Friday, June 28, 2013
Small World
Great sleep on 3 inch mats in the Shell Campground. Amazing how easy it is to get use to these darn things and how well you sleep. I wonder if I will ever go back to a bed! HA! Anyways finally got word from Karissa this morning and she has left us a note across the street in Shell at Al's Cafe. Apparently, Al has relatives in Hughson who are Almond Farmers. Someone over there tried to wave us down as we were driving in the driveway at the campground. Margi waves at everyone so we did not stop. Margi and I are heading over there this morning to try and meet up with Al and find out the Hughson connection. Meanwhile Ray headed up the hill at 6:45am this morning. Understand that this is not an EASY ride. Ray figures it will be about 5 miles per hour. I am skipping this fun until the top. Then I have 40 miles of rolling polly's at that point and then down hill to Sheridan. I am sure there will be photos to post.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Yellowstone to Cody to Shell
Too tired to write much and once Ray gets a chance he will catch you up on all the details. Yellowstone into Cody was an amazing 52 mile stretch. Gregor had us on racing speed and I would fall behind from time to time but it was nothing but spectacular. Karissa joined in the ride for Mike's place and found Mike's bike to work out great for her. Man can she race up those hills! Also, must be in the genes as she had a similar experience to me racing down a hill with an Elk running across the road in front of her. Leave it to us Sevier-Chabner girls! Wonderful warm showers and comfy bed in Cody last night with Brenna, Laurel and Isabel Place. Beautiful 40 acres with a view forever and fabulous home. Wonderful huge Red Barn. Photos will follow later. Thanks Brenna for the drinks at the bar and the warm reception in your home. Hope to meet up with you all again! Ray and I rode from Cody to Shell and this was pretty much high desert landscape with a welcome relief of green closer into Greybull. Heading into the Big Horn Mountains next. Gregor and George rode those hills today and we are anxiously awaiting word as to how difficult they really are. 84 mile trek tomorrow into Sheridan and dinner and stay with Bob and Patty. So excited. In typical family fashion we are showing up for dinner with a huge crowd. Sounds like a party tomorrow at the Bell-Usher household.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Yellowstone was Awesome!
Next stop Cody, Wyoming! Staying tonight at the Place's ranch. I will fill in the blanks of the last several days later today. Wanted to let you know we all survived the Grizzly Bear, Buffalo and Elk, Deer and Old Faithful. Have some amazing photos to post. Our new biking friends joined us for two days at the cabin and relaxation. Jessica left yesterday for Colorado and the Three Amigos are on their way today for Yellowstone and beyond. Great time. Extra thanks to Kristen for housing our new family in her cabin. Great time with stories to come.
Friday, June 21, 2013
AAA to the rescue!
Looks like our battery is dead for the second time so we are still at the KOA in Dillon waiting for a new battery. No early start to this day but that is okay. We have some shopping to do and everyone is talking about the Patogonia Outlet in town. Margi needs to pick up some things and we have breakfast to find.
Natalie, Israel and Jordan camped along side of us last night. Three of them in one little tent.....It poured rain and then poured again. The sun is out at the moment but more rain is expected. We are only going a short distance today of 47-50 miles and staying at another KOA in Alder-Virginia City. Nice facilities and reasonable for tenters.
I met a funny old man in the KOA last night that wrote a book and has it stocked in the store. Anyways, after quite a conversation I of course had to spend the $20 to buy the book. At least he autographed it for Mike, Margie, Ray and I. Hope it is good reading! It is about a boy and his crow! Can't wait to get started. I am sure it will become a New York Times best seller.
Also met up on the road with two ladies on recumbent bikes. We were told by the biker we met traveling from Salt Lake to Banff that we would run into them as they are a bit slow. Their deal is across the country before 70. They are 64 years young now and they take 3 weeks a year and do a section at a time. Suppose to share a glass of wine with them tonight in Alder. They got an early start but chances are we will catch up with them on the road.
My great adventure yesterday included riding bike alongside a deer. He was behind a fence alongside the road and it was very cool to riding the same speed that he was running. Very cool until he jumped the fence and crossed the road in front of me no more than 5 feet. Something about Elk and Deer with me riding. They all cross in front of me.
The big news all around this area is the arrival of the Rainbow People. About 25 thousand of them gather once a year in different locations and they camp out. The police and forestry are beefed up everywhere for their arrival. Apparently not all of them have read their group's by-laws and their environmental and political agenda don't always mesh with their actions. They seem to have the idea that they deserve whatever they take and they can leave any and all things behind. HUMMMMM....reminiscent of the 60's.
Natalee
Our highest peak yesterday. 7400 feet then downhill and yes, up hills again!
Natalie, Israel and Jordan camped along side of us last night. Three of them in one little tent.....It poured rain and then poured again. The sun is out at the moment but more rain is expected. We are only going a short distance today of 47-50 miles and staying at another KOA in Alder-Virginia City. Nice facilities and reasonable for tenters.
I met a funny old man in the KOA last night that wrote a book and has it stocked in the store. Anyways, after quite a conversation I of course had to spend the $20 to buy the book. At least he autographed it for Mike, Margie, Ray and I. Hope it is good reading! It is about a boy and his crow! Can't wait to get started. I am sure it will become a New York Times best seller.
Also met up on the road with two ladies on recumbent bikes. We were told by the biker we met traveling from Salt Lake to Banff that we would run into them as they are a bit slow. Their deal is across the country before 70. They are 64 years young now and they take 3 weeks a year and do a section at a time. Suppose to share a glass of wine with them tonight in Alder. They got an early start but chances are we will catch up with them on the road.
My great adventure yesterday included riding bike alongside a deer. He was behind a fence alongside the road and it was very cool to riding the same speed that he was running. Very cool until he jumped the fence and crossed the road in front of me no more than 5 feet. Something about Elk and Deer with me riding. They all cross in front of me.
The big news all around this area is the arrival of the Rainbow People. About 25 thousand of them gather once a year in different locations and they camp out. The police and forestry are beefed up everywhere for their arrival. Apparently not all of them have read their group's by-laws and their environmental and political agenda don't always mesh with their actions. They seem to have the idea that they deserve whatever they take and they can leave any and all things behind. HUMMMMM....reminiscent of the 60's.
NataleeOur highest peak yesterday. 7400 feet then downhill and yes, up hills again!Thursday, June 20, 2013
Update from Wisdom, Montana
Because of cold rain, we are staying at the Nez Perce Motel in Wisdom, Montana. This gives me a chance to review the ride since my last post.
June 15, Dixie, Idaho. In my last post, we had stopped our ride in Grangeville, Idaho to go visit some friends, Toni and Dennis, in Dixie, about a 2.5 hour drive from Grangeville. Dixie, not to be confused with another Dixie down around Boise, has a full time population of around 26 people. Toni and Dennis live in a great cabin outside Dixie, which is accessible only by snowmobile in winter. During the summer, transportation seems to be primarily by two-person, four-wheel ATVs. Terri and I followed Toni and Dennis on a second quad during the day, touring the beautiful and isolated countryside.
Because of the isolation, most of the full-time townspeople (there are other part-time inhabitants who have vacation cabins, or live in Dixie during the good weather months (clearing out before the snow shuts the area down)), work together when needs arrive. For example, while we were there, Dennis discovered that the toilet wax ring needed to be replaced (too many visitors?). He called another inhabitant (Els), who seems to always have odds and ends. Els had a wax ring. Els and his wife, Kathy, brought the ring over, so we were able to meet them. The next time Dennis and Toni go "to town" -- either Grangeville or, more likely, to Lewiston, about 3.5 hours away -- they will buy a replacement ring for Els.
There is a small store in Elk City, about an hour away, where some items can be obtained. The mailman comes to Dixie from Elk City. If someone needs something from that store, the mailman will pick it up and bring it with him when he delivers the mail (three days a week). When he arrives, there is a gathering at the post boxes located in town, where neighbors can converse, while picking up their mail and supplies from the mailman. Great little town.
NOTICE: Jud and Mary have a large, beautiful, three-story cabin on 12 acres near Toni and Dennis, with a separate, one-bedroom cabin on the property, that they have listed for $299,000. A great deal for someone!
June 16 and June 17, Grangeville to the Montana Border. After two nights with Toni and Dennis, we drove back and restarted our ride from outside Grangeville. For the next two days, and about 125 miles, we followed Highways 14 and 12 up the Clearwater and Lochsa Rivers through absolutely beautiful country. Since the roadway paralleled the rivers, the two day "climb" was very gentle and enjoyable.
When I mention climbs, I've used the terms "gentle" and "steep." No easy way to classify a climb, but I'll try to give you an idea. Under ideal conditions (i.e., no rain or wind), we usually ride along at about 14 - 16 mph. During a "gentle" climb, the speed may drop to around 11-13 mph. A "steep" climb (e.g., some of the 5% or so grades we've encountered) may mean 5-7 mph. Our speeds seem to be increasing a bit as we each become stronger, but we keep reminding ourselves that this is not a "race," but a "sight-seeing" trip.
Terri already wrote about some of the other bikers we've encountered on our journey. On the road between Grangeville and Kooskia, we met Jessica ("Jess") Lawrence, a young lady biking by herself and hauling all her gear/supplies on her bike trailer. We stopped in Kooskia and joined Jess for breakfast. Jess is from Oregon and is biking to Rhode Island. You can find Jess online by googling "Road to Rhode." One of her many passions is children's health, so she is using her trip to raise funds against child obesity. Prior to leaving, she had raised about half her goal. Check out her site: a donation on behalf of this brave, sole-traveler would be great!
The night of June 16 found us about 15 miles east of the "town" of Lowell. Lowell consisted of essentially a cafe and an RV/tent campground, but since it was the only place around that offered restrooms and showers, we piled in the truck after the day's ride and drove back there to set up the tents and spend the night, finding Jess once again. Terri and Margie deemed the facilities as "scuzzy," but as my search of the area failed to find a Ritz-Carlton for them, it had to do!
On the 17th, we continued our ride along the river. About 13 miles before the Montana border, and about 8 miles before a steep, 5-mile climb up to the top of Lolo Pass, we ran across Lochsa Lodge at Powell Junction. We stopped at the Lodge for Huckleberry pie and ice cream. We had planned to continue on to Lolo Pass, but Lochsa Lodge offered cabins, free tent-camping on a grass field behind a small store, and warm showers in nice facilities. A vote was taken as to whether we should stay there or continue on. Terri and Margie voted first and voted to stay. Since that meant Mike and I were out-voted, the decision was made. However, Mike and I decided to continue riding up to Lolo Pass and the Montana border, where Terri picked us up in the pickup. We could then re-start from there the next morning.
When we got back to the campground, we found Jess had also arrived, along with a number of other cyclists, all on cross-country rides. Read Terri's earlier blog entry below about all these riders.
June 18, Lolo Pass to Hamilton/Darby, Montana. Today was another great riding day. First was a downhill ride from Lolo Pass to the town of Lolo, about 24 miles through beautiful country originally traveled by the Nez Perce Indians, as well as Lewis and Clark. At Lolo, we headed south on Highway 93 and discovered a separated bike trail that paralleled the busy highway for about 30 miles. Thank you, Montana. During the ride, we received a message from my sister-in-law, Bunny (the wife of my step-brother, Lee), that they had friends, George and Jan, who lived about 10 miles south of Hamilton just off the highway. She wanted us to stop by and say hello. We received a message from Jan offering their home for that night's stay. We had planned to stop in Hamilton, so that was a great and timely offer. George and Jan have a beautiful (I use that word a lot, don't I?) and large log house setting on 16 acres between Hamilton and Darby. We arrived to be met by George, who left work early to be there for our arrival. Jan, after working all day, arrived home and prepared a tremendous meal for us. They had five extra beds for us to choose among, so we had a very pleasant night. Two of the nicest people you could ever meet.
June 19, Darby to Wisdom, Montana. We left George and Jan's home and headed about 8 miles down the road to Darby. George and Jan, besides having their respective jobs, also own Dotson's Saloon in Darby. We stopped there and got a tour from George. They bought the store when it was headed for permanent closure and have done a great job transforming it into a very nice bar. I have a picture, which I will attach. Stop in and say hello if you are in the area!
Our original itinerary called for us to reach Lost Trails Pass by the end of the day, which meant climbing from Darby's approximately 3,500 elevation up to 7,014 feet at the pass, with most of the climb coming in the last 7 miles or so. After leaving George, we went next door to have breakfast at a local cafe. George came in a few minutes later to let us know that the weather forecast was calling for 1-2 inches of snow at Lost Trails Pass that night. We checked maps and decided to press on through Lost Trails to Wisdom, about 27 miles east of the Pass. About two hours into the journey, just before the small town of Sula, the rain started and we put on the rain jackets, pants and shoe covers. From then on the rain fell pretty constantly, from light to heavy, and the temperature kept dropping. Terri had ridden to Sula, but took over the truck at that point, while Mike and I continued on.
When we hit the steep climb up toward Lost Trails, Terri and Margie would drive and stop about every half-mile or so to keep track of us. Just before the top, Mike and I had ridden for about two miles without seeing the girls. Finally, another driver drove up beside me and said the girls were back down the hill and could not get the truck to start. They waved him down, asking him to let us know. I told Mike to continue on to the top, while I rode back down to check. Turns out the frequent short stops and starts in the increasingly cold weather drained the battery. I then discovered that in all my equipment planning, I had forgotten to put the jumper cables in the truck. Fortunately, the first car we encountered stopped for us and had jumper cables.
I sent the girls on to the top and beyond to charge up the battery. By the time I reached the top, the temperature registered 39 degrees and I was soaked through (including my short-fingered riding gloves). We headed toward Wisdom, but after about 5 miles, I could no longer feel much in my hands. Mike and I conferred and agreed we had proved our manhoods enough for the day. We piled in the truck, drove the remaining 20 miles to Wisdom, and found a motel.
It is now the morning of June 20th. It is about 40 degrees out, with rain still forecast for most of the day. We are waiting for it to warm up a bit, before heading out, hoping to make it to Dillon by tonight, although we are now about a day ahead of schedule
125 miles of this was great!
Jess in Kosskia, Idaho
Lochsa Lodge, Powell, Idaho
Lolo Pass and our 3rd state!
Dotson's Saloon in Darby, Montana
Between Darby and Sula, Montana
Arrived cold and wet!
. Will update some more later. Let the adventure continue!
June 15, Dixie, Idaho. In my last post, we had stopped our ride in Grangeville, Idaho to go visit some friends, Toni and Dennis, in Dixie, about a 2.5 hour drive from Grangeville. Dixie, not to be confused with another Dixie down around Boise, has a full time population of around 26 people. Toni and Dennis live in a great cabin outside Dixie, which is accessible only by snowmobile in winter. During the summer, transportation seems to be primarily by two-person, four-wheel ATVs. Terri and I followed Toni and Dennis on a second quad during the day, touring the beautiful and isolated countryside.
Because of the isolation, most of the full-time townspeople (there are other part-time inhabitants who have vacation cabins, or live in Dixie during the good weather months (clearing out before the snow shuts the area down)), work together when needs arrive. For example, while we were there, Dennis discovered that the toilet wax ring needed to be replaced (too many visitors?). He called another inhabitant (Els), who seems to always have odds and ends. Els had a wax ring. Els and his wife, Kathy, brought the ring over, so we were able to meet them. The next time Dennis and Toni go "to town" -- either Grangeville or, more likely, to Lewiston, about 3.5 hours away -- they will buy a replacement ring for Els.
There is a small store in Elk City, about an hour away, where some items can be obtained. The mailman comes to Dixie from Elk City. If someone needs something from that store, the mailman will pick it up and bring it with him when he delivers the mail (three days a week). When he arrives, there is a gathering at the post boxes located in town, where neighbors can converse, while picking up their mail and supplies from the mailman. Great little town.
NOTICE: Jud and Mary have a large, beautiful, three-story cabin on 12 acres near Toni and Dennis, with a separate, one-bedroom cabin on the property, that they have listed for $299,000. A great deal for someone!
June 16 and June 17, Grangeville to the Montana Border. After two nights with Toni and Dennis, we drove back and restarted our ride from outside Grangeville. For the next two days, and about 125 miles, we followed Highways 14 and 12 up the Clearwater and Lochsa Rivers through absolutely beautiful country. Since the roadway paralleled the rivers, the two day "climb" was very gentle and enjoyable.
When I mention climbs, I've used the terms "gentle" and "steep." No easy way to classify a climb, but I'll try to give you an idea. Under ideal conditions (i.e., no rain or wind), we usually ride along at about 14 - 16 mph. During a "gentle" climb, the speed may drop to around 11-13 mph. A "steep" climb (e.g., some of the 5% or so grades we've encountered) may mean 5-7 mph. Our speeds seem to be increasing a bit as we each become stronger, but we keep reminding ourselves that this is not a "race," but a "sight-seeing" trip.
Terri already wrote about some of the other bikers we've encountered on our journey. On the road between Grangeville and Kooskia, we met Jessica ("Jess") Lawrence, a young lady biking by herself and hauling all her gear/supplies on her bike trailer. We stopped in Kooskia and joined Jess for breakfast. Jess is from Oregon and is biking to Rhode Island. You can find Jess online by googling "Road to Rhode." One of her many passions is children's health, so she is using her trip to raise funds against child obesity. Prior to leaving, she had raised about half her goal. Check out her site: a donation on behalf of this brave, sole-traveler would be great!
The night of June 16 found us about 15 miles east of the "town" of Lowell. Lowell consisted of essentially a cafe and an RV/tent campground, but since it was the only place around that offered restrooms and showers, we piled in the truck after the day's ride and drove back there to set up the tents and spend the night, finding Jess once again. Terri and Margie deemed the facilities as "scuzzy," but as my search of the area failed to find a Ritz-Carlton for them, it had to do!
On the 17th, we continued our ride along the river. About 13 miles before the Montana border, and about 8 miles before a steep, 5-mile climb up to the top of Lolo Pass, we ran across Lochsa Lodge at Powell Junction. We stopped at the Lodge for Huckleberry pie and ice cream. We had planned to continue on to Lolo Pass, but Lochsa Lodge offered cabins, free tent-camping on a grass field behind a small store, and warm showers in nice facilities. A vote was taken as to whether we should stay there or continue on. Terri and Margie voted first and voted to stay. Since that meant Mike and I were out-voted, the decision was made. However, Mike and I decided to continue riding up to Lolo Pass and the Montana border, where Terri picked us up in the pickup. We could then re-start from there the next morning.
When we got back to the campground, we found Jess had also arrived, along with a number of other cyclists, all on cross-country rides. Read Terri's earlier blog entry below about all these riders.
June 18, Lolo Pass to Hamilton/Darby, Montana. Today was another great riding day. First was a downhill ride from Lolo Pass to the town of Lolo, about 24 miles through beautiful country originally traveled by the Nez Perce Indians, as well as Lewis and Clark. At Lolo, we headed south on Highway 93 and discovered a separated bike trail that paralleled the busy highway for about 30 miles. Thank you, Montana. During the ride, we received a message from my sister-in-law, Bunny (the wife of my step-brother, Lee), that they had friends, George and Jan, who lived about 10 miles south of Hamilton just off the highway. She wanted us to stop by and say hello. We received a message from Jan offering their home for that night's stay. We had planned to stop in Hamilton, so that was a great and timely offer. George and Jan have a beautiful (I use that word a lot, don't I?) and large log house setting on 16 acres between Hamilton and Darby. We arrived to be met by George, who left work early to be there for our arrival. Jan, after working all day, arrived home and prepared a tremendous meal for us. They had five extra beds for us to choose among, so we had a very pleasant night. Two of the nicest people you could ever meet.
June 19, Darby to Wisdom, Montana. We left George and Jan's home and headed about 8 miles down the road to Darby. George and Jan, besides having their respective jobs, also own Dotson's Saloon in Darby. We stopped there and got a tour from George. They bought the store when it was headed for permanent closure and have done a great job transforming it into a very nice bar. I have a picture, which I will attach. Stop in and say hello if you are in the area!
Our original itinerary called for us to reach Lost Trails Pass by the end of the day, which meant climbing from Darby's approximately 3,500 elevation up to 7,014 feet at the pass, with most of the climb coming in the last 7 miles or so. After leaving George, we went next door to have breakfast at a local cafe. George came in a few minutes later to let us know that the weather forecast was calling for 1-2 inches of snow at Lost Trails Pass that night. We checked maps and decided to press on through Lost Trails to Wisdom, about 27 miles east of the Pass. About two hours into the journey, just before the small town of Sula, the rain started and we put on the rain jackets, pants and shoe covers. From then on the rain fell pretty constantly, from light to heavy, and the temperature kept dropping. Terri had ridden to Sula, but took over the truck at that point, while Mike and I continued on.
When we hit the steep climb up toward Lost Trails, Terri and Margie would drive and stop about every half-mile or so to keep track of us. Just before the top, Mike and I had ridden for about two miles without seeing the girls. Finally, another driver drove up beside me and said the girls were back down the hill and could not get the truck to start. They waved him down, asking him to let us know. I told Mike to continue on to the top, while I rode back down to check. Turns out the frequent short stops and starts in the increasingly cold weather drained the battery. I then discovered that in all my equipment planning, I had forgotten to put the jumper cables in the truck. Fortunately, the first car we encountered stopped for us and had jumper cables.
I sent the girls on to the top and beyond to charge up the battery. By the time I reached the top, the temperature registered 39 degrees and I was soaked through (including my short-fingered riding gloves). We headed toward Wisdom, but after about 5 miles, I could no longer feel much in my hands. Mike and I conferred and agreed we had proved our manhoods enough for the day. We piled in the truck, drove the remaining 20 miles to Wisdom, and found a motel.
It is now the morning of June 20th. It is about 40 degrees out, with rain still forecast for most of the day. We are waiting for it to warm up a bit, before heading out, hoping to make it to Dillon by tonight, although we are now about a day ahead of schedule
125 miles of this was great!Jess in Kosskia, IdahoLochsa Lodge, Powell, IdahoLolo Pass and our 3rd state!Dotson's Saloon in Darby, MontanaBetween Darby and Sula, MontanaArrived cold and wet!Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Friends on the Road
It is absolutely amazing the number of young and older people like ourselves that are traveling across the United States on bikes. We met Jess who is riding alone from Oregon to Rhode Island and pulling her trailer with tent and supplies. Jessica is 38 and fundraising for childhood obesity. We actually have spent quite a bit of time and meals with Jess and she is quickly becoming another adopted family member. Mike from Wisconsin is traveling from Oregon to Maine on some of our same route and he also is traveling alone with all his gear on his bike. He has a great setup and has an all carbon bike like Ray's but Tulle makes a rack that works awesome on the all carbon bikes. I have photos of his equipment because this is definitely a future purchase for Ray. I can see lots more biking of this type in our future. Then there was Eric and Bob traveling from Oregon to Boston fundraising for cancer research and The Dana Farber Institute. Eric's wife is driving their SAG vehicle although she is not fond of the name SAG so she has named what she is doing as something else. Of course, I can't remember. There was also Jim, again riding on his own. He just retired from teaching in the Bay Area and wanted an adventure. All of us were staying at the fabulous Lochsa Lodge in Powell Idaho. Thirteen miles from the Montana border. Some chose to stay in the cute little bungalow's and others of us stayed in the free camping behind the store. We were not skimping on the food....it was awesome. Ray and Mike even got in a game of horseshoes and pool. This is a definite stopping place for future travelers. I almost forgot, later in the night we had another great young couple join in our camping. They were Kate and Tyler. Also traveling from Oregon to the East Coast for Kate's brothers wedding. They are taking it a day at a time and while Tyler drinks beer at the resting place for the night Kate puts up the tent and organizes the next days route. Something amiss here......we will work on Tyler further on down the road. Yesterdays journey brought us together with three young college students from Tennesee. Israel, Jordan and ???? (female of the bunch). Saw them again today having breakfast while we were making a driving/bike change before going over the Lost Trails Pass. They decided on this adventure only a month or so ago. They all had the time off and so off they did go.
Not bad for free tenting!
Horseshoes anyone?
The Not SAG Wagon
Ray, Mike and Mike
Margie at her camping quarters
Not bad for free tenting! 
Horseshoes anyone?
The Not SAG Wagon
Ray, Mike and Mike
Margie at her camping quartersSaturday, June 15, 2013
In Dixie, Idaho
We haven't been able to post for a few days because internet access was non-existent or too poor to be worth the effort. We are now spending a day at the cabin of close friends in Dixie, Idaho, so I'll take advantage of the time to update my postings.
June 11, Baker City to Oxbow Dam, Oregon. After our day of rest in Baker City, we headed out at 6 a.m. toward Oxbow Dam, about 72 miles away next to the Idaho border. Brother, Larry, had to return home, so each of us had to take an 18 mile stint driving the truck.
[Brief interruption in the narrative -- two deer just appeared on the lawn outside the cabin. Mad rush to get cameras, but the deer moved on too soon.]
The road out of Baker took us a scenic route called Hell's Canyon. Our first stop was an overlook of the Baker City valley which was called Lone Pine Valley or something like that. The name came from a large, solitary pine tree that could be seen by Indians and pioneers entering the valley for centuries past. In 1843, the tree was felled, according to a famous explorer, by "an ignorant emigrant axe."
The day passed quickly, because it was mostly downhill. A good part of the ride was spent winding through a deep gorge following the Powder River. Should have taken more photos, but we seem to be moving too quickly, trying to stay on the schedule to meet the family at Yellowstone by the 23rd. Need to slow down.
We stopped in the town of Richland at Amy's Cafe, a one man shop, for small snack and picked up four "Eagle Valley Energy Bars." The owner explained that outside Richland, they would just be called "brownies," but the new name is more appealing to bikers like ourselves!
Outside Richland, we started another long slog uphill. After about three miles into the climb, a jeep came up the road behind us and pulled over. The driver said he was looking for "Terri Lee." Terri had left her wallet at Amy's Cafe. The owner got a friend drive it up us. More amazing people.
We arrived at Oxbow Dam around 2 p.m. (or 3 p.m.; our cellphones kept switching between Pacific time and Mountain time) and set up the tents on the shore of the Snake River. The campground, run by Idaho Power, was beautiful. Lots of deep green grass, nice restrooms and showers. All for the grand total of $8 (usually $10, but because of our advanced ages, we got a $2 discount).
June 12, Oxbow Dam to Council, Idaho. We packed up for another early start, planning on a 64 mile day. Just before leaving, Mike walked over to the restrooms. Terri was driving the first shift, so Margie and I got on the bikes, told Terri we were riding over to the restrooms and she should wait until Mike returned before leaving. Mike didn't see us (and we didn't see him). He got back to Terri, who failed to tell him that Margie and I went over to the restrooms. He assumed we had left without him, and headed quickly up the road to catch us. We came out of the restrooms and, after circling the campground a couple of times trying to find Mike, became concerned that he had gone on without us. We started up the road, and sent Terri ahead, who found him a couple of miles later. Still no explanation why Terri didn't tell him where we were -- I think she was reading her book!
The first 10 - 12 miles was south alongside the Snake River, which followed the Oregon/Idaho border between the Oxbow Dam and the Brownlee Dam. The Brownlee Dam was a massive earthen structure, at which we formally crossed over into Idaho. The crossing also meant the start of a long 5% climb. Terri wanted to tackle the hill, so she and Margie traded places. After about 5 miles of constant climbing, she joined Margie in the truck, with Mike and I continuing to the top. My turn to drive the truck, and I had a hard time keeping up with the other three during my 16 mile shift which was all downhill. After lunch in Cambridge, Idaho, we continued on to Council. We had hoped to meet up with a Bentley cousin, who lived in the area, but could not link up. We had no planned place to stay, so stopped in at the local post office. The lady was very kind; she said we could camp in the town park, but without showers. She then got on the phone and found an RV park that would allow tents, and had showers. On our way to the park, we passed a barber shop. Margie and Terri insisted that I needed to stop there, at least to get my eyebrows trimmed, if nothing else! An elderly lady (at least older than us) was the owner/operator. I told her I had just ridden for many miles, so I apologized for the sweaty hair. She said, "You should see the hair of some of the farmers that come in here. If I can get a comb in it, I can cut it!" We had a good time talking to her. When she finished the cut, she pulled out one of those large hand massagers and gave me a neck and shoulder massage. When she asked if anyone else wanted a neck/shoulder massage, Terri took advantage. Final tab: $10. I gave her a $10 tip, which at first she did not want to take, but I insisted. As I said in an earlier post, nice people should be treated nicely!
June 13, Council To White Bird, Idaho. The wind blew quite hard last night (Mike said he expected we would all be rolling through the fields in our tents at some point). Then the rain started. Margie's tent had a slight leak, but otherwise all was fine. It looked threatening when we got up, so we all put on our foul-weather gear, expecting a wet day. However, just before leaving, the sky started to clear and we removed the outer garb. A few intermittent drops during the day, but not enough to get us wet.
Our original plan called for us to go to Riggins (about 60 miles away), but most of the day was to be downhill, so we decided to proceed to White Bird, about 88 miles away. We knew there was a tremendous climb after White Bird, so thought starting that climb fresh the next day was a good idea.
Downhills are great for cyclists, except when they are accompanied by strong headwinds, which we had most of the day, with the winds getting stronger as the day progressed.
For future riders, my suggestion is to avoid Riggins. When approaching the town, Terri, Margie and I were on the bikes. Because of the high wind, I was leading, with Terri, then Margie, following close behind me in order to use me as a wind blocker. We passed a family parked off the side of the road. As I passed them, I thought I heard Terri call to me (hard to hear with the wind whistling past the helmet). Then I heard another call, so I assumed they wanted me to stop. I slowed quickly. Terri saw me stopping and also slowed quickly. At that moment, Margie, who heard the people on the side of the road calling, turned her head toward them and waved. She did not see Terri and I stopping. When she looked back she was almost on Terri, with not enough to time to stop completely. She clipped the back of Terri's bike, and down she went. She was laughing about it, until she tried to get up. Strong pain in the groin area. We hoped it was just a strain or sciatica nerve result, but as she tried walking, we were concerned it was something worse. Mike caught up to us with the truck. We put her in the truck and Mike drove on to Riggins to see if there was any medical facility, while Terri and I followed on the bikes. There turned out to be a medical center in Riggins, but they did not have the equipment to properly diagnose what could be wrong. The receptionist alerted the hospital in Grangeville, about 26 miles up the road, and Terri and Margie headed there, with Mike and I riding.
Before leaving Riggins, Mike and I stopped at a Hamburger Grill place for something to eat. The spicy hamburger I had would later give me fits for another day and a half.
Tough 28 miles to White Bird. Even though it was all downhill, the wind had increased to the point that if you did not pedal hard, you would come to a standstill. It took us about 3 hours to cover those 28 miles. We arrived in White Bird totally spent. No phone service, so we still had no word on Margie's condition. Fortunately, about 15 minutes after our arrival, Terri and Margie arrived in the truck. Margie fractured her Pubic Rami (look it up, I have no idea what they is). Doctor recommended 3-4 days on crutches, four weeks of taking it easy and 8 weeks before getting back on a bike. Margie says, "We'll see. I plan to be back on the bike to finish this trip."
Because she had a rough day, Mike and I went out scouting for a place to stay. We found a nice (not) state campground with toilets, but no showers, but at the great price of only $10 total. The ladies were not thrilled when they got to the site, but it was getting dark so they went along with us, only after we promised not to do that again!
June 14, White Bird to Dixie, Idaho. With Margie out of commission for a bit, and a huge climb facing us, Terri opted to be the driver for the relatively short trip into Grangeville (about 20 miles). The normal route is straight up Highway 95, a seven plus mile ride up a 5+% grade, with heavy traffic/trucks. A local in White Bird suggested that we take old Highway 95 instead. Longer, but containing switchbacks instead of the straight new highway. Turned out to be a good suggestion. For the 10.5 miles up the old highway (it finally rejoined the new highway a mile or so before the top of the climb), we were not passed by a single vehicle. Beautiful scenery, too. At the end of the climb, the last 8 or so miles were downhill, aided by a tailwind.
In Grangeville, we had breakfast, gassed up, hit banks and the grocery store to stock up for the ride to Montana. We then loaded everything in the truck, and took off for a 2.5 hour drive to Dixie, Idaho, and to the beautiful cabin home of two good friends, Dennis and Toni. Two nights here and we will resume our ride on the 16th.
June 11, Baker City to Oxbow Dam, Oregon. After our day of rest in Baker City, we headed out at 6 a.m. toward Oxbow Dam, about 72 miles away next to the Idaho border. Brother, Larry, had to return home, so each of us had to take an 18 mile stint driving the truck.
[Brief interruption in the narrative -- two deer just appeared on the lawn outside the cabin. Mad rush to get cameras, but the deer moved on too soon.]
The road out of Baker took us a scenic route called Hell's Canyon. Our first stop was an overlook of the Baker City valley which was called Lone Pine Valley or something like that. The name came from a large, solitary pine tree that could be seen by Indians and pioneers entering the valley for centuries past. In 1843, the tree was felled, according to a famous explorer, by "an ignorant emigrant axe."
The day passed quickly, because it was mostly downhill. A good part of the ride was spent winding through a deep gorge following the Powder River. Should have taken more photos, but we seem to be moving too quickly, trying to stay on the schedule to meet the family at Yellowstone by the 23rd. Need to slow down.
We stopped in the town of Richland at Amy's Cafe, a one man shop, for small snack and picked up four "Eagle Valley Energy Bars." The owner explained that outside Richland, they would just be called "brownies," but the new name is more appealing to bikers like ourselves!
Outside Richland, we started another long slog uphill. After about three miles into the climb, a jeep came up the road behind us and pulled over. The driver said he was looking for "Terri Lee." Terri had left her wallet at Amy's Cafe. The owner got a friend drive it up us. More amazing people.
We arrived at Oxbow Dam around 2 p.m. (or 3 p.m.; our cellphones kept switching between Pacific time and Mountain time) and set up the tents on the shore of the Snake River. The campground, run by Idaho Power, was beautiful. Lots of deep green grass, nice restrooms and showers. All for the grand total of $8 (usually $10, but because of our advanced ages, we got a $2 discount).
June 12, Oxbow Dam to Council, Idaho. We packed up for another early start, planning on a 64 mile day. Just before leaving, Mike walked over to the restrooms. Terri was driving the first shift, so Margie and I got on the bikes, told Terri we were riding over to the restrooms and she should wait until Mike returned before leaving. Mike didn't see us (and we didn't see him). He got back to Terri, who failed to tell him that Margie and I went over to the restrooms. He assumed we had left without him, and headed quickly up the road to catch us. We came out of the restrooms and, after circling the campground a couple of times trying to find Mike, became concerned that he had gone on without us. We started up the road, and sent Terri ahead, who found him a couple of miles later. Still no explanation why Terri didn't tell him where we were -- I think she was reading her book!
The first 10 - 12 miles was south alongside the Snake River, which followed the Oregon/Idaho border between the Oxbow Dam and the Brownlee Dam. The Brownlee Dam was a massive earthen structure, at which we formally crossed over into Idaho. The crossing also meant the start of a long 5% climb. Terri wanted to tackle the hill, so she and Margie traded places. After about 5 miles of constant climbing, she joined Margie in the truck, with Mike and I continuing to the top. My turn to drive the truck, and I had a hard time keeping up with the other three during my 16 mile shift which was all downhill. After lunch in Cambridge, Idaho, we continued on to Council. We had hoped to meet up with a Bentley cousin, who lived in the area, but could not link up. We had no planned place to stay, so stopped in at the local post office. The lady was very kind; she said we could camp in the town park, but without showers. She then got on the phone and found an RV park that would allow tents, and had showers. On our way to the park, we passed a barber shop. Margie and Terri insisted that I needed to stop there, at least to get my eyebrows trimmed, if nothing else! An elderly lady (at least older than us) was the owner/operator. I told her I had just ridden for many miles, so I apologized for the sweaty hair. She said, "You should see the hair of some of the farmers that come in here. If I can get a comb in it, I can cut it!" We had a good time talking to her. When she finished the cut, she pulled out one of those large hand massagers and gave me a neck and shoulder massage. When she asked if anyone else wanted a neck/shoulder massage, Terri took advantage. Final tab: $10. I gave her a $10 tip, which at first she did not want to take, but I insisted. As I said in an earlier post, nice people should be treated nicely!
June 13, Council To White Bird, Idaho. The wind blew quite hard last night (Mike said he expected we would all be rolling through the fields in our tents at some point). Then the rain started. Margie's tent had a slight leak, but otherwise all was fine. It looked threatening when we got up, so we all put on our foul-weather gear, expecting a wet day. However, just before leaving, the sky started to clear and we removed the outer garb. A few intermittent drops during the day, but not enough to get us wet.
Our original plan called for us to go to Riggins (about 60 miles away), but most of the day was to be downhill, so we decided to proceed to White Bird, about 88 miles away. We knew there was a tremendous climb after White Bird, so thought starting that climb fresh the next day was a good idea.
Downhills are great for cyclists, except when they are accompanied by strong headwinds, which we had most of the day, with the winds getting stronger as the day progressed.
For future riders, my suggestion is to avoid Riggins. When approaching the town, Terri, Margie and I were on the bikes. Because of the high wind, I was leading, with Terri, then Margie, following close behind me in order to use me as a wind blocker. We passed a family parked off the side of the road. As I passed them, I thought I heard Terri call to me (hard to hear with the wind whistling past the helmet). Then I heard another call, so I assumed they wanted me to stop. I slowed quickly. Terri saw me stopping and also slowed quickly. At that moment, Margie, who heard the people on the side of the road calling, turned her head toward them and waved. She did not see Terri and I stopping. When she looked back she was almost on Terri, with not enough to time to stop completely. She clipped the back of Terri's bike, and down she went. She was laughing about it, until she tried to get up. Strong pain in the groin area. We hoped it was just a strain or sciatica nerve result, but as she tried walking, we were concerned it was something worse. Mike caught up to us with the truck. We put her in the truck and Mike drove on to Riggins to see if there was any medical facility, while Terri and I followed on the bikes. There turned out to be a medical center in Riggins, but they did not have the equipment to properly diagnose what could be wrong. The receptionist alerted the hospital in Grangeville, about 26 miles up the road, and Terri and Margie headed there, with Mike and I riding.
Before leaving Riggins, Mike and I stopped at a Hamburger Grill place for something to eat. The spicy hamburger I had would later give me fits for another day and a half.
Tough 28 miles to White Bird. Even though it was all downhill, the wind had increased to the point that if you did not pedal hard, you would come to a standstill. It took us about 3 hours to cover those 28 miles. We arrived in White Bird totally spent. No phone service, so we still had no word on Margie's condition. Fortunately, about 15 minutes after our arrival, Terri and Margie arrived in the truck. Margie fractured her Pubic Rami (look it up, I have no idea what they is). Doctor recommended 3-4 days on crutches, four weeks of taking it easy and 8 weeks before getting back on a bike. Margie says, "We'll see. I plan to be back on the bike to finish this trip."
Because she had a rough day, Mike and I went out scouting for a place to stay. We found a nice (not) state campground with toilets, but no showers, but at the great price of only $10 total. The ladies were not thrilled when they got to the site, but it was getting dark so they went along with us, only after we promised not to do that again!
June 14, White Bird to Dixie, Idaho. With Margie out of commission for a bit, and a huge climb facing us, Terri opted to be the driver for the relatively short trip into Grangeville (about 20 miles). The normal route is straight up Highway 95, a seven plus mile ride up a 5+% grade, with heavy traffic/trucks. A local in White Bird suggested that we take old Highway 95 instead. Longer, but containing switchbacks instead of the straight new highway. Turned out to be a good suggestion. For the 10.5 miles up the old highway (it finally rejoined the new highway a mile or so before the top of the climb), we were not passed by a single vehicle. Beautiful scenery, too. At the end of the climb, the last 8 or so miles were downhill, aided by a tailwind.
In Grangeville, we had breakfast, gassed up, hit banks and the grocery store to stock up for the ride to Montana. We then loaded everything in the truck, and took off for a 2.5 hour drive to Dixie, Idaho, and to the beautiful cabin home of two good friends, Dennis and Toni. Two nights here and we will resume our ride on the 16th.
New Meadows to Riggins
Back in time to Thursday. .. What was suppose to be an easy, easy ride downhill into Riggins from New Meadows turned into a nightmare ride into the wind. If you were not pedaling as hard as you could you were at a dead standstill. We were lucky to keep a pace of 11-12 miles an hour down a grade that would of been fun at 25 miles. We are about 10 miles outside of Riggins and planning on extending our ride that day per Gregor's recommendations to White Bird. Made for an 84 mile day. Anyways , we riding along, Ray in the lead, me in the middle and Margi bringing up the rear. Mike at the wheel (driving). We come to a pull out where a car had pulled out and a family was out of their car. There was an older gentleman with a cane and as we passed he yelled out hello and was waving a cane at us. Ray in the lead heard something and started to slow down, I in turn slowed and Margi who was waving back at the family didn't catch the slow down and ran up on my back wheel locked in and nearly took both of us down. I stayed upright and Margi went down with a bang. Her head hit hard but she was fine (thank goodness for helmets) but when she went to get up she could not get up. We thought it was her hip at first but in reality in was a pain in her groin. Margi was lifted into the truck and Mike and Margie went ahead to Riggins to find medical assistance. Ray and I hurried into town and found them just about outside of town in a little Medical clinic. There was no X-ray machines so the nurse in Riggins called ahead to Grangeville a 45 minute drive away to alert the emergency room. Margi and I took off in the truck and guys stopped at the infamous restaurant that caused Ray's stomach problems for the next two days. Once at Sringa Hospital we got Margi X-rayed and discovered that she had fractured her Pupic Rami. This is a weight bearing injury and will take 8 weeks to heal. Margi is on crutches for 4-5 days and pain meds. I will be driving until she is able and then she will take over as our sag driver. Margie continues to be a great trooper and she even managed to sleep in the tent after leaving the hospital. That too is another story. These guys (Mike and Ray) have no mercy. They opted for the campground that was $10 and did not have showers or warm water. Gregor had chosen a nice place but the guys have gone cheap on us. Cheap no more........Margie and I have made a stand!
medical clinic in Riggins
Margie in Grangeville ER
medical clinic in RigginsMargie in Grangeville ERCoffee with Dennis
Saturday mornings in Dixie! Dennis is giving us a bad time for going to bed so early, thus making him go to bed by 9:00 and being awake at 4:00am. Our usual schedule is 6-7pm in bed an up at 4:30am. We are all sitting around the table with coffee and thinking Mike who slept downstairs was still sleeping. Reality, he has been up for hours walking the hills out here. I think Mike feels at home.....getting closer to Wyoming... Ray is feeling better today. He was sick as a dog yesterday and I think he got food poisoning from a hamburger in Riggins. He had the runs all day yesterday and once we arrived here he was running from both ends. We had a great dinner and he couldn't even hold down a saltine. Definitely another's day rest is needed.
Dixie At Last!
Finally some hot showers and a great dinner cooking with Toni and Dennis at their incredible Cabin in Dixie. I think Mike and Margie wondered where in the hell we were going as we had to drive 3 hours outside of the bustling town of Grangeville. This was after Mike and Ray's heroic ride up the 14 mile up White Bird Hill. They said it wasn't as bad as McKenzie Pass but it sure looked horrendous. I was driving. Margie is on pain meds and can't drive for a few days. That is a story in itself and will have its own heading. It is hard to keep up with all the stories and the sequence of happenings. Ray will fill in all the important details. I am more like the National Inquirer reporter.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Hippee Pad in Baker
One more night in Baker at the Best Western . Margi and I are heading out to do laundry and Ray and Mike are heading to the bike store....finished our Bloody Mary's in our room (we have now combined 3 rooms into one)! Ear plugs are on the shopping list. Margi snores at night. When we are camping I keep hearing her snore and think it is the tent being zipped and unzipped. For those of you wondering how Margi and I are doing without bathroom facilities on the trip I can just say Margi is keeping count. One #2 in the woods an 3# 1's!
Cooking lunch and drinking Bloody Mary's at our hotel.....we know how to live!
Cooking lunch and drinking Bloody Mary's at our hotel.....we know how to live!Ray's Update
My first opportunity to update on here, so I apologize in advance for the length. Will post some pictures below.
Great trip so far.
June 3, Florence to Eugene, Oregon. We biked from our campsite down to the beach for the ceremonial "tire-dip" in the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, there was no easy access to the beach in that area (a wall of giant sand-dunes shielded the beach from the roadway). We found an inlet which had to suffice. We were joined by cousins, Butch and Claire Ridlon, who had driven six hours from Washington to see us off.
We headed toward Eugene with Larry driving the truck. Stopped about 20 miles later at a small cafe. Breakfast time was already over (we got a late start), but there were no other patrons so the owner said he would fix us breakfast anyway. Butch and Claire joined us, then they headed north to do sightseeing along the coast on their way back home, as we continued east.
After about 70 miles, we stopped in Eugene, loaded the bikes in the truck, and drove about 8 miles north to a campground in Coburg for the night.
June 4, Eugene to McKenzie Bridge, Oregon. We returned by truck to where we had ended our ride the night before, bought groceries and struck out for McKenzie Bridge, about 60 miles away and a gentle thousand feet higher. The route followed the McKenzie River, so lush greenery accompanied us the entire way. We set up the tents at Yale Campground before heading over for a dip in the McKenzie Hot Springs. Expected to find rustic hot springs, but turned out to be a swimming pool heated entirely from the hot springs. Still, very relaxing. Back to camp where we cooked hamburgers and hot dogs, and hit the sack early.
June 5, McKenzie Bridge to Sisters, Oregon. We found out what we were made of today. To get to Sisters, we had to bike over McKenzie Pass, a roughly 3,600 foot climb over the first 18 miles or so. The way up was through beautiful forests. We took a break about 10 miles up and hiked just over a mile to visit majestic Proxie Falls. Well worth the side trip! Look it up online. Shortly thereafter, the road was closed to automobiles. The next 20 miles up to and over the top was open only for bicycles or hikers. The road was ours!
As we continued the climb, the strain on the legs and the heat tried to stop us, but everyone persevered. At one point, when we reached snow, Terri and Mike laid in the snow to cool down. At the summit, the trees disappeared and were replaced by a stark 65 square-mile black lava flow. In the middle of that, at the very top, sets the Dee Wright Observatory, a very rough lava rock structure built in the 1930's, from which you get great views of the surrounding Cascade Mountain peaks.
Then a fast ride down the mountain into the city of Sisters. I had originally hoped we would make it on to Redmond, another 20 miles to the east, but the climb up McKenzie convinced us that we needed rest. Found a nice campground and called it a night.
June 6, Sisters to Prineville, Oregon. The heat from yesterday convinced us that we needed to start earlier than 8 or 9 o'clock. So today we started at 7. We road about 20 miles to Redmond before stopping for breakfast and re-fueling the truck. We planned to continue on Hwy 126 to Prineville, but the attendant at the gas station told us about an alternate route, a few miles longer but off the main highway through farms and prettier scenery. He was right. I have a photo here somewhere to post. Very little traffic except for courteous big rig drivers who gave us plenty of leeway while passing. Oregon drivers in general have been among the most bike-friendly drivers I've ever run across.
We arrived at the Crook County (wonder where that came from?) RV and Campground around 1 p.m. and set up the tents. Margie and Terri drove into town to buy groceries and do laundry. I'm sure Mike, Larry and I did something productive, but I can only recall a lot of lounging around. When the girls returned, we used the camps barbecue equipment to cook up steaks, asparagus and garlic bread. We are really rouging it. After dinner, the girls wanted to just rest, while the three guys went for ice cream. Tried to find a liquor store for essential supplies, but the only such store, known to the ice cream parlor attendant, closed early. Apparently, Oregon is a liquor control state; alcohol other than beer or wine must be purchased at certain authorized establishments, which at least in Prineville, are few and far between. Maybe that's why the drivers are so courteous.
June 7, Prineville to Mitchell, Oregon. Changed our start time to 6:30 o'clock in a continuing effort to beat the heat. We had to climb over Ochoco Pass at about 4,700 foot elevation, but the very long, steep downhill afterwards made it worthwhile. Terri described the downhill as "an E-Ticket Ride" (for those of you old enough to remember Disneyland's original ride classifications). Margie said it was the most exhilarating thing she had done in her entire life. At the start of the trip, Margie was cautious with downhill speeds, wanting to use the brakes when approaching upper 20 mph. She went over 38 mph on today's downhill, hooting and laughing all the way down!
The town of Mitchell turned out to be about a block and a half long with a population of 167 people. No formal campground, but we were allowed to pitch the tents ($5 per tent) in the small "city" park, which consisted of a grassy area, a couple of picnic tables, some playground equipment and restrooms (located across the street with no showers).
We spent about 5 minutes to tour the town, finding the Lone Pine Cafe/Bar where we stopped to have drinks. At one point, the waitress (the only worker at the time) asked if we (the only patrons at the time) could watch the place while she went next door to the market. And off she went! Then, after we returned to the park, the waitress walked down to us with Margie's purse, which Margie had left at the cafe. Nice people here. We returned to the cafe later for dinner. During our first visit, I discovered that the place had tequila, but no margarita mix, so I stopped at the town market on our way back for dinner and picked up a bottle of mix which I donated to the cafe/bar's supply. Nice people should be treated nicely in return.
June 8, Mitchell to John Day, Oregon. We started at 6 this morning, knowing that we faced a hard climb right out of Mitchell to about 4400 elevation. It started out at about a 4-5% grade for about 4 miles, then shifted to about 6% grade the last 2-3 miles. The girls made it up the earlier grade, but opted for the truck for the final grade. Tough climb, but long downhill almost all the way to Dayville, 38 miles from Mitchell, where we stopped at the community center and cooked french toast (along with left over pizza from Mitchell) for breakfast.
The rest of the day was up and down for the roughly 70 miles to John Day. About 8 miles before John Day, we passed Clyde Holliday park/campground. Beautiful, but we continued on into John Day to check out their accommodations. One look was enough to decide to pile the bikes into the truck and ride back to the Holliday site. Green grass, tons of trees, great restrooms and showers. Upon entering, I spoke with an RV'er who agreed that the site was the best around, but he said "Don't put on just one coat of mosquito spray, put on two coats!" He was right. We were attacked as soon as we pulled up to our campsite. Fortunately, we were well equipped with spray.
June 9, John Day to Baker City, Oregon. Another 6 o'clock start. Margie wanted McDonalds for breakfast, so the rest of us relented. We then biked 15 miles to Prairie City, where we stopped at a nice, small cafe for pie/cinnamon rolls/carrot cake. Then back to the hills. There was a 10 mile climb out of Prairie City up to Dixie Summit, starting out gently, but getting quite steep at the end, at 5,277 foot elevation. Then a nice long downhill. Bad news about long downhills, they seem to be followed by new long uphills. That was the pattern today, as we next faced the Tipton Mountain summit (5,124') and after the fun downhill, the Sumpter Summit (over 5,000'). Margie set a new personal best coming down from Sumpter - 40 mph. Have to keep an eye on her for the rest of the trip. She appears to be on some type of mission.
We reached Phillips Lake, where we originally planned to spend the night, but decided to continue on for another 20 miles to Baker City. When we hit some more climbs after Phillips Lake, the ladies decided that was enough for them, so they piled in the truck with Larry and went ahead to get us some rooms at a Best Western in Baker City, while Mike and I finished the 20 mile ride. Turned out to be about 84 miles for the day.
So we are here in Baker City, where we are staying an extra day before heading toward Oxbow Dam, Oregon, then into Idaho the following day.
Sorry for the verbiage, but wanted to bring everyone up to date. The others said they were going to post more interesting, and shorter, stories.
Picture canyon
Coffee Latte Break
Ray going up Sumpter Summitt
McKenzie Pass Out Look
Great trip so far.
June 3, Florence to Eugene, Oregon. We biked from our campsite down to the beach for the ceremonial "tire-dip" in the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, there was no easy access to the beach in that area (a wall of giant sand-dunes shielded the beach from the roadway). We found an inlet which had to suffice. We were joined by cousins, Butch and Claire Ridlon, who had driven six hours from Washington to see us off.
We headed toward Eugene with Larry driving the truck. Stopped about 20 miles later at a small cafe. Breakfast time was already over (we got a late start), but there were no other patrons so the owner said he would fix us breakfast anyway. Butch and Claire joined us, then they headed north to do sightseeing along the coast on their way back home, as we continued east.
After about 70 miles, we stopped in Eugene, loaded the bikes in the truck, and drove about 8 miles north to a campground in Coburg for the night.
June 4, Eugene to McKenzie Bridge, Oregon. We returned by truck to where we had ended our ride the night before, bought groceries and struck out for McKenzie Bridge, about 60 miles away and a gentle thousand feet higher. The route followed the McKenzie River, so lush greenery accompanied us the entire way. We set up the tents at Yale Campground before heading over for a dip in the McKenzie Hot Springs. Expected to find rustic hot springs, but turned out to be a swimming pool heated entirely from the hot springs. Still, very relaxing. Back to camp where we cooked hamburgers and hot dogs, and hit the sack early.
June 5, McKenzie Bridge to Sisters, Oregon. We found out what we were made of today. To get to Sisters, we had to bike over McKenzie Pass, a roughly 3,600 foot climb over the first 18 miles or so. The way up was through beautiful forests. We took a break about 10 miles up and hiked just over a mile to visit majestic Proxie Falls. Well worth the side trip! Look it up online. Shortly thereafter, the road was closed to automobiles. The next 20 miles up to and over the top was open only for bicycles or hikers. The road was ours!
As we continued the climb, the strain on the legs and the heat tried to stop us, but everyone persevered. At one point, when we reached snow, Terri and Mike laid in the snow to cool down. At the summit, the trees disappeared and were replaced by a stark 65 square-mile black lava flow. In the middle of that, at the very top, sets the Dee Wright Observatory, a very rough lava rock structure built in the 1930's, from which you get great views of the surrounding Cascade Mountain peaks.
Then a fast ride down the mountain into the city of Sisters. I had originally hoped we would make it on to Redmond, another 20 miles to the east, but the climb up McKenzie convinced us that we needed rest. Found a nice campground and called it a night.
June 6, Sisters to Prineville, Oregon. The heat from yesterday convinced us that we needed to start earlier than 8 or 9 o'clock. So today we started at 7. We road about 20 miles to Redmond before stopping for breakfast and re-fueling the truck. We planned to continue on Hwy 126 to Prineville, but the attendant at the gas station told us about an alternate route, a few miles longer but off the main highway through farms and prettier scenery. He was right. I have a photo here somewhere to post. Very little traffic except for courteous big rig drivers who gave us plenty of leeway while passing. Oregon drivers in general have been among the most bike-friendly drivers I've ever run across.
We arrived at the Crook County (wonder where that came from?) RV and Campground around 1 p.m. and set up the tents. Margie and Terri drove into town to buy groceries and do laundry. I'm sure Mike, Larry and I did something productive, but I can only recall a lot of lounging around. When the girls returned, we used the camps barbecue equipment to cook up steaks, asparagus and garlic bread. We are really rouging it. After dinner, the girls wanted to just rest, while the three guys went for ice cream. Tried to find a liquor store for essential supplies, but the only such store, known to the ice cream parlor attendant, closed early. Apparently, Oregon is a liquor control state; alcohol other than beer or wine must be purchased at certain authorized establishments, which at least in Prineville, are few and far between. Maybe that's why the drivers are so courteous.
June 7, Prineville to Mitchell, Oregon. Changed our start time to 6:30 o'clock in a continuing effort to beat the heat. We had to climb over Ochoco Pass at about 4,700 foot elevation, but the very long, steep downhill afterwards made it worthwhile. Terri described the downhill as "an E-Ticket Ride" (for those of you old enough to remember Disneyland's original ride classifications). Margie said it was the most exhilarating thing she had done in her entire life. At the start of the trip, Margie was cautious with downhill speeds, wanting to use the brakes when approaching upper 20 mph. She went over 38 mph on today's downhill, hooting and laughing all the way down!
The town of Mitchell turned out to be about a block and a half long with a population of 167 people. No formal campground, but we were allowed to pitch the tents ($5 per tent) in the small "city" park, which consisted of a grassy area, a couple of picnic tables, some playground equipment and restrooms (located across the street with no showers).
We spent about 5 minutes to tour the town, finding the Lone Pine Cafe/Bar where we stopped to have drinks. At one point, the waitress (the only worker at the time) asked if we (the only patrons at the time) could watch the place while she went next door to the market. And off she went! Then, after we returned to the park, the waitress walked down to us with Margie's purse, which Margie had left at the cafe. Nice people here. We returned to the cafe later for dinner. During our first visit, I discovered that the place had tequila, but no margarita mix, so I stopped at the town market on our way back for dinner and picked up a bottle of mix which I donated to the cafe/bar's supply. Nice people should be treated nicely in return.
June 8, Mitchell to John Day, Oregon. We started at 6 this morning, knowing that we faced a hard climb right out of Mitchell to about 4400 elevation. It started out at about a 4-5% grade for about 4 miles, then shifted to about 6% grade the last 2-3 miles. The girls made it up the earlier grade, but opted for the truck for the final grade. Tough climb, but long downhill almost all the way to Dayville, 38 miles from Mitchell, where we stopped at the community center and cooked french toast (along with left over pizza from Mitchell) for breakfast.
The rest of the day was up and down for the roughly 70 miles to John Day. About 8 miles before John Day, we passed Clyde Holliday park/campground. Beautiful, but we continued on into John Day to check out their accommodations. One look was enough to decide to pile the bikes into the truck and ride back to the Holliday site. Green grass, tons of trees, great restrooms and showers. Upon entering, I spoke with an RV'er who agreed that the site was the best around, but he said "Don't put on just one coat of mosquito spray, put on two coats!" He was right. We were attacked as soon as we pulled up to our campsite. Fortunately, we were well equipped with spray.
June 9, John Day to Baker City, Oregon. Another 6 o'clock start. Margie wanted McDonalds for breakfast, so the rest of us relented. We then biked 15 miles to Prairie City, where we stopped at a nice, small cafe for pie/cinnamon rolls/carrot cake. Then back to the hills. There was a 10 mile climb out of Prairie City up to Dixie Summit, starting out gently, but getting quite steep at the end, at 5,277 foot elevation. Then a nice long downhill. Bad news about long downhills, they seem to be followed by new long uphills. That was the pattern today, as we next faced the Tipton Mountain summit (5,124') and after the fun downhill, the Sumpter Summit (over 5,000'). Margie set a new personal best coming down from Sumpter - 40 mph. Have to keep an eye on her for the rest of the trip. She appears to be on some type of mission.
We reached Phillips Lake, where we originally planned to spend the night, but decided to continue on for another 20 miles to Baker City. When we hit some more climbs after Phillips Lake, the ladies decided that was enough for them, so they piled in the truck with Larry and went ahead to get us some rooms at a Best Western in Baker City, while Mike and I finished the 20 mile ride. Turned out to be about 84 miles for the day.
So we are here in Baker City, where we are staying an extra day before heading toward Oxbow Dam, Oregon, then into Idaho the following day.
Sorry for the verbiage, but wanted to bring everyone up to date. The others said they were going to post more interesting, and shorter, stories.
Picture canyonCoffee Latte BreakRay going up Sumpter SummittMcKenzie Pass Out LookMuch Needed Nights Rest
Hotel time!!!
Ray riding up what was thought to be the last hill of the day only it was a mirage once again.Thursday, June 6, 2013
Tough Times on the Road
Nearly lost Mike once again. He is on his own path. We skirted the designated route after Redmond and gassing up. Went the country route without bike lanes but very polite Truckers. We are camping out in Prineville and cooking dinner.
Great Day!!
Great Day!!More Coffee at Sisters
I think I am liking my new found job. Everyone is at the campsite and I am at the coffee shop. 6:30 am and I have a whole hour to myself to gather my thoughts and fill in some details. Mostly I am downloading photos from everyones gear.
Since Ray has been sporting his Scotland attire he has opened up conversations with other travelers and sure enough met another Scotsman yesterday in camp with his Danish wife who (the wife) is traveling on bike from Florence Oregon to Virginia. Her husband is the sag driver and she is traveling on her own. Benefit for cancer research. Her first major bike trip was around the edges of Scotland, all the way around. Ray was short the Whiskey to have a celebratory drink with the couple so that is going to be corrected soon. We are starting to learn what supplies are important and what supplies are not. I guess on that note I again need to "Blame it on Gregor" as Coke is a much needed drink at the end of the trail. Mike, Ray and I all have the urge and none of us really drink the stuff......until now.
Believe it or not this is a slug. Nolan check it out!
Mike standing on top of a tree stump he cut with his weatherman. Looks like he is standing on his bike....Just as good!
Celebration time!
views from the top
Lava look out point at the very top of the climb.
Since Ray has been sporting his Scotland attire he has opened up conversations with other travelers and sure enough met another Scotsman yesterday in camp with his Danish wife who (the wife) is traveling on bike from Florence Oregon to Virginia. Her husband is the sag driver and she is traveling on her own. Benefit for cancer research. Her first major bike trip was around the edges of Scotland, all the way around. Ray was short the Whiskey to have a celebratory drink with the couple so that is going to be corrected soon. We are starting to learn what supplies are important and what supplies are not. I guess on that note I again need to "Blame it on Gregor" as Coke is a much needed drink at the end of the trail. Mike, Ray and I all have the urge and none of us really drink the stuff......until now.
Believe it or not this is a slug. Nolan check it out!Mike standing on top of a tree stump he cut with his weatherman. Looks like he is standing on his bike....Just as good!Celebration time!views from the topLava look out point at the very top of the climb. Wednesday, June 5, 2013
breaking down camp.
getting ready for second day on the road. according to Gregor an easy day. Most of our photos from day one are on larrys camera so until he downlaods them we cant share. so far larry has done an amazing job of capturing of our first day, laundry seems to be my challenge of the morning. I have manged to dry an load of clothes. add dry time to another persons dryer and hoping the third time I get it right. I am trying to teach ray and mike how to post from their phones. mike keeps getting interrupted with phone calls and ray gets frustrated and quits. margie is too busy facebooking and counting her responses to her posts. once we are at a Hilton we will fill in the back stories.
Sorry this is out of order... Internet sevice has been a challenge and trying to do everything on the phone has been difficult. Most of your will catch Ray and Margi off their facebook pages as they are good at that but not so good at blogging. Mike expects me to remember all his funny remarks and episodes during the day and then be his secretary and write for him. Erik you need to work with your dad on writing. He has the wit just not the patience. Anyways for the rest of you readers get used to me because I am afraid I might be the best you will get.
Sorry this is out of order... Internet sevice has been a challenge and trying to do everything on the phone has been difficult. Most of your will catch Ray and Margi off their facebook pages as they are good at that but not so good at blogging. Mike expects me to remember all his funny remarks and episodes during the day and then be his secretary and write for him. Erik you need to work with your dad on writing. He has the wit just not the patience. Anyways for the rest of you readers get used to me because I am afraid I might be the best you will get.
Coffee at Sisters
Everyone is at the campsite setting up while I am having coffee and trying to make a post before everything closes. It has been an amazing three days of bike riding and more.... Margi is actually becoming a camper....Ray is awesome at hanging with Margi and I on the tough climbs and Mike is well.......Mike! Always entertaining and always going in the wring direction. Last night we sat in hot springs after a tough 60 mile ride, tonight we ate out and fully embraced one another's successful climb to 5324 miles from a little over 1000 feet. Tomorrow we will breakfast in Redmond with Steven Bsrochu's college roommate and then we are off to another climb and a basic campground that Gregor has located for us. Thanks for all the support from those with us and those at home who are paving the way for our success. My typing is a littlie amiss as I have non functioning fingers since the first days ride. No feeling in my smaller two digits and it is weird! I keep shaking as I ride, have taped them up and ???? When we get a chance we will catch everyone up on the earlier details of our ride. Lots of stories to tell. Just have to say that everyone once in their live time needs to extend themselves out to this level in one event or another. Thank you Ray for including us on your dream and Thank you Gregor for setting the bar!
Covered bridge on day two. This one is for you Micah!
Campsite on day two.
Cooking with our great stove and oven!
Lunch stop on day one at the NOTI Church of Christ! The minister was Doug Priest!
Covered bridge on day two. This one is for you Micah!Campsite on day two.Cooking with our great stove and oven!Lunch stop on day one at the NOTI Church of Christ! The minister was Doug Priest!Sunday, June 2, 2013
Darn that Rei.....
Over did ourselves at Rei and had to stop for a drink ti drown our sorrows.'....
no we are not having fun....that starta tomorrow on the road.
adios california
welcome Oregon!
rest stop in Yreka. nolan great fishing river. hope you are bringing your fishing pole on your road trip.
mike on serious phone call home.
margi displaying her bike shirt
Haggling room rates at the motel 6
So much for For senior nights at the motel six on Sunday nights. Especially when you are checking in on Saturday night. This after much searching for a cheap room(s) and a lenththy discussion with the motel receptionist regarding other senior specials. Got a great deal......3 rooms for 68.00! Yes you read that right. Repeated this several times over the phone with the receptionist. 3 rooms for $68.00......We arrive at 11:45 pm......hand over all our id's and get ready tohandthecard over and the guy at the desk says "that will be $175.00". Of course I walked out. Ray and mike look dumb founded and Margi says whatever! We end up staying at this dive and have two rooms with Margi and I in on and Mike and Ray in the other. Not happening again on my watch! Checking out now and hitting the road......
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Best Laid Plans
Thought I was ready to go..concisely packed.. Until my brother arrived! Everything out and redone..i think they will still let me go now! 😄
MARGARITA SEND OFF
Awesome party with family and friends in So. Pasadena. We missed Gregor due to work. Personally I think he was trying to avoid the limelight from his initiation of this great adventure. We will hit the road again here shortly traveling by truck to the fascinating town of Hughson and to pick up our Birthday Girl (yesterday) for the trek further North. Not sure where we will end up tonight but once Margi is gathered up the true trip will begin.
Okay I know this photo is sideways. Turn your computer or phone and it looks fine to me. I am still mastering some techniques.....Kind of like my mastering the bike. Fall down, get up, fall down, get up and so on and on and on. That's me and the blog. Learn as I go...
John (Kate, you too)...there is still time to join in at any point. Oliver I am going to be taking a special photo for you along the route that you might find interesting.
Lisa I am counting on you keeping me informed of all the fun I am missing here. Next time include us on one of your conference calls. We can spice up your job some!
I am going to miss everyone so much and I am counting on hearing from all . Just got word that I need to get on the road so off we go!!!
John (Kate, you too)...there is still time to join in at any point. Oliver I am going to be taking a special photo for you along the route that you might find interesting.
Lisa I am counting on you keeping me informed of all the fun I am missing here. Next time include us on one of your conference calls. We can spice up your job some!
I am going to miss everyone so much and I am counting on hearing from all . Just got word that I need to get on the road so off we go!!!
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