Aug 21 (Day 233) - I feel like I got run over by a steamroller.....

This is just a quick entry since today was very quiet. I spend the day recovering from yesterday's incredibly challenging ride and hike. Today was the weakest my body has felt all year - hands down. I tried to get the energy and motivation to take a short ride this afternoon, but I just could not do it. My legs felt like bricks. I was only able to totter about the woods near where I am staying looking for common woodland species. I am actually amazed at how quiet the area is from a bird standpoint. There simply just isn't much going right now. I did see/flush several more Ruffed Grouse, and I was able to add Pacific wren for bird #523. This is a very common bird around these parts. It was added without much dedicated effort!

Pacific wren habitat - no photo of the bird.

400 5.6 w/o IS is useless in here!

Tomorrow I am going to make a very concerted effort to find Sooty grouse in and above Rockport State Park right down the road (~8 miles) from where I am staying. The only real kicker is that I have to climb 3000' in 6 miles once I reach the birding area! That's a 10% grade, on dirt - UGH UGH UGH. It will probably take me 1.5-2 hours to ride those 6 miles. I may just opt to ditch the bike in the woods and hike it instead. Hiking it will take about the same length of time as biking going up, but it will take 2 hours to walk back down versus 20 minutes to bike down. Decisions, decisions.....

OK, that's it. I am going to bed super early to let my body recover to the best of its ability tonight. If I can get the grouse tomorrow I am done with climbs specifically for birding. The only climbs will be the smaller ones between birding areas from then out. Fingers crossed for the bird!

Tomorrow's challenge - then I have to ride 40 more miles

to where I will probably stay.