CO Day 6

Day 6 – September 16: Powers to Riddle

“Stairway to Heaven” (85 miles)

This is a quintessential Oregon forest ride. Climb gradually under a shady green canopy, alongside a boulder-strewn stream, then turn toward the sky for a sturdy climb past waterfalls, before smoothing out for a glide into the aptly named Eden Valley. After lunch the major climb of the week awaits, but the serene surroundings offer a worthwhile trade-off. And it’s (nearly) all downhill after that, including an amazingly smooth run-in that follows Cow Creek for miles of pick-your-pace pedaling.

Well, the description of the ride said something about being "nearly downhill" for the last 25 miles or so, but I want to add that there was a wicked headwind slowing us down and taxing the muscles in our legs - so don't you go thinking it was a breeze!  Here's a glimpse of a small portion of camp in Riddle at the end of the day: