Tragic Beauty

In southeast Oregon there is a fabulous day ride (Diamond Loop Tour). Although this loop is promoted as a driving tour, Kat and I encountered only a dozen vehicles as we pedaled through the high desert on mostly unpaved roads.

We encountered an historic round barn, amazing volcanic formations, and plenty of bird life. Landscape that appeared stark and barren at first glance, became a kaleidoscope of colors, as the sun played hide and seek with thunderclouds.

Late in the afternoon, Kat noticed something on the edge of the opposite side of the road and crossed over to investigate. What she found was tragic and beautiful at the same time.

It was the body of a Great Horned Owl. This magnificent bird had apparently been hit by a vehicle during the night or early that morning. (In college, I volunteered at the UC Davis Raptor Center. Most of the injured owls convalescing at the center had been struck by vehicles.)

We marveled at the beauty and complexity of the bird's feathers. Although Great Horned Owls look enormous, adults weigh only two to four pounds.

We placed the body further off the edge of the road, and pedaled in silence for awhile.

It was yet another encounter made possible by the vehicles we were riding. We would have zoomed by in a car. And bikes are owl friendly! As far as I know, there has never been an owl fatality caused by a collision with a bicycle.

(A side note: If you have a rodent problem and live where owls (and/or other predators) hunt, please reconsider using poison. Studies have shown that 60 to 80 percent of Great Horned Owls tested had rodent poison in their system.)

Photos: Southeast Oregon -- 2011 by Kat Marriner/Willie Weir

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SIGHTS AND SOUNDS appears on Friday afternoons. Willie Weir is a columnist for Adventure Cyclist magazine. His latest book Travels with Willie: Adventure Cyclist will inspire you to hit the road and just might change the way you approach bicycle travel. He lives in Seattle with his wife Kat. You can read about their local adventures and life without a car at http://YellowTentAdventures.com/.

Next Thursday -- Is Your US Representative a Cycling Supporter?

If you follow national transportation policy, one thing is clear -- federal investment in non-motorized, active transportation (aka biking and walking) is under siege. Next week, on Thursday, February 2, the transportation committee of the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to consider long-term legislation to fund transportation -- and the draft they will review completely eliminates all programs dedicated to biking and walking, including transportation enhancements and safe routes to school. These programs have been remarkably effective (and inexpensive) in spurring a cycling renaissance and more transportation options -- yet unlike every other major form of transportation, only biking and walking are targeted for complete elimination of their supporting programs.

If this concerns you and you want to take action, here are two options: (1) find out if your Member of Congress is on the House Transportation Committee and urge him or her to support an amendment to include bike-walk funding in this bill (here's an easy-to-use alert -- hit the "Take Action" button); (2) keep an eye on our blog or the America Bikes' website and you'll find out the status of the bill as it moves to the full House of Representatives (probably later in February -- here's a helpful timeline of the planned Congressional schedule). At that point, you'll be able to write and call your Representative, asking them to support the small but vital investment the federal government makes in active transportation for people of all ages.

Thanks for your interest and for taking action to make America a more bike-friendly country.

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JIM SAYER is executive director of Adventure Cycling Association.

Atlantic Coast Section #4: Great Loop Tour Option

Looking at the Adventure Cycling Route Network as a whole -- all 40,000+ miles of it -- can be a bit intimidating so it's important to remember that a significant journey need not mean pedaling a high number of miles. Our network has 94 map sections and many of them have possibilities to help you ride that shorter tour.

For example, using the Outer Banks Alternate found on the Atlantic Coast Route section 4, a route of manageable size can be created. The Outer Banks is rich in history, deluxe in water views, a number of lighthouses and is a popular tourist destination in general with a good amount of services. There are a  couple of ferries to ride so you'll need to coordinate your riding times with the ferry schedule.

Spring can be an excellent time to ride there as the temperatures are moderate and traffic a bit lower than summer. Fall can be more of a gamble weather-wise because they often experience tropical storms at that time which can develop into hurricanes. In fact, last year Irene closed portions of NC Highway 12. Current information on the recovery efforts for that highway can be found on the NC-DOT website.

Starting and ending in Jacksonville, North Carolina, gives you a loop with a total mileage in the neighborhood of 450, that can be ridden in 8-10 days with an average of 45-60 miles per day. If you want to shrink the distance further, Tours Specialist Paul Hansbarger recommends the North Carolina Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation website, "There are also some other routes and resources through NC-DOT for making smaller loops in the Outer Banks. They have free cycling maps available through their site."

Logistically speaking, you could fly into Norfolk or Wilmington and shuttle to a starting location closer to your intended route. Or the smaller regional Ellis Airport -- located 12 miles from Jacksonville -- has jet service through a couple of major airlines.

What area of our route network are you interested in creating a smaller tour on? Let me know and perhaps I'll feature it in a future blog post.

Photo: Rodanthe Pier in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Photo from The.Rohit's photostream on Flickr.

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GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, an Adventure Cycling cartographer, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures, and persons from Adventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.