Wow!!!
“Don’t change a thing,” was the general response to the first annual Up & Down on the Cascade Siskiyou Scenic Bikeway on July 23. Clear, moderate weather welcomed eighty riders who climbed the Greensprings Highway and settled in at Tub Springs State Park for a well-deserved breakfast stop featuring eggs, potatoes and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, along with clear fresh water right out of the fountains.
Twelve miles and another several hundred feet of climbing across the Hyatt Prairie brought riders to the rest stop at the Howard Prairie Resort, where they were treated by friendly volunteers to refreshments against the backdrop of the beautiful lake. After only six miles and one more 3-mile climb to the Dead Indian Memorial Road summit, they were treated to a water stop prior to the 13-mile downhill sweep with drop-dead gorgeous views of the Bear Creek Valley.
A delicious barbecue lunch catered by Home State Barbecue in Ashland was awaiting tired riders back at Emigrant Lake, and the pavilion was full with happy cyclists for most of the afternoon.
Out-of-towners were astonished by the scenery, The courtesy of the drivers and the friendliness of the volunteers along the Scenic Bikeway. The ride attracted 80 riders from the Northwest, including about half from the Rogue Valley and 14 Velo Club members.
The Siskiyou Velo Club partnered with the Ashland Chamber, Ashland Parks & Rec and Jackson County Parks to develop and present the ride. Velo Club members volunteered in many capacities, and the ride used much of the Club’s equipment and signs from previous rides. This partnership served to spread the organizational work among these groups, facilitating the effectiveness of outreach, fundraising and presentation.
All in all, the ride went seamlessly; riders vowed to come back again next year with friends, and we made enough of a profit to consider a redo next year.
ML Moore