I Heart Bend

Again, I’m behind with my site.  One day, I’ll be caught up.  In fact, I’m trying to get this post hammered out soon because after this, I’ll have a full on La Ruta Report to put up!

I went to Bend about 2 weeks ago to hang out with my buddies at MTBR and Cog Wild .  I have been to Bend a few times, but it would only be in 24 hour stints.  I was delighted to get a few days there.

First order of business was to head to 10 Barrel for beers with the crew of about 15 people.  What happens when you get people that love mountain biking and great beer together?  Pure awesomeness.  I couldn’t decide what to get and you never can go wrong with the sampler platter.  Plus, it gives everyone a chance to try a sip if they want!

The next morning, Lev came by in the Cog Wild bus and took us to Nancy Ps for some delicious lip-smacking baked goods to get the day started.  We headed out to (round mountain?) and enjoyed some techy singletrack, a bit of climbing, and big views!

Photo: Steve Potwin

Our Cog Wild guide, Lev.

There was jumping.

Lots of it.

Then, of course, it was back to IPA!

The rain moved in the next day.  We had to change our plans, but I was not disappointed when I heard that we were riding the McKenzie River Trail!  It had been on my list for a long, long time and I was stoked!!!  We got a shuttle to the top from Cog Wild.  It was really beautiful.  I cannot put into words how powerfully vibrant the fall leaves were in the forest.  The hues were brilliant in contrast with the dark skies and the dirt.  All of us were riding in awe and were completely in shock with how gorgeous it was that day.

The enormous waterfall was insane too!

It was one of the most magical and scenic days, and I was so glad to have it with so many people to share it with. After riding in the rain for most of the day, we soaked in some hot springs.  We were chilled to the bone and it felt sooo amazing to get into some hot water!

For dinner, we hit up Broken Bottle Top Shop Cafe for dinner.  They had tons of different bombers you could purchase there and drink from all over as well as a bunch of beers on draft.  Our crew liked that!

I felt really honored to ride with such happy, inspiring people. Special thanks to Francis, Melanie, Lawrence, and Lev.  It was a super fun trip. I can’t wait to come back to Bend!!  Oregon is my favorite state next to CO….and maybe NM! HUGE MEGA THANKS!

The next morning, I had to jet up to Portland to do some shop visits before heading home.  I was home for a few days, and then got on the plane to Costa Rica!