thirtysixer
Continuing my ride after the puncture I had, I rode to Prarie City. In the bar hanging out with some new cyclist friends, Derrick and Kathy, I tried a beer from Eugene called Total Domination. It was an IPA that greatly itrigued me. I’m sure I’ll explore them further in my next post. I continued on before stopping to get groceries in John Day.
I stayed in Mt Vernon that evening, at a guesthouse called the Bike Inn. The day before I had arrived, two guys who had been chasing me since Virginia left. I hung out with the owner of the establishment, Christy, and her two children, who had driven from different parts of the country to play yahtsee. I prepared myself a steak, and finally tried the Black Butte Porter that I had been seeing everywhere.
The next day, I rode a short day into Dayville, as there was a 90mile gap in groceries. I heard that the grocery had closed in Mitchell. Besides, there was a ministry helping bikers along their way. I stayed at the presbeterian church, as did the cyclists from the day before. They had ridden from Prarie City, which would have been a very long hot day, had I decided to stay.
I made some very delicious tuna mac, which ended up being my early lunch that next day as well. Needed to eat cheap as my remaining funds are almost spent.
Derrick fixed a break in pipe after we unexpectly were standing in a puddle in the kitchen.
Catching up is hard when you neglect to check your email for a couple weeks.
In the morning after pancakes, I rode through Picture Gorge. I was riding by 5 o’clock, so the sun was still rising.
After a climb, and some nice time spent in the farmlands, I found myself in Mitchell, OR. I consumed the rest of my tuna mac, and made friends with a man whom owned a sportbike.
I also met a couple heading to the coast. They hadn’t come nearly as far, but had still been driving for hours.
I arrived in Prineville and immediately stopped to find food. I bought a pound of strawberries for two dollars and consumed them all at once.
Next, I sought to contact a man I found on Warm Showers. When I met my host, I walked up to where I was staying and near immediatley fell asleep on the hard floor and was out for a few hours. It was a long day.
After riding into Redmond, I was interviewed at the Local Coffee shop by a man named Gary Newman. While I was there, I also had a chance to try out their latte.
The ride to sisters was beautiful. My eyes were afixed on the three sisters to the left, and mount jefferson to my right. Life couldn’t be better.
I stopped at the Sisters bakery and got a cheese stick.
.. And Angeline’s for their coffee. I also tried the unique kombucha on tap, they had in the back. The attendent behind the counter described kombucha as “the love-child of green tea and yogurt.”
Just then, It was time to climb up my last mountain pass. It was an awe-inspiring ride full of blind curves up to a sea of lava that had cooled hundreds of years ago.
As I was expecting to eventually, I passed over the Pacific Crest Trail. Its a footpath from Mexico to Canada. It makes its way through this particular part of the cascades. I plan to hike it next summer.
At the top was a monument pasted together from igneous rocks. I’d bet that mason had TONS OF FUN working up in that cold wind.
Jefferson was showing off in a sea of clouds, way off in the distance.
Riding down off of McKensie was some of the most fun I’ve had on this trip. I had just brought my brake in closer to my rim, so it helped alot as I shot around these tight steep switchbacks.
It left kind of an impression of two of my fingers, riding the brake the whole way down.
A group of alumni, drive out from different parts of the country every year and go mountain biking. I shared a campsite with them that evening at McKensie River Campground.
“4,000 miles ain’t shit”
Thank you SAGed biker group.
Finally made it to Eugene.
