the mountain so we drove on and found a sweet spot up in some trees by a sno-park. It didn’t look like it had much promise but it turned out to be super special.

I expected to just watch the kids riding down the hill in their toboggans, but oh no, Ross was down on his knees building a berm within minutes. JoJoe and I started our own venture and built a racetrack.

From the log-start, it went into the Sketch right-hander, onto the Mazda straight, then into Cleo corner, through the Ford esses and to the finish line. We did multiple practice runs, beating the snow into form if JoJoe rode over the top of the berm. When we were satisfied, we let Levi loose.

Jen was the catcher, me the starter, JoJoe and Levi the riders and Ross the race director. After a couple of safety car laps, the race was on. Levi enjoyed each ride better than the last and Jen was getting good at throwing the toboggan up the hill at me as the boys walked up to the top for each ride. When I asked, Levi gave me a ticket each time to buy his ride and counted me down for a push. “1, 2, 3, PUNCH IT!”

After many runs down the racetrack and through Ross’ berm, we decided to combine the two for the ultimate ride down. It was perfect and the “Bachelor berm” maintained speed brilliantly, even if Levi was spinning around while going through it. Typical Ross construction – it was perfectly engineered.

JoJoe, inspired from watching the Vegas grand prix, said we needed a commentator and so I obliged, doing my best David Croft impression calling the action as I saw it. What a hoot.

With the kids exhausted, us grown-ups each had a ride down, going over the top of berms and getting sunken in where the kids had sailed along. We left hoping that someone would come along and enjoy what we’d built. If the weather got below freezing overnight, imagine the reduction in lap time!

Back home, it was time for some Thanksgiving cheer. Jen was in the kitchen, JoJoe and Ross were outside making kindling from the firewood we’d bought and I was playing cars with Levi. We sat down and ate a beautiful meal together, made special because everyone had contributed to it. We enjoyed every bite but Jen’s stuffing was my favorite.

The apple pie was, if I may say so, absolutely sublime. Hot out of the oven, everything about it was perfect and I wasn’t the only one to think so. For Levi though, it became his worst enemy. He touched his piece of pie with his thumb and held it out crying that the pie had burned him. Poor bugger, after such high expectations, I think it really shocked him.

After dinner, it was the fire show. I rearranged the chairs in the living room to point away from the TV and towards the fireplace. JoJoe arranged the wood and got it started and it was soon crackling nicely in the hearth.

When it dwindled, we put on another family favorite movie in Frozen. “Let it go…. Let it go…!”

Smith Rock & Moonlit Funner

I took Cleo out for a decent jog knowing she’d be home alone most of the day then we put the bikes on the Mazda and dressed for hiking. It was a clear day and bloody freezing.

We drove about an hour away to Smith Rock, stopping at a huge thrift store on the way for some Levi pants and we walked out with half the shop. It was a great bargain bin and we all found something we liked.

I’d been to Smith Rock before for a quick look but this would be my first time doing any exploring. It was a stunning place and I’d hate to see what Spring and Fall is like because the walls were packed with climbers. Hikers too! Every carpark was pretty much full. Most of the crags were south facing so the sun must have made it comfortable for everyone but my hands hurt just looking at them.

We geared up, locked the bikes and walked along the rim trail to watch the climbers. We stopped at a bench to eat some lunch and I felt like a proper expert answering JoJoe and Jen’s questions about the climbers. We even whipped out Mountain Project to see what kind of grades people were climbing.

Levi had a fall off the bench and banged his head, but he came good after a lot of hugs from Mum so we were ready for a proper walk. Poor Mum had a stack then, tripping over an errant rock and grazing her hands before we even got to the trailhead! Levi was very concerned, but Ross sorted her out with some first aid and she was soon on her feet again.

Once we’d descended into the valley, we walked up Misery Ridge, tempted by the potential views. There were some climbers on this side too but not as many as on the main face. Ross carried Levi most of the way on his shoulders and Jen stopped halfway up, content to sit in the sun and soak up the view while we arrived on.

It was freezing cold in the shade so we were happy to be ascending, keeping us warm. At the peak, we were surprised to find it wasn’t windy and so sat a while to enjoy the scenery. There was a river cutting through the landscape and some modest farms dotting the flat land.

JoJoe was desperate to go a bit higher so while Ross and Levi descended, we ventured a little further up a climber’s trail and got to the “top” where we enjoyed 360 degree views and found two more JoJoes up there! (I taught JoJoe how to do a multiple-appearance panoramic photo.

We didn’t linger too long because I knew Jen would be getting worried. Once we were back on the gravel trail it was easy going because it wasn’t too slippery under-foot. Thankfully Jen was still in the sun by the time we reached her and she’d found Ross and Levi.

We walked back down into the canyon then up the other side. Levi was keen to walk now so he held hands with me and Ross as we climbed the steep stairs back to the top. With the walls now fully shaded, I was amazed the climbers stuck with it. It was just as busy as it had been a few hours before.

Back in the car, the drive back to Bend went quickly and Ross, aware that we’d brought the bikes all this way, was keen to get one last ride in. Sounds good!

It was 27*F at our familiar trailhead and Levi sensibly decided to stay with Mum. That meant we’d have speed. Our biggest decision now was which trail? There was no more snow on the ground and we opted for Funner. It was a completely different experience!

We switched the lead multiple times and JoJoe pointed out the spot where I’d taken a photo of Scottie in the snow where we first got fresh tracks so I took another to compare.

What a great trail, it was absolutely brilliant in the fading light. Jen had parked at the mid-way carpark in case it was getting too dark for us but we decided to finish and go onto Cash on Delivery.

A quarter of the way in, vision got very challenging so I lead most of it to give the others someone to follow. JoJoe didn’t quite understand the concept of teamwork and safety in a situation like this and so when he took the lead he shot off leaving us behind. We just hoped that he was still on the trail because we didn’t have sight of him.

It was properly dark now and if we hadn’t had a full moon, I think we’d have been walking. My brain was working so hard with my eyes scanning side-to-side for any hint of a trail that I was exhausted by the time we clambered into the car.

Jen was happy to see us all back as we were to get in the car and get our hands warm. With my brain relaxing, I realized just how cold my extremities had become.

It was so worth it. Back home, we had yummy Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner and watched Frozen 2 as the evening’s entertainment.

Bonus Day

I was up at 7am, knowing we had some cleaning up and laundry to do before 10am checkout. Just before I stripped my sheets, Jen said that the AirBnb host had given us the option to stay another night for free and suggested I take advantage. I immediately said that they should all stay another day, but no, she had work to do and wanted to get back.

By the time I’d walked Cleo, she’d changed her mind. We were on for another day in Bend!

After breakfast and another coffee walk, the bikes were on the car and we were back at our trailhead. It was -11*C when we left the house so I went full down-jacket, I didn’t care if I did a bit of overheating on the few climbs.

Having done Funner twice, it was time for a second run down Tiddlywinks, then Storm King all the way down for something different. A few hundred meters from the trailhead, we came across ice and I came around a corner to find JoJoe on the ground with his bike and I only just managed to stop and keep mine upright. Ross came up behind me and did the same. Haha, this was Bend winter riding at its best!

Maybe it was because this was a bonus day, but this was the magic run for me. Storm King was a brilliant trail and Tiddlywinks a second time was perfect. Levi may not have shared my sentiment because he napped at the start, then proceeded to eat every scrap of food we carried the rest of the way down.

JoJoe was complaining of cold feet as we got onto the tarmac which wasn’t a surprise! Ross and I talked more shit as we cruised down into town, a familiar ride by now. The best talking we do happens on wheels.

To give Jen more time to work, we decided a pub crawl was in order. Our first stop was a brewery that had a huge fire out front. We ordered a round of beers and chippies and commentated on the traffic going through the nearby round-about. Red cars were Levi’s mates, blue cars were mine and white cars were Ross’ (typical). We lost count of the amount of Sprinter vans we saw but none of them looked as good as Berta.

Riding along a little bit, we found another brew and round of chippies at “Prost!” Which got us talking about F1 heroes of the past. JoJoe might turn into a proper fan yet! By the time we’d finished there, Jen was ready to go so we rode over to meet her and had another round and some dinner there. Nice food, but nothing compared to our Thanksgiving spread. It felt good to be warm on the inside and out.

At home, we’d missed the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony but we all took Cleo out for a walk to check it out. The skating rink was crazy busy so we were happy we’d done it earlier in the week.

JoJoe and I finished out the night with two rounds of Magic the Gathering. I won the first in only a few hands but then JoJoe put me in my place.

Goodbye Family

Now it really was checkout day. The house was a flurry of action all morning with laundry running, packing and cleaning going on simultaneously. Having not started Berta in a week, she stared right up and I let her run for nearly an hour to defrost the windscreen and get a proper warm-up.

Ross helped me make the bed and mounted Scottie into the bike drawer for me. It was so cold inside the van that my temperature sensor didn’t even register with a number and the water system was frozen (not surprised). On the plus side, all those flies that had come with me from Idaho were toast. I’m sure I’ll be finding their carcasses for weeks.

And just like that, it was time to say goodbye. But not for Levi, he didn’t want to say goodbye because he wanted me to stay. Nawwwww. I hugged everyone, thanked JoJoe for the cards, Ross for the riding and Jen for everything. What a special family, I’m so lucky to have them.

Cleo got up on her platform, ready for a return to “normal life” and we watched the Arthurs drive away. Hopefully the sound of Berta’s loud horn cheered Levi up a bit.

18 – 26 Nov, 2023