Oregon

The final Cycle Oregon Classic rolls through Oregon this week

Published

10 months ago

September 12, 2023

The final Cycle Oregon Classic rolls through Oregon this week

A chorus of phone alarms sounded at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning in a temporary village at Timber Linn Park in Albany. Cyclists began to stir inside their tents, reaching for headlamps and hats, some already pulling on Lycra tights and jerseys, most stopping by the port-a-potties on the way to a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes.

It’s the first morning of the final Cycle Oregon Classic ride, a seven-day bike tour that has happened somewhere in Oregon almost every year since 1988. The ride this year is taking cyclists between 350 and 452 miles, in a loop that began in Albany on Sunday, going through wine country, to the coast, and back to Albany next Saturday.

Cycle Oregon began as a germ of an idea in a letter to The Oregonian from Ashland innkeeper Jim Beaver. Beaver thought a weeklong ride could infuse rural towns with money, and columnist Jonathan Nicholas, who received the letter, turned the idea into reality.

(The Oregonian is a sponsor of Cycle Oregon and they let us ride along for free this year.)

“They figured a couple hundred people would show up,” Cycle Oregon director Steve Schulz told the crowd assembled in Albany Saturday night from a stage set up in the park, when he recounted the tale of the first ride, “and a thousand people showed up.”

That ride, he said, from the steps of the capitol in Salem to Brookings, didn’t go very smoothly. For one thing, there were no bathrooms or organized food.

“We’ve seen a lot of things change,” Schulz said.

Nicholas stopped running the Cycle Oregon stage show in 2013, and other changes were apparent in Albany on Saturday night, too, as riders gathered for a meal the night before the race began. The ubiquitous and well-maintained port-a-potties. The catered meals. The beer garden.

But what hasn’t changed, Schulz said, is the sense of community, among the cyclists and also within the towns the ride visits.

Every year, each town the ride camps in is a big part of the event, offering space and volunteers and, in turn, getting grants from Cycle Oregon.

Reached by email while he was hiking in the Wallowas, Nicholas, now vice president of strategic communications for Moda Health said, “We had a remarkable 30-year run. People came from every state of the union, from Canada and France and England; from Germany, Australia and Japan. More than 50,000 riders in all.”

“And all of that success depended on the people of rural Oregon, on the warmth of their welcome and the generosity of their spirit,” he added. “At a time when so many in our state were committed to efforts to tear us asunder, Cycle Oregon created a space in which people could come together, share stories, sleep under the stars, marvel at the majesty of this remarkable place we all are so privileged to share and call home.”

Over the past 33 years, Schulz said, the organization has given away $2.7 million to Oregon communities.

According to event organizers, however, the 2023 ride will be the last “Classic,” the seven-day, some might say grueling, ride. Cycle Oregon will focus on gravel rides and smaller weekend and day-long events.

Many cyclists at the 2023 ride lamented the end of the Classic.

“I am hoping that they regroup after a few years and start doing the Classic ride again,” said Mike Broderick, 57, on the bus from the Portland Airport to Albany. Broderick, from Baltimore, has come to Oregon for six Cycle Oregons, beginning in 1999.

“The enjoyment of a week tour is that it is a week; it is a true vacation,” he said.

Flying to Portland for a weekend from the East Coast, Broderick said, just doesn’t make sense.

Broderick is one of many riders who spend multiple weeks in the summer on these week-long bike tours. Events like Ragbrai in Iowa and Ride the Rockies in Colorado take thousands of riders annually on tours of different states. And many people we spoke to thought Cycle Oregon was among the most well-organized of those rides.

But, organizers say, the model of a 1,000-plus-person, 7-day, highly organized and supported event no longer pencils out.

The number one factor, according to Cycle Oregon spokesperson Ryan Barrett, is production costs.

The now dependable wildfire season means that many mobile vendors that have supported Cycle Oregon in the past are going into rural communities to support firefighters in early September.

“We’re competing for that small pool of vendors,” Barrett said, “that’s really one of the biggest logistical challenges that we’ve had.”

This challenge was evidenced by the fact that the ride’s mobile showers this year are being provided by a company out of Minnesota. At dinner the night before the ride, the owners of the company that brings those showers in big trucks said all the more local companies were busy with fire season.

And, ridership is down. What used to be a guaranteed 2,000-person sell-out event, this year, a week before the event, had 1,000 riders signed up.

Why that ridership is down was a question I mulled over as I joined the ride Sunday morning.

Lizzy Acker and a hot air balloon at the beginning of Cycle Oregon 2023.Lizzy Acker/The Oregonian

Sunday was a perfect Willamette Valley day. As the sun rose, a rainbow hot air balloon lifted off in Albany, greeting riders as they rolled out on the well-marked route, through little towns, past fields with cows and horses and corn, the smells of mint and manure mingling.

The cyclists who make up the majority of the riders this year are older, white men. There are younger people, even a 10-year-old rode, and plenty of women, but you can’t miss the glaring demographics. I certainly couldn’t, as a string of men my dad’s age zoomed past me, saying, “On your left,” as they left me in the dust.

The fact that so many Boomers were putting me, a 40-year-old, to shame might be one indication of why Cycle Oregon has struggled to “build a bridge,” as Barrett put it, to the younger generations.

Training for a seven-day ride is a huge time commitment, demanding many hours a week on a bike. That’s the kind of time retirees have, not me, a working mom with a three-year-old. And that’s even before thinking about taking eight or nine days off to do the ride.

One set of demographic-defying riders who were also interested in this question was Seattle couple Susan Heller Evenson, 41, and Erik Evenson, 42.

“It’s hard to get the time off of work,” Heller Evenson suggested at a rest stop on Sunday, as a reason people between the ages of 20 and 50 seemed few and far between at Cycle Oregon.

“Childcare,” Evenson chimed in.

“Mountain biking, cyclocross, gravel cycling,” Heller Evenson added.

Even though they were in the minority, the couple was enjoying their time on the road.

“This is just the right amount of cush,” Heller Evenson said. “You don’t have to carry all your food, which is so nice.”

The couple did a lot of bike touring before their two kids were born, Heller Evenson said, and they wanted to have an active vacation. Now that their kids are 6 and 10, they felt a little more comfortable leaving them with grandparents for the week.

Heller Evenson and Evenson considered doing the Cycle Oregon route by themselves at a different time, but when they heard the 2023 ride would be the last one, they went for it.

Still, they were only able to go on the ride with the help of Heller Evenson’s parents who urged them to go and even helped them pay for it, as well as watching their kids for the week.

Parental support was a big factor also for this year’s youngest rider, 10-year-old Rohan Sastry, a fifth grader at Caitlin Gable, who is riding his second Cycle Oregon with his parents. His first was in 2022, when he was only 9.

“It was hard but fun,” he said, of his first ride, noting the hardest part was one big hill and the bugs.

And while it makes sense that a 10-year-old would be riding with his parents, all of the Millennials and Gen Z riders I spoke with either had the support or suggestion of or were riding with someone’s parent.

My interest in Cycle Oregon also comes from my parents, who did Cycle Oregon in 1993 (My dad also did another one a couple years later). I’ve always wanted to do it myself.

My mom describes the crowd that rode in 1993 as mainly young men in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Some of the same men, likely, who are riding now or encouraging their kids to ride.

But that trickle-down effect hasn’t been enough to sustain and grow the Classic ridership.

Most people I spoke with agree that younger people are being drawn more to gravel events, which take riders to gravel roads with fewer cars. The rides are also shorter, a few days instead of a whole week, making them more accessible to people with families and jobs. Cycle Oregon now hosts gravel rides and weekend rides and women-only road rides.

Those events should continue as the Classic ends.

As I rode through the rolling hills of the valley Sunday, I considered the fact that Millennials have often been blamed for ruining things that we’ve been unable to or delayed in doing because of economic pressure our parents didn’t feel. Dealing with college debt, coming of financial age during the Great Recession and the increased cost of everything has left us struggling to buy a house or start a family, much less find expendable income to focus on hobbies.

At the same time, the culture has shifted in ways that make it harder for people with kids to take a week away from them. Many men are much more actively involved with their children than their fathers were, attempting to take on a more equal share of parenthood, which means they have less time to train for or go on long bike tours all summer.

Millennials are also having kids later, which means when they might be financially capable of spending $1,500 to $2,000 for a week-long ride, and when their kids are old enough to be left for a week, Boomer grandparents might be too old to watch kids for that long. Paying for childcare for a week would be thousands more, if it was even available.

All of that is too bad really, because a fully supported ride like Cycle Oregon, along roads you might never travel otherwise, is an incredible way to see the state and connect with other people.

Instead of worrying about where to go, what I was going to eat or where the next water would be available, on Cycle Oregon on Sunday, all I had to do was ride and make friends.

man fixes flat tire — John Brooks fixes a flat on Cycle Oregon 2023.Lizzy Acker/The Oregonian

And when, about six miles outside of Dayton, my tire started going flat and I stood in the gravel on the side of a road, tears welling up in my eyes, kicking myself for not bringing a handpump to get me to the next stop, a man named John Brooks rolled up on a motorcycle support vehicle and changed my tube for me while telling me about how he’s been designing the Cycle Oregon routes for years.

There is also a benefit, as director Schulz said on the night before the ride, in “bridging the divide” between “Lycra-clad city slickers” and local Oregon communities.

As we pulled into Lafayette, a few miles outside of Sunday’s final destination of Carlton, where wine tasting and showers awaited us, a few gathered locals rang bells and cheered us on.

How would people from Baltimore, Seattle, Boulder and Salt Lake City even know about Lafayette, a Yamhill County town of roughly 4,500? I was born in the Willamette Valley and I am not sure I knew about it before Sunday. But now I know it’s home to some friendly, enthusiastic people.

“I just love going through the small towns,” Kendall KIC said Saturday night, as a cover band played on the stage in the distance.

KIC, who legally changed her name so it is all capital letters, is 62 and currently riding her 19th Cycle Oregon.

“I’m disappointed that people don’t see the value in it,” KIC added, “because I just feel like it’s a wall of money that hits these communities that are desperate for it.”

Hopefully, the Cycle Oregon organization will figure out a way to keep bringing money and riders to rural places in the state and encourage younger adults to join in, too.

What exactly they will do, we’ll have to wait to find out. Cycle Oregon will announce next year’s plans in the coming months.

Shulz certainly sounded like this year’s Classic was more of a beginning than an ending on Saturday night when he told the crowd, before handing off the mic, “There’s some exciting things we’re going to do in the next decade.”

For now, the riders out there are less focused on 10 years in the future than on what is ahead of them this week: A couple hundred more beautiful miles along the roads of Oregon.

women with bike helmets on — HMC riding club at Cycle Oregon 2023. Kendall KIC is second from the right in pink.Tricia George

— Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052; lacker@oregonian.com; @lizzzyacker

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Oregon

Fire crews make headway on McCaffery Fire near Redmond

Published

8 mins ago

July 8, 2024

Press Room

Fire crews make headway on McCaffery Fire near Redmond

The McCaffery Fire was 25% contained as of Sunday evening, according to Central Oregon Fire Info.

Courtesy of Central Oregon Fire Info

A wildfire just east of the Redmond Airport is 25% contained, fire officials said Sunday evening.

On Saturday afternoon, the McCaffery Fire spurred Level 3 “GO NOW” evacuations for an area along the border between Deschutes and Crook counties, including a subdivision in the Powell Butte area. All evacuations have now been downgraded to a Level 2 “BE SET” status, though fire officials urged residents of the area to remain vigilant in case of a change in status or fire behavior.

Level 2 is an evacuation warning, which means there’s a high probability of a need to evacuate. People should be ready to evacuate by packing necessary items and preparing their family, pets and car for potential departure from home.

The blaze has charred 458 acres, according to Central Oregon Fire Info.

“Firefighters caught a few spot fires outside of containment lines today but held all fires at under 1 acre with the support of helicopters cooling hot spots,” the organization reported on social media Sunday evening.

A few local roads in the area remain closed, but Oregon Highway 126 was open. The Redmond Airport, which was closed to passenger airline flights for several hours on Saturday to allow priority use by firefighting aircraft, is open and operating normally.

Wildfire caused evacuations east of Redmond, temporary closure of airport

Although fire crews made progress, weather conditions remain hot and dry in the area.

According to the National Weather Service, Redmond experienced a record high temperature on Sunday of 103 F, breaking the old record of 100 F for July 7, which was set in 1968. Central Oregon remains under an “Excessive Heat Warning” until at least Wednesday evening.

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Oregon

8 Towns in The Pacific Northwest With the Best Downtown Areas in 2024

Published

7 hours ago

July 7, 2024

Press Room

8 Towns in The Pacific Northwest With the Best Downtown Areas in 2024

Carved by glaciers, volcanoes, and dramatic landscapes, the Pacific Northwest of the US, formed by Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, is pure paradise. Its mountains are blanketed by lush rainforests, and the Pacific Ocean is lined by the cozy countryside. Paradisiacal peaks like Mount Rainier and Mount Hood pierce the clouds, while glacial lakes such as Crater Lake and Lake Pend Oreille bring an eternal glow to the valleys. Beyond the jaw-dropping scenery, charming towns offer downtowns with dynamic communities. Ready for an exploration of these gems? Check out these towns where the downtown areas steal the show!

Ashland, Oregon

Street view in Ashland, Oregon, via Nature’s Charm / Shutterstock.com

As the birthplace of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland has cemented its status as a regal arts town throughout the decades. This performing arts venue attracts theater fans and art enthusiasts all year long, sparking a vibrant downtown where lots of restaurants and shops pop up to cater to discerning palates.

After a show, walk a few steps to Main Street or Lithia Way to dig into a symphony of local offerings. For quick bites, you can’t go wrong with Taqueria Picaro; locals especially love their mahi mahi tacos. If you fancy a drink with your group, the go-to in town are Skout Taphouse & Provisions and O’Ryans Irish Pub.

Commemorate your trip and snag a cool memento from the town’s quirky shops. Paddington Station has all things cute for sale, such as handy kitchen items and holiday novelties. When you feel like pampering yourself, indulge in some wellness shopping at Elder Apothecary, known for its line of herbs, teas, and tinctures.

Also located downtown is the crown jewel of Ashland: Lithia Park. This panoramic central park is an ideal place to wind down and just appreciate this town’s undeniable beauty. There is a Japanese garden, a fountain, a pickleball court, a picnic area, and miles and miles of riverside trails for visitors to explore.

Florence, Oregon

Dreaming of a paradisiacal coastal escape with a flourishing community? Florence might just be the haven you are looking for. It’s cradled right where the Siuslaw River meets the Pacific Ocean. The town is home to the otherworldly Sea Lion Caves, which is the largest of its kind nationwide and fosters a thriving population of Steller sea lions.

On Maple Street, the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum is a worthy stop for curious minds. You’ll get to know the origins of Florence and the Siuslaw region at large. The museum also hosts a gift shop if you’d like a souvenir to take home, or you could swing by Ärtêfacts on Bay Street for unique coast-inspired tchotchkes.

Dive even deeper into the downtown area and have a taste of the vibrant locale. For a quick pick-me-up in the day, River Roasters serves an array of classic espresso drinks and specialty coffee. As a coastal town, Florence is abundant with top-notch seafood; head over to Mo’s Seafood & Chowder or Novelli’s Crab and Seafood for the best chowders on the Oregon Coast.

Astoria, Oregon

Close to the Washington border and nestled along the Columbia River, Astoria is another picturesque Oregon town near the Pacific. It’s famously known for the Astoria Column atop Coxcomb Hill; locals and visitors often flock to this site and climb over 160 steps to get uninterrupted city views from the observation deck. If you’re one to enjoy long walks, make sure to include the Riverwalk Trail in your list of things to do in town. You could start up east on Lagoon Road and traverse the 6.4-mile trail all the way to Pier 3 of the Port of Astoria. Along the way, you’ll encounter all that the electric downtown has to offer.

You can make a fun day out of visiting the Oregon Film Museum on Duane Street, and 80s film fans may even recognize the building from the riveting opening scene in The Goonies. The museum extensively showcases all the movies and TV shows that were filmed in Oregon.

Up to 200 local artisans and farmers offer their products to the public at the Astoria Sunday Market on 12th Street; if you love supporting local, this marketplace shouldn’t be missed. Live entertainment and an array of food kiosks make the market extra inviting.

As with most coastal towns, Astoria is brimming with high-quality seafood. If you want some fresh catch (or maybe wish to cook your own!), South Bay Wild Fish House, a restaurant and seafood market in one, might be right up your alley!

Winthrop, Washington

Street view of downtown Winthrop. Image credit MelissaMN via stock.adobe.com

Tucked in the mountains of Methow Valley in Okanogan County, Winthrop is a wonderland that will make you feel like you’ve jumped back in time. The spirit of the Wild West is very much alive in this mountain town; pair that with an ever-blossoming community and you’ve got yourself a fine getaway.

If you’re planning a fun day of skiing, Methow Trails is said to have the best cross-country skiing slopes in the area. For hikers seeking their next adventure, this mountain town is actually a gateway to the lush landscapes of North Cascades National Park. Meanwhile, folks who prefer a more casual hike might enjoy a stroll through Pearrygin Lake State Park.

In downtown Winthrop, the classic American Old West design is prominent. Walking through Riverside Avenue will feel like stepping into a spaghetti Western movie set. For a caffeine fix, Rocking Horse Bakery serves top-tier espresso drinks and luscious coffee cake. If you fancy mingling with fellow travelers or even locals, join the happy hour at Three Fingered Jack’s Saloon.

La Conner, Washington

La Conner, a charming little town on the Swinomish Channel in Skagit Bay, is a peaceful retreat in the Pacific Northwest. It is ideally nestled between Seattle and Vancouver, attracting urbanites looking for a nice break. The town bursts with friendly folks and a laid-back marina lifestyle.

While the town is a great place to be any time of the year, the best time to visit La Conner is around March, for the La Conner Daffodil Festival, or in April when the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is at full speed. The community hosts a few events in support of the festival and the streets are lined with good food and other offerings.

With so much art and culture to discover, curious cats can head downtown to the Museum of Northwest Art for a glimpse into the prowess of artists throughout the region. This creative spirit is also on full display at the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum, which not only celebrates traditional techniques but also offers educational programs to inspire future generations.

Visitors could explore more of downtown’s gems by renting bikes from PNW Exploration on Second Street. You could rummage for your next quirky collectible at Nasty Jack’s Antiques, find a good read at Seaport Books, and gobble on exquisite meals at Nell Thorn.

Leavenworth, Washington

Perched high up in the Cascade Mountains is the wondrous Bavarian-inspired town of Leavenworth. The town center is punctuated with Alpine-style structures that house one-of-a-kind merchandise shops and eateries. For holidayers who like to have a taste of authentic German fare, München Haus serves classic bratwurst and handcrafted brews. Meanwhile, Mozart’s Restaurant is popular for its seamless fusion of European and Pacific Northwest delicacies.

The downtown block, particularly Front Street Park, also hosts a plethora of events and festivals throughout the year, most notably the Christkindlmarkt, Icefest, and Christmas Lighting Festival during the holiday season. Of course, what’s a Bavarian town without a resounding celebration of Oktoberfest?

Outdoor fiends can go up Leavenworth Ski Hill for snow tubing and cross-country skiing in the winter; come summertime, the mountains reveal stunning landscapes and wildflower views ideal for quiet strolls. The town is also home to Leavenworth Reindeer Farm; this attraction is suitable for vacationers with kids as you’ll have close encounters with these marvelous animals.

Wallace, Idaho

Located in the mining district of the Idaho Panhandle, Wallace is known to be the Silver Capital of the World, having produced over a billion ounces of silver since its founding in 1884. Since you’re right in Silver Valley, discovering the town’s roots is a must at Wallace District Mining Museum on Bank Street downtown. For a close-up experience, sign up for the Sierra Silver Mine Tour, where you’ll discover a fascinating underground mine and witness the town’s mining methods first-hand.

Looking to take home something unique? Antique emporiums like North Idaho Trading Company and Johnson’s Gems, Jewelry, & Collectibles have rare and curious finds for all tastes. Browse through their overflowing with one-of-a-kind items and unearth Idaho gold and silver pieces that make the perfect memorabilia for your trip.

Beyond a colorful past and precious metals, Wallace is home to an ever-blossoming entertainment scene. Catch a performance at Sixth Street Melodrama and Theater, the town’s entertainment behemoth for over 40 years. On the same street, you can try local joints like Silver Corner Bar, famous for its pineapple cider, and Blackboard Cafe for some hearty Italian fare in a relaxed atmosphere.

Sandpoint, Idaho

Situated along the banks of Lake Pend Oreille, Sandpoint is one of North Idaho’s premier skiing destinations. It’s home to the legendary Schweitzer Mountain Resort, a stunning mountain with terrain parks and ski slopes of varying difficulties.

For a change of pace after hitting the slopes, head to the dynamic locale of Sandpoint City Beach Park, adjacent to the downtown shops and restaurants. This lakefront park is ideal for afternoon picnics, features a nice, small beach, and even offers boat tours of the lake.

Fancy eating out after your antics with nature? Some local favorites are Joel’s, a homey family-owned Mexican joint in front of the downtown parking lot on Church Street, and Eichardt’s Pub Grill & Coffee, a lively hangout spot serving comfort bar grub amidst live music.

When you feel like shopping for some goodies, this lakeside town boasts bustling mercantiles that showcase local artisans and craftspeople. Come down to Cedar Street Bridge Public Market and check out an array of trendy food hubs, eclectic shops, candy stores, and so much more. At Farmin Park, the heart of downtown Sandpoint, the Farmers’ Market typically opens on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Here, you’ll find an arsenal of fresh goods and produce all waiting to be discovered.

Downtown in the Pacific Northwest

Beyond awe-inspiring natural attractions, the Pacific Northwest bursts at the seams with characterful towns with downtown spots that hum with joy. From Ashland’s celebrated theater scene to Florence’s quirky shops and fresh seafood bounty, Oregon’s towns offer something for every soul. Washington gems like Leavenworth, modeled after beautiful Bavaria, and the time capsule that is Winthrop, with its Wild West appeal, provide otherworldly experiences. Meanwhile, Idaho’s Wallace, a land of fine silver and gold, and Sandpoint, a playground for skiing enthusiasts, complete this selection of coastal escapes. Bring your loved ones for a once-in-a-lifetime exploration of this beautiful region!

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Oregon

Oregon Ducks mourn the tragic loss of cornerback Khyree Jackson

Published

15 hours ago

July 7, 2024

Press Room

Oregon Ducks mourn the tragic loss of cornerback Khyree Jackson

All too soon, Oregon fans across the country received a push notification from ESPN, the NY Times, or another news source, notifying them that beloved former Duck Khyree Jackson had passed.

Jackson became a star for the Ducks after beginning his collegiate career at a junior college and then for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Most recently, Jackson was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

At Oregon, Jackson stood out amongst his peers and was a phenomenal cornerback for the Ducks’ secondary in 2023.

Jackson was beloved on and off the field, which the Oregon football team showed in a tribute video on social media.

💚 pic.twitter.com/igHdJYZ5jg
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) July 7, 2024

Jackson, along with two of his high school football teammates, were killed in what has been reported as a drunk-driving accident.

The Oregon community has shared its devastation on social media, remembering what a fine player and even better person Jackson was.

In his final collegiate season, Jackson earned 34 total tackles, 7 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, and 2 sacks.

Heartbreakingly, Jackson isn’t the only football player that the Ducks mourn. Just a few years ago, beloved tight end Spencer Webb died in a recreational swimming accident just a few miles from campus.

Hug your loved ones and appreciate the stars you get to witness, both on and off the field.

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