Here Comes Spring

[Andybg]

The sun is out and the roads are starting to clear of snow and ice. About another week and I think I will be back out on the road with the bike.

Planning on getting some good mileage in this year with futher tours of Bulgaria and hopfully later in the year down into Greece and Turkey.

I have a world tourer coming to stay in about a week through warmshowers who has been held up for a few weeks in Romania with the bad snow and two broken ribs due to a fall so hoping to tour across Bulgaria with him from the Romanian to the Turkish border.

Have just bought some new "low cost" panniers for the front and back of the RST to see how I find it touring and the snow tyres (Conti Ice spiker) for the Nomad have just arrived in time for the snow melting - but hey that is life. Will get pictures up in the gallery once all is fitted.

It is great to be at the start of a new season. Have been running a lot over the winter so hopefully the fitness should still be there.

What plans do you all have for 2012- As every year it will be a great year for biking.

Andy

[Danneaux]

Welcome back, Andy!

Glad to heat things are thawing at last in your part of the world; you surely had a cold one this year!

Your plans sound wonderful, and I wish you all the luck. I have a feeling the Touring Bug will be hitting you Big Time, and we look forward to tour reports from you and piccies, of course! Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey are dream destinations for any cyclist, and it's terrific they'll soon be a reality for you, Andy! Best of "healing" luck to your injured friend, as well; broken ribs are no fun.

As for me, I'm planning for three tours to take one, after being stymied by weather-related delays on my preferred route last year. If all goes well and the passes are plowed in time, I hope to depart Eugene in early-mid June for an all-Oregon tour, making my way over the Cascade Mountains, followed by the Ochocos. From there, on to the Painted Hills of Oregon before turning north and east to the Hells Canyon overlook and Joseph before heading south through Burns Junction and a crossing of the Alvord Desert before looping 'round the southern end of the Steens before a climb to the summit and Kiger Gorge. Home will see me returning along the spine of the Cascades.

If that doesn't work, then alternate routes are from here through the Owyhee country of far-eastern Oregon and a transit of Leslie Gulch
/or/
Over to and through the Owyhee and then down into NE Nevada with a repeat transit back through the Black Rock desert into northern California and again home via the fire trails and forest roads along the spine of the Cascades, revisiting the Diamond Peak Wilderness Area, a longtime favorite back-country touring area for me. Old slide scan (attached) shows my father at age 73, pushing along with a flat at 2042m on a tour we took in that area, 21 years ago. That's a hundred-meter dropoff between the trees to his right.

Best,

Dan.