Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Ashland

We made what was essentially a three-hour stopover in Ashland, Oregon, so Geoff could run with famous people ... Hal Koerner, Kyle Skaggs' brother, et al ... I guess Ashland is a mecca for ultrarunning. It's not hard to see why. It's dry, warm but not hot, and the trail system is amazing.

My time window for riding was fairly short and of course I started out having no clue where I was going, but I managed to find a Pacific Crest Trail access route. First dirt singletrack of the year! Yeah!

Holy cow, I'm rusty on dirt. At least I was never very good to begin with. I have a feeling I'm going to be dusting myself off a lot this summer.
Add another town to my ever-growing list of "Places I Could Live."



8 comments:

  1. Mike In WI say's

    I love Ashland, the people actually greet strangers with hello instead of a sneer like in Portland.

    Mike In WI

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are making me want to go back to Oregon.

    "Up in Oregon" sounds like a great name for a blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, Rougue Valley Runners is Awesome!! I was only in Ashland once, and only to run for awhile and I loved it

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey Jill,
    Glad you enjoyed Ashland. It is a cool town - lots of good restaurants to be explored. Good for you out riding dirt. Just so you know, now that you're in the lower states - technically, you're not allowed to ride a bike on the PCT. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen (I've done it too), but you could run into conflict with people who want to quote the rule. Too bad, cuz there is some good riding on the PCT.

    ReplyDelete
  5. One is reminded by the photos and the comments how narrow and cramped Juneau's terrain is by contrast with the coastal regions to the south. And the insufferable cramping of the irredentist trail walkers. A tasty dilemma for one thinking of "cities I could live in" used to wielding a bicycle with impunity.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Awww.. I miss dirt! Things are drying out pretty quickly here in Anchorage though.

    I found a short stretch of dirt trail and I know what you mean about being rusty. I felt a little vulnerable without all that snow to catch my fall!

    Good luck in your travels!
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'd like to live there too... that place is amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ashland is great except it has no ocean...(I went to college there). By the way, you're missing THE BEST weather in Juneau that we've had in a few years. Supposed to be 70 tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete

Feedback is always appreciated!