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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 13, 2018)
20 Wednesday, June 13, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon HWY 242: Access for cyclists is a confusing subject Continued from page 1 acknowledged. ODOT plows a single lane through the snow on the road during the spring, and then lets snowmelt do the rest. Once the snow is melted off, work crews sweep the roadway to clear debris, dirt and gravel, and patch pot- holes created over the win- ter. Opening of the highway used to be arbitrary — the gate was opened whenever the work was done. For the past three years, the agency has determined upon a con- sistent third-Monday-in-June opening. During the plowing and maintenance period, the roadway is closed to traffic. However, cyclists and walk- ers go around the gate to use the roadway. Murphy recog- nizes that the public percep- tion has grown that the road is open for cyclists — car-free. And he acknowledged that he himself had contributed to that perception. “We don’t ‘open’ it for bicycles, and I no longer pub- licize or, if you will, promote that it’s open for bicycles,” he said. “I had to learn that. “Honestly, it’s the liabil- ity,” he noted. “It’s not main- tained for bicycles.” Last Thursday morn- ing, work crews turned sev- eral bicyclists back as they approached the gate. With large equipment stirring dust, debris and gravel still on the road and incomplete patch- work on the roadway, the area was clearly not a safe place to ride. However, crews don’t work on weekends, and any- one driving the highway sees dozens of riders headed up the road to — and beyond — the snow gate. Cyclists across the nation are apparently not aware that the road isn’t really “open” for them. Murphy said that he gets many inquiries. “I’ve never had so many calls as this year in terms of the status (of 242) for use by bicycles,” he said. He said that there is no concerted effort to reverse the public perception that the SOLSTICE: Multiple events mark longest day of the year Continued from page 13 PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS Sweepers are still clearing debris from the roadway. road is open for cyclists in advance of motor vehicles. “There’s no action to reverse that perception,” he said. “I explain the details when they call and ask if it’s open for bicycles.” This year it required extra work to get the road into shape due to impacts from last summer’s Milli Fire. Crews repaired damaged asphalt, rebuilt damaged road shoulders and squared up embankments and created channels to allow runoff to move without flooding the highway. The stretch of highway running from the east gate to the Dee Wright Observatory was hit very hard by the fire. Thousands of blackened trunks now stand on seared slopes where forests formerly stood. The area nevertheless retains a certain stark beauty, and the mountains remain magnificent. The route continues to be, as Murphy tagged it, “a great ride.” The annual Crest the Cascades cycling event is set for Saturday, June 16, along the highway. That event oper- ates under a permit, Murphy noted. So cyclists will summit the McKenzie Pass, and the cars will follow after Monday’s opening — all moving on a freshly repaired and swept roadway through a changed landscape. Share campfire and potluck on Saturday, June 23, at 6 p.m. Bring a favorite short poem or paragraph to read aloud. Families welcome; plan your readings accordingly. At both potlucks, all ages can join in. Firewood dona- tions are especially welcome. Campfires are planned close to the road, so those with mobility issues will be able to participate. Bring food, drinks, dinnerware (non-disposable preferred), and a folding chair (optional). Email neworegon arts@gmail.com for informa- tion, or just show up at the labyrinth walk for details. Summer Solstice marks the anniversary of visionary Larry Harvey and his friends founding the first Burning Man, which led to the devel- opment of a large, influential artistic community around the world. Harvey passed away this spring. There will be a global day of commemoration for him on June 21. Harvey told Brown years ago that growing up in Oregon shaped his cre- ative imagination and sense of independence. She invites all “Burners” and other cre- atives to make a tribute altar for Larry Harvey during the Labyrinth Walk. Participants can contact neworegonarts@ gmail.com to get involved. PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS Highway 242 is closed until June 18. 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