Too Much Sagebrush

 
 
 

Finally we start the day with sunny skies. It must have been a balmy 50 degrees when we left Goose Lake campground. Our route today took us south on 395 all day long, which has been a winner...very scenic, remote and good pavement. To our left were snow dusted hills and to the right was the shallow Goose Lake. There were four riders making it to Alturas, our first break. Rich rode 53 miles, leaving Ron & I to finish the stage. We climbed to our highest point of the trip thus far and descended to meet the group at Madeline. I enjoyed the scenery for the first 30 miles, but after that I have seen too much sagebrush. Do NOT buy a vacation home here without seeing it.

Here is where things get interesting. At Madeline, it was decided to stay at Termo, about 14 miles away. Ron got a wild hair and cranked it up to 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32 and holding 33mph as I held his wheel. We had smooth roads, no traffic and a tailwind, so why not? You know, the last 14 miles of the day, let it rip! We got to Termo, a bona fide ghost town, slowed down and didn't see the trailer; so because we're guys we just continued to the next town 6 miles away. No trailer. Hmm. Let's call Dad. Oh, your'e in Termo? We'll ride back. Now we have a headwind and I was spent from the time trialing and I feel horrible. Made it though, but it might cost me tomorrow. Not too smart...because we're not even halfway. 99.5 miles and my shoulder is sore.

Riding the Tradewinds

 
 
 
 

I had a difficult time paring the photos to four today (internet speed is slow so it takes a while to blog). There were enormous changes in the environment we saw in our 101 miles cycling today. For the day, I averaged an astounding 19 mph.

We woke to snow, 27 degrees and strong winds from the south...can't ride in that. By 10:00, conditions were evolving to our advantage. Ron & I rolled out at 11:00 with cloudy, but dry conditions, 45 degrees and a slight tailwind. Within one mile, the road turned a little left and we caught the tradewinds riding 22 effortless miles in under an hour. Rich & John joined us and the terrain changed from sagebrush to alkali lakes and soaring cliffs dusted with snow...it was spectacular to see. There is very little traffic and everybody passed with a wide berth...except a state trooper.

Then we transitioned to the Oregon Outback; grasslands and valleys. We spotted about 30 antelope feeding, a low flying red-tail hawk and John had two coyotes run in front of him. A cold climb brought us into to Lakeview, where John & Zach caught their ride home. I am really gonna miss my friends; afterall, they planned this event and it won't be the same without them.

I must admit, it is kind of fun to be 'irresponsible' and do something like this. I reccommend anyone reading this to quit wishing and pursue what you have dreamed about doing. It is very rewarding.

Weather Delay

 
 
 
 

We woke to snow 200' above our present elevation and threatening clouds. The ground was soaked and winds were steady @ 18mph from the south...lousy conditions to commence our journey. Our stay last night in Riley(pop. 3) was fun, the proprietors, Dale & Pat Martin, were very friendly and we felt it wise to stay another night due to this present storm. By noon, the highway was dry and the sun even made a brief appearance, so that changed everything. John left by himself with Ron & I leaving maybe 20 minutes behind.

The road is undulating, but you can see straight for at least 10 miles where you are going. A light rain began to fall turning to M & M sized hail when Dad passed us. He slowed to see if we needed to turn back but I waved him on, grinning the whole time. Ron & I were dressed right for the occassion, but at home I would never ride under these circumstances. We finally arrived in Wagontire amassing a paltry 28 miles in two hours and the temp was 38. We never saw John; he had strong legs and an even stronger spirit and that's one of the many things I like about him.

We leaned our bikes up on the hitching post, made a fire and talked for a long time to Marty. He is really the ONLY resident of this town now. And he likes it that way.

I think we have another day of this bogus weather.

A Tough Day at the Office

 
 
 
 

Our day started without Tim, another casualty to injury (his knee). We rolled out in 40 degree calmness and quickly started a scenic climb of 2000' to the summit in the first photo. It is just beautiful country here! After a short descent, we rode on a plateau of grassland that just went on and on. At the break, John & Rich quit for the day leaving Ron & I to continue. We made it to Burns okay having to don rain jackets, but things got real tough after that.

The last 27 miles took a lot out of me, between wind & rain. If Ron had not pulled most of the way, I would have ended up like the coyote yesterday.

In camp, Dad cooked burgers and buffalo burgers for dinner...just excellent! Zach entertained us with his shooting skills...he has a lot of skills. What's next? Rich is the sharpshooter of the bunch, so don't mess with him. And Karen got to spend Mother's Day with 8 guys...but she never complains. 97 miles.

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

 
 
 
 

We got an earlier start today and enjoyed 26 miles of riding with maybe 8 cars on the highway. I can see why the Rickert's bring their tours here and I plan on coming back. The roads are smooth and meandering, the sights and sounds are soothing and the people are great. Around every bend is another pastoral scene...except for the coyote. He picked his last fence to jump through.

If you are in this neighborhood some day, you must stop at the John Day Visitor Center(Sheep Rock Unit). There is an interesting museum of fossils and geology...best of all it's free. Riding East from here on Highway 26 is another smooth lonely road with more rock that is closer to the roadway so when your going 21-22mph, it feels like you're ripping. Ron & I just had to let the horses run, so he cranked it up to 27mph and held it there for a couple of miles and we caught our group fast(his ankle is sore now though). How much more do I have to tell you that this is a great place to bicycle?

In the town of Mt. Vernon, I saw my Dad talking to Bubba. He is shirtless with overalls, his teeth look like they have been filed down, he's wearing a cap with a fish hook skewered in the bill, but he has a heart of gold. Bubba gave us the inside scoop on whats down the road and possible weather at the summit of a climb we had planned to tackle today. We made the decision to go to John Day and camp for the night at the Grant County Fairgrounds and rest up. Everybody was real hungry and we enjoyed dinner at Outpost Pizza (two thumbs way up). Ron set up some hammocks, Griffin led us on a wood gathering expedition and Zach entertained us with his fire making skills.

We only logged 64 miles today, but we have been in too much of a hurry. This is probably my only shot at this and I want to savor it.

Day 4 ending near Spray, OR

 
 
 
 

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times...well, maybe that's a little overstated. But, Zach wasn't able to ride today. His Achille's tendon is too sore and swollen. He may join us again after healing, but he's not able to accomplish his goal.

We rode south from Hermiston ascending into expansive farming tracts. A cropduster 'waved' after flying by. Going through the town of Lexington(pop. 263) we were shocked to see a marked bicycle lane. Now, Gordon, can you contact Cory Crebbins about adding a bike lane on Crater Lake Ave.? Nine miles later, we descended into Heppner, a cool town, and saw a display of logging and farming equipment and that's where we met Herb Schmidt(79). He took our photo and I said, "I want to see that picture when I'm your age". And he said, "Oh, you're married?", and without missing a beat, I said, "Yep!" His buddy told Rich "He can't hear anything but he can understand ya".

Leaving Heppner we climbed to a town that was a ghost town more or less. The photo above is probably 10% of all the abandoned structures. Continuing south, we climbed through a beautiful narrow drainage to a summit @ 4612' and the air temp was high 30's...too cold! There was still snow on the ground. Tim is a strong 24 year old rider who stayed with me to the top...he could be a very good racer. We pointed downhill hitting 45.4mph and carved up some sweeping corners. I was thinking this is probably the best ride I've ever been on. In 25 miles we saw six vehicles on a perfect course, and one of them was ours. Near the bottom, the valley opens up to scenes of pastures, the John Day river and a lonely meandering road. And Russ & Rene Rickert tell us there is more to come! 98 miles for the day.

Dad set up his trailer behind a gravel mound used for sanding roads, which Griffin used for a slide. Ron gave a clinic on bicycle cleanup and maintenance. He also got a Cat. 5 tattoo (photo above).

After any auto race the winner thanks their sponsors and the time is appropriate for me to thank Cyclesport, the team I race for, TheProtectors.org and Landshark, for the sweetest bike.

Washington Is Behind Us

 
 
 
 

We left Othello this morning under threatening skies and a slight headwind. Within 40 miles we were in sun and peeling off layers as we admired a cropduster flying 5 feet off the ground. After lunch, we followed the Columbia River on a smooth two lane highway that had a lot less traffic than this morning. The Gorge is just as scenic here as near Multnomah Falls with a set of train tracks 30 feet away.

When we pulled over at the 'Welcome to Oregon' sign, we all had a sense of accomplishment in what we had just achieved...crossing the state of Washington. I was really happy for John and Zach: father and son working together towards a common goal. I plan on Griffin & I doing something like this together someday.

Ron, first photo, is our coach and he works the hardest. He has the strongest legs, is looking out for us and calls out for traffic coming from behind. It was determined the first day of the ride if a large truck with a pilot car were oncoming and traffic coming from behind, we would just PARK on the side of the road. Well, that came in handy today when a windmill tower section was coming at us, a diesel train was roaring by and a truck coming up behind. Ron yelled 'PARK' a couple times and we did. That was kinda sketchy!

As we entered Hermiston, a trio of bison were startled by us cyclists. I was so hungry at the time and a buffalo burger made me salivate, but Ron's salsa and Dad's burritos took care of the matter handily.

Rich rented a hotel room tonight (his wife is coming to visit) and we all showered and sat in the jacuzzi...just what we needed to finish the day right. Oh Yeah...97 miles but Zach may not be able to continue. His achilles tendon is very sore. Say a prayer for him...I want him to finish the whole thing.