A Wonderful Weekend with OAS

Also posted in: OAS News & Updates, Uncategorized

By Dave Nichols

Back in Bend – With a Purpose

Yet again, I had a wonderful time in Central Oregon with OAS! I live in Portland, where my priority is to work at regaining my independence. Getting my independence is a big deal for me. I’m thankful for OAS, its staff, and events, which support this objective. Being safe while riding my bike will give me more independence. I am very fortunate to be able to make it down to OAS a couple of times each year.

Weekend Flow: On Thursday, July 10th, we drove down for a recumbent biking lesson. I like to say that I get better with repetition, so we did a second lesson the next day, Friday, the 11th. On Saturday, OAS had scheduled a great water event at Camp Tamarack facility, which I just had to stick around for. Camp Tamarack is a private summer camp on Dark Lake, a few minutes up the road from Suttle Lake, which OAS partners with to have full access to for the day. 

Camp Setup & Sizzle

We grew up camping, so to make a whole weekend out of it, we decided to stay at Suttle Lake for these three days. It worked out well. The campground is an easy drive off Hwy 20 and not far out of Sisters. It was so nice to cool off and swim in the lake after working hard on my rides with OAS. My dad had a treat for us on Saturday night, as he grilled us rib-eye steaks over the fire.

 

Recumbent Biking

On July 10th, we drove down for a recumbent biking lesson. I like to say that I get better with repetition, so we did a second lesson the next day (7/11). To be honest, going into these bike lessons, I had mixed emotions: I’ve been comfortably riding a bike for 2 ½ DECADES, so I didn’t really understand why I needed bike lessons now. However, I was excited to see the staff and volunteers again.

My team for bike lessons was Jared Apjoke and Melodie Buell. It was so nice to spend two days riding with a smile on my face and not getting yelled at for being too out of control (as was the case with previous rides 😅). In our lessons, we focused on decision-making around riding roads and navigating potential hazards.

We’ve been in contact with Jared over the years—as the OAS Equipment Manager, he has a lot of insight into my personal recumbent trike.

Mel, short for Melodie, is always a great instructor to ride with. As the OAS Education and Training Manager, she also teaches courses for trainers—i.e. the experts—which gives her a lot of credibility as an instructor.

Left to right - Melodie Buell, a woman with blonde hair wearing a white button down and black bike shorts. Middle - Dave Nichols, a man with curly brown hair and a red shirt. Right - Jared Apjoke, a man with a silver and brown beard, wearing a blue runs and berms shirt.

Left to right: Melodie Buell, Dave Nichols, Jared Apjoke

Let’s Talk Bikes:

I also had the opportunity to test-ride their ICE Full Fat recumbent tricycle model. I’ve ridden this bike before on two different mountain bike trips with OAS & with Craig Hospital.

The Full Fat is an exceptional machine—I feel like I can make it over or around any obstacle. I feel safe on it. It may not accelerate as quickly or ride as smoothly on pavement, but it’s a beast on trails.

The ICE Adventure model that I own is very similar, but built for street riding. It has the same components, just smaller wheels. Even though it’s meant for roads, it can handle some trail action too. After the weekend, I feel like the Adventure is a better solution for the kind of riding I hope to do where I live.

OAS Has New Digs!

Since the last time I was there, OAS has moved to a new location:

📍345 Cyber Drive #103, Bend, OR 97702

The place is great, and it is a well-deserved upgrade!  They have more space and are closer to Mt. Bachelor, where programs happen.  Also, a closer proximity to biking trails allowed me to stash my bike in their office while I was trying theirs. 

Camp Tamarack & The Straddleboard

On July 12th, OAS hosted a lake day at Camp Tamarack, a private camp on Dark Lake, just a few minutes up the road from Suttle Lake.

Dave, a man with brown curly hair, floats on his back on Dark Lake in a P-F-D. Around him, others swim, paddle, and float in the water.

Dave relaxing in the water at Dark Lake. Photo Credit: Visit Bend

They had a special invention for me to try: the Straddleboard (pictured below)—an inflatable SUP designed to be kneeled on so you can sit back and relax. It’s nice, and I got to use it right there at the camp.

Camp Tamarack was a blast—super nice vibes, great water, and a gorgeous day! We headed back to our site at Suttle Lake and closed out the weekend with rib-eyes by the fire.

Dave paddles away from shore, using the straddleboard. A board designed like a S-U-P but with foam between the knees.

Final Thoughts

We broke camp the next morning and drove back to Portland. Overall, it was an awesome trip—10/10.

I encourage you to participate in any OAS experience, adventure, or one-on-one coaching (private lessons). They have a scholarship fund available should you need financial help. And like us, you can utilize one of the many great campgrounds in the greater Bend area to camp and reduce your costs.