April 15: Adventure on Lookout Point Lake
What an adventure! I decided to take the new baby on some dirt and gravel to get some experience before heading to Iceland. What an awesome day. I did learn an important lesson though – don’t stop the bike suddenly on loose gravel just because there is a great photo opportunity!
I headed south past fields and farmlands on a mild, partly sunny day to fortify myself at my favorite bakery before tackling some dirt and gravel roads around Lowell, Oregon. After a great bacon ciabatta breakfast sandwich oozing with creamy cheese and runny egg yolk, I crossed over the interstate on Cloverdale Road and took the back way to highway 58. From there I traveled east past Dexter, crossing over the Dexter Reservoir into Lowell at the Lowell Covered Bridge.
From Lowell I headed east on West Boundary Road for what turned out to be an amazing adventure on dirt and gravel and through mud as I wound past one scenic vista after another. The road starts out in the city of Lowell as asphalt and then quickly turns to loose gravel as it passes the reservoir and wraps itself around the bright blue waters of Lookout Point Lake.
After a busy week at work, it was delightful to breathe in the fresh mountain air of the Willamette National Forest, catching one bright blue vista of placid waters and orange-brown dirt banks after another through thickets of tall evergreen trees. The smooth blue waters of the lake were framed by beautiful green valleys and the white snow-capped tip of Diamond Peak. The bike bumped and jostled over dirt and gravel and handled well overall.
Unable to find a pull out on the windy, one-lane road, I impulsively tried to make a sudden stop in the loose gravel at one particularly scenic spot, causing me and the bike to hit the ground. My foot was trapped under the bike, and I managed to carefully pull it loose. However, try as I might, I was not able to get the bike upright on my own in the loose gravel.
A couple in a four-wheel drive vehicle stopped to help lift the bike and suggested I turn around as the road east was in poor condition. I briefly considered taking their advice but thought to myself “if I can make it up to the Arctic Ocean, I’ll be darned if I’m going to turn around on my way to Westfir.”
Sure enough, as I headed east, I encountered a variety of challenges. Several sections of road were covered in water, muddy potholes were liberally littered across the lane, and I encountered a few hair-raising downhill sections covered with rocks. After traversing all the north side of the lake, I passed Sweeney Creek and Buckhead Creek and made my way into Westfir where the road turned to asphalt again.
The ride home on pavement was restful and uneventful, giving me time to reflect on how grateful I am to have both a Harley and a Honda and to be looking forward to many more adventures to come.
