Total mileage for the day- 128 miles
Total for the trip- 1082 miles
Last night was absolutely horrible. There really is no way around it. As I went to bed at the Eugene Whiteaker Hostel I had one bunkmate who had not come back to the dorm yet, but all was quiet, and the other guys who were staying in the next dorm were friendly and, well, pretty normal guys. That all changed in the middle of the night. A late-comer checked in and proceeded to make the hostel his party/crash pad.
God, he was awful. He came in at about 3 am, ridiculously hammered and proceeded to turn lights on, talk to himself or anyone that would listen, answer his phone and have whole conversations in the bathroom (someone finally went in and took his phone, throwing it down the stairs). He shook people in the dorm awake to ask them if they had a pen and paper to write down phone numbers, to request marijuana, and (most importantly) to inquire if the unfortunate sleeper had ever heard of the sleeping pills he was about to take, Triazadone(?). This medication, he assured us all, would "knock my a** out, they ain't even gonna be able to wake me up in the morning!". Things got pretty far out of hand, and he made a lot of enemies at the Eugene Whiteaker Hostel. Finally, he decided to take his meds and pass out ("I got like a 20-minute window of opportunity!"), after which he snored like a chainsaw for hours. Even repeated punching from his seriously annoyed bunkmates could not coerce him to turn over, and finally, as the sun was coming over the horizon, he FINALLY rolled over and quieted down. The worst part of it all was, as I got up and walked to the bathroom I saw that our new friend's boxers were ripped completely open and his backside exposed for all the hostel to see.
By this point, however, my other bunkmate had dressed and left, and my gear was packed and bike loaded. This morning was easily my earliest start of the whole trip. I was on the road by 6 am, and I would need all the daylight hours I could get. I had solidified my resolve to make it back home by sundown- a ride of well over a century. I didn't even check out of the Whiteaker having deciding I would call, check out AND complain all at once- later in the day.
The Willamette Valley is a very attractive area but honestly, I took very few pictures. The sky threated to rain all day, overcast and spitting on me sporadically. I stopped to have lunch in Corvallis, to munch on roadside blackberries outside of Salem and to mow a candy bar in Newburg. As I got into the southwest side of Portland, the area got rougher, hillier and far less attractive. Also, it was full-on raining at this point.
I rode on and, even with (maybe) two hours of sleep, I still felt strong. When I got into Tigard I was elated to see things that I recognized, although getting into Portland from that direction on a loaded bike is not fun. Barbur Boulevard was my route until I got over the west hills, and I was so happy to see the city as I came over the ridge. It was nice to see people riding around on bikes, something I hadn't seen much of for the past two weeks.
Ev had been waiting for me in front of the apartment, but she was distracted by a neighbor and her dog, so she did not get to take her sneaky snapshot of my arrival as she had planned. Just as well, I was wet and tired- and a little cold. It had been a long, wet ride, and I thought of how happy I was to be home as we made our way upstairs...
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Day 13: Crescent Creek to Eugene
Today's mileage: 83 miles
Total mileage for the trip: 954 miles
Oh, how excited I was when I woke this morning! It wasn't raining, and I got to take a nice hot shower first thing. As soon as I was done, I quickly started getting my things packed up, I felt the first raindrops fall. Ugh, I could tell it was gonna be that kinda day. One of the RVers came over as I was packing with his little dog Cass, a sweet blue heeler-whatever mutt that jumped around in circles and played with everything. He said that there was a good place down the road for coffee, which was where he was going. By the time I was done packing and ready to push off, it was pouring.
I pulled over about a mile down the road at the convenience store, got a large coffee and two egg and cheese biscuits, and sat down for a while. I originally thought I might just wait it out, but after about 45 minutes I was tired of sitting and just ready to go. I had a mostly downhill ride today, with only one real pass in my way and it was only about five miles down the road.
I have to say, it was some pretty miserable riding. It was mostly downhill, but I couldn't really enjoy it because if I got going, the rain would pelt my face viciously, and the water would run off my rain visor and blind me continuously. Without the continual pedaling creating body heat, the cold wind was chilly and causing me to shiver; I almost wished for a steady climb to warm me up a bit. I think that at one point there was some freezing rain or small hail mixed in because some hit me in the (already blistered from the desert sun) lower lip and split it! So painful...
Every chance I got I would stop off and try to warm up some. I pulled off at McDonalds for cookies; gas stations for hot chocolate. I watched the miles go by but not fast enough. Finally, after more than 5 hours in the rain, it started to let up. I started to peel off layer after layer of wet clothes and hang them off my panniers to dry. By about 3 in the afternoon I looked like a rolling laundromat.
I had made arrangements to stay at the Eugene Whiteaker Hostel for the evening, so I began to route myself into town. After a harrowing half an hour or so, I was through the Eugene-Springfield freeway interchange and on my way to the hostel. It is located in a funky little historic area in Eugene. After I got there and was able to get settled, I went out and enjoyed dinner (huevos rancheros!) at a local restaurant and a large mocha from a coffee shop within walking distance. It was a great way to end an otherwise crappy day of riding.
At this point I have a little less than two full days of riding to get back to Portland. The route that I am taking looks to be fairly fast and flat, and it all depends really on the weather. I think that if it is raining in the morning I will probably end up with a rather short day in the saddle tomorrow. If, on the other hand, it is dry and clear- well then I might try to see how far I can go...
Total mileage for the trip: 954 miles
Oh, how excited I was when I woke this morning! It wasn't raining, and I got to take a nice hot shower first thing. As soon as I was done, I quickly started getting my things packed up, I felt the first raindrops fall. Ugh, I could tell it was gonna be that kinda day. One of the RVers came over as I was packing with his little dog Cass, a sweet blue heeler-whatever mutt that jumped around in circles and played with everything. He said that there was a good place down the road for coffee, which was where he was going. By the time I was done packing and ready to push off, it was pouring.
I pulled over about a mile down the road at the convenience store, got a large coffee and two egg and cheese biscuits, and sat down for a while. I originally thought I might just wait it out, but after about 45 minutes I was tired of sitting and just ready to go. I had a mostly downhill ride today, with only one real pass in my way and it was only about five miles down the road.
I have to say, it was some pretty miserable riding. It was mostly downhill, but I couldn't really enjoy it because if I got going, the rain would pelt my face viciously, and the water would run off my rain visor and blind me continuously. Without the continual pedaling creating body heat, the cold wind was chilly and causing me to shiver; I almost wished for a steady climb to warm me up a bit. I think that at one point there was some freezing rain or small hail mixed in because some hit me in the (already blistered from the desert sun) lower lip and split it! So painful...
Every chance I got I would stop off and try to warm up some. I pulled off at McDonalds for cookies; gas stations for hot chocolate. I watched the miles go by but not fast enough. Finally, after more than 5 hours in the rain, it started to let up. I started to peel off layer after layer of wet clothes and hang them off my panniers to dry. By about 3 in the afternoon I looked like a rolling laundromat.
I had made arrangements to stay at the Eugene Whiteaker Hostel for the evening, so I began to route myself into town. After a harrowing half an hour or so, I was through the Eugene-Springfield freeway interchange and on my way to the hostel. It is located in a funky little historic area in Eugene. After I got there and was able to get settled, I went out and enjoyed dinner (huevos rancheros!) at a local restaurant and a large mocha from a coffee shop within walking distance. It was a great way to end an otherwise crappy day of riding.
At this point I have a little less than two full days of riding to get back to Portland. The route that I am taking looks to be fairly fast and flat, and it all depends really on the weather. I think that if it is raining in the morning I will probably end up with a rather short day in the saddle tomorrow. If, on the other hand, it is dry and clear- well then I might try to see how far I can go...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Day 12: Crater Lake National Park to Crescent Creek
Today's mileage : 74 miles
Total mileage for the trip: 871 miles
I sleep awfully last night, tossing and turning in the freezing cold. I was wearing literally every layer of clothing I had, inside my sleeping bag, and could not seem to stay warm. Worst of all were my feet, which were numb the whole night. I was up at about 6 am, mainly because I couldn't lay there and be cold anymore, and I knew that if I finished the rest of the climb to the rim road I would be good and toasty. I had visions of hot chocolate and danishes and breakfast and a huge coffee from the Crater Lake Rim Village Gift Shop dancing in my head. Also, they might have a fireplace....
The rain was gone but everything was frozen. I couldn't get anything to work right. My map holder, plastic and flexible, was brittle and stiff, and could not be seen through because of the thin layer of ice on it. I took out my phone to shoot a picture, the touchscreen got hazy, frosted, and then no longer functioned. I had to stick it back in my pocket to make it work again.
Once again I was climbing up and up, my stomach empty because on one hand I really didn't want to fix breakfast in th cold, and on the other I really wanted to see the sun come up over Crater Lake. When I got there, it was beautiful but really too cold to stop and look at, so I fled to the gift shop and finally got something in my stomach. I warmed up over a breakfast croissant and three or four huge cups of coffee. I didn't want to leave. I found out from the lady at the counter in the cafe that it had snowed and that they all thought it was really odd to have snow in August,
While I was warming up I was approached by an awesome older gentle man of 76 years old. He was hiking the Pacific Coast Trail and had camped out in the same weather I was in last night. He was trying to decide whether to continue today or wait another day to go. We talked for some time about his past trips (he has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail recently, his wife only "allows" him 40 days out on the trail a year now). He was extremely serene, intelligent, almost beatific. He made quite an impression on me, and I told him so. We also talked about the recent fires in the area, and how it would be difficult for him to make it to Mackenzie's Bridge (where he wanted to finish up this section) because of the blazes. This set my thoughts in motion, and I came to realize that I better figure out another way home, rather than risk riding through the burned (and possibly closed) sections of my own route home.
I've finally decided that I will have to attempt the Sierra Cascades portion of the trip some other time. From Crater Lake I will take 97 back to 85, then head to Eugene. From there it is a two day ride to Portland. With that issue resolved, I said goodbye to my newfound friend and took off to complete a circuit of the ~30 mile rim road. It was a real piece of work but was made easier by a hefty breakfast, and soon enough I was saying goodbye to Crater Lake and heading back down the mountain.
The ride back was pretty laid back. For the first time on this trip I felt as if I could go on autopilot, that all I needed to do now was get back home. I was listening to some tunes and generally zoning out when all of a sudden I see another touring cyclist coming the other way. We hit it off immediately and chatted for some time on the side of the road. He was on a much longer tour that I, all the way around the world it seemed. He was from Hawaii and had started this part of his journey in Alaska. We parted ways after some exchange of info, and then I made my way down the road to my turnoff at Hwy 85.
The ride after that was generally uneventful. I rode against a west wind until I was tired, and then I stopped at an RV park that rents cabins, but also has tent camping, showers and a place to do laundry- all for very cheap. Tomorrow night I would like to stay at a hostel in Eugene, about 80 miles away. I hope that the forecast for tomorrow is wrong, and that it will not be raining again as they are predicting...
Total mileage for the trip: 871 miles
I sleep awfully last night, tossing and turning in the freezing cold. I was wearing literally every layer of clothing I had, inside my sleeping bag, and could not seem to stay warm. Worst of all were my feet, which were numb the whole night. I was up at about 6 am, mainly because I couldn't lay there and be cold anymore, and I knew that if I finished the rest of the climb to the rim road I would be good and toasty. I had visions of hot chocolate and danishes and breakfast and a huge coffee from the Crater Lake Rim Village Gift Shop dancing in my head. Also, they might have a fireplace....
The rain was gone but everything was frozen. I couldn't get anything to work right. My map holder, plastic and flexible, was brittle and stiff, and could not be seen through because of the thin layer of ice on it. I took out my phone to shoot a picture, the touchscreen got hazy, frosted, and then no longer functioned. I had to stick it back in my pocket to make it work again.
Once again I was climbing up and up, my stomach empty because on one hand I really didn't want to fix breakfast in th cold, and on the other I really wanted to see the sun come up over Crater Lake. When I got there, it was beautiful but really too cold to stop and look at, so I fled to the gift shop and finally got something in my stomach. I warmed up over a breakfast croissant and three or four huge cups of coffee. I didn't want to leave. I found out from the lady at the counter in the cafe that it had snowed and that they all thought it was really odd to have snow in August,
While I was warming up I was approached by an awesome older gentle man of 76 years old. He was hiking the Pacific Coast Trail and had camped out in the same weather I was in last night. He was trying to decide whether to continue today or wait another day to go. We talked for some time about his past trips (he has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail recently, his wife only "allows" him 40 days out on the trail a year now). He was extremely serene, intelligent, almost beatific. He made quite an impression on me, and I told him so. We also talked about the recent fires in the area, and how it would be difficult for him to make it to Mackenzie's Bridge (where he wanted to finish up this section) because of the blazes. This set my thoughts in motion, and I came to realize that I better figure out another way home, rather than risk riding through the burned (and possibly closed) sections of my own route home.
I've finally decided that I will have to attempt the Sierra Cascades portion of the trip some other time. From Crater Lake I will take 97 back to 85, then head to Eugene. From there it is a two day ride to Portland. With that issue resolved, I said goodbye to my newfound friend and took off to complete a circuit of the ~30 mile rim road. It was a real piece of work but was made easier by a hefty breakfast, and soon enough I was saying goodbye to Crater Lake and heading back down the mountain.
The ride back was pretty laid back. For the first time on this trip I felt as if I could go on autopilot, that all I needed to do now was get back home. I was listening to some tunes and generally zoning out when all of a sudden I see another touring cyclist coming the other way. We hit it off immediately and chatted for some time on the side of the road. He was on a much longer tour that I, all the way around the world it seemed. He was from Hawaii and had started this part of his journey in Alaska. We parted ways after some exchange of info, and then I made my way down the road to my turnoff at Hwy 85.
The ride after that was generally uneventful. I rode against a west wind until I was tired, and then I stopped at an RV park that rents cabins, but also has tent camping, showers and a place to do laundry- all for very cheap. Tomorrow night I would like to stay at a hostel in Eugene, about 80 miles away. I hope that the forecast for tomorrow is wrong, and that it will not be raining again as they are predicting...
Day 11: La Pine State Park to Crater Lake National Park
Mileage for the day: 65 miles (I didn't count the return trip for the lost Keen sandal)
Total mileage for the trip: 797 miles
Well, today has been my latest day on the road yet. I didn't set my alarm because I just didn't feel like getting up at the crack of dawn. I was headed into Crater Lake today and knew that I had relatively few miles to get there before dark. I finally got out of my sleeping bag at 8:30 (which is kinda late for bike touring) and slowly got my things together. It was fairly chilly, and the sky was very overcast. What a difference a day (and a couple hundred miles) makes! Just a day ago I was burning up, dry as a bone, and as soon as I get back to the forest, here comes the cold and rain. I got underway but realized about 10 miles down the road that I had absentmindedly set my Keens on the back rack and that one had fallen off. I had to backtrack the whole way to find it, setting me back quite a bit.
The rain eventually came down, but I didn't really mind that so much. I can escape the rain with plenty of good raingear, so I put on my layers and just kept truckin'. The only thing is, when I opened my clothes bag to grab my waterproofs, I realized that I really needed to do some laundry.
I cruised through a couple of small towns before I came upon Crescent and its RV park with a laundromat right out front. I went in and got 5 bucks worth of quarters and proceeded to wash my things. Only one hitch, though... I'm wearing half of my things that need to be washed. Oh well, just slip behind the machines, take off everything while no one's around, and put on my rainpants and rainjacket. There, that should do it. I don't look odd with my raingear on (as it's rainy out) and no one would be the wiser. I sat down with my netbook (the RV park had wifi, w00t!) out of the cold and rain, and waited for my things to wash and dry.
Well, no sooner than I had done this, an older woman walked into the laundromat with two big baskets of clothes, sorts and puts them into the machines, and then starts reading a magazine. I looked all around for a restroom to go change in, but none was to be found. Great, now what do I do? I can't put my nice, warm, clean clothes on! Anyway, I won't tell you how I finally got re-dressed, but suffice to say, it was elaborate.
I headed on down the road and was excited to turn off of 97 towards Crater Lake. I really love changing over my maps when I get to certain points on a trip, and I pulled out the Sierra Cascades map and took a look at the profile. I was startled to find that I would be climbing like a maniac, full-stop, for the next 30+ miles, right up to the rim road at 6,000 or so feet. Not to mention also, the road up to the north entrance is absolutely, perfectly straight. You can just see that climb go on and on and on forever...
I chugged and chugged late into the afternoon, the sun getting low and the heavy cloud cover not making it any brighter. For at least an hour I could see a bright spot just over the top of the horizon and below the clouds, and I chased that carrot feverishly. Of course you know it's never good when you are racing the setting sun, you'll always lose.
I finally got inside the park gates, made my way in as far as I could go in the (now completely) dark, and when I spotted a nondescript building I pitched my tent behind it and passed out, the rain still drizzling down. Later, as it had during that day (I would find), the rain turned to snow...
Total mileage for the trip: 797 miles
Well, today has been my latest day on the road yet. I didn't set my alarm because I just didn't feel like getting up at the crack of dawn. I was headed into Crater Lake today and knew that I had relatively few miles to get there before dark. I finally got out of my sleeping bag at 8:30 (which is kinda late for bike touring) and slowly got my things together. It was fairly chilly, and the sky was very overcast. What a difference a day (and a couple hundred miles) makes! Just a day ago I was burning up, dry as a bone, and as soon as I get back to the forest, here comes the cold and rain. I got underway but realized about 10 miles down the road that I had absentmindedly set my Keens on the back rack and that one had fallen off. I had to backtrack the whole way to find it, setting me back quite a bit.
The rain eventually came down, but I didn't really mind that so much. I can escape the rain with plenty of good raingear, so I put on my layers and just kept truckin'. The only thing is, when I opened my clothes bag to grab my waterproofs, I realized that I really needed to do some laundry.
I cruised through a couple of small towns before I came upon Crescent and its RV park with a laundromat right out front. I went in and got 5 bucks worth of quarters and proceeded to wash my things. Only one hitch, though... I'm wearing half of my things that need to be washed. Oh well, just slip behind the machines, take off everything while no one's around, and put on my rainpants and rainjacket. There, that should do it. I don't look odd with my raingear on (as it's rainy out) and no one would be the wiser. I sat down with my netbook (the RV park had wifi, w00t!) out of the cold and rain, and waited for my things to wash and dry.
Well, no sooner than I had done this, an older woman walked into the laundromat with two big baskets of clothes, sorts and puts them into the machines, and then starts reading a magazine. I looked all around for a restroom to go change in, but none was to be found. Great, now what do I do? I can't put my nice, warm, clean clothes on! Anyway, I won't tell you how I finally got re-dressed, but suffice to say, it was elaborate.
I headed on down the road and was excited to turn off of 97 towards Crater Lake. I really love changing over my maps when I get to certain points on a trip, and I pulled out the Sierra Cascades map and took a look at the profile. I was startled to find that I would be climbing like a maniac, full-stop, for the next 30+ miles, right up to the rim road at 6,000 or so feet. Not to mention also, the road up to the north entrance is absolutely, perfectly straight. You can just see that climb go on and on and on forever...
I chugged and chugged late into the afternoon, the sun getting low and the heavy cloud cover not making it any brighter. For at least an hour I could see a bright spot just over the top of the horizon and below the clouds, and I chased that carrot feverishly. Of course you know it's never good when you are racing the setting sun, you'll always lose.
I finally got inside the park gates, made my way in as far as I could go in the (now completely) dark, and when I spotted a nondescript building I pitched my tent behind it and passed out, the rain still drizzling down. Later, as it had during that day (I would find), the rain turned to snow...
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Day 10: Hampton to La Pine State Park
Today's mileage: 89 miles
Total mileage for the trip: 731 miles
Two things woke me this morning: my alarm clock and the bitter cold. I think it would take some time to get used to the temperature fluctuations of the desert. During the day it's crazy hot and dry, so much that the mouth feels parched right after having gulped down water. At night, all of your clothes that were sweaty are now frozen stiff.
The owner asked me first thing if I wanted some hot coffee. He already knows me really well. We perused my maps as he opened the restaurant, but I could not stay for breakfast. The weather was good now, the smoke had cleared for the time being, and I had to get out of here. I shoved off, cementing in my mind a day of huge miles, even if it killed me.
The day stayed chilly. I wore my cold weather gear for a few hours as I pedaled with uncommon authority across the desert. I ate a delicious breakfast in Brothers and called home to let everyone know I was okay. Later, I passed through Millican, a town so small that it reportedly had a population of 1 for some time. I guess that person passed on, because the store that was recently open is now closed. Still pressing on, I realized that I had been in my big ring for quite some time, and I was approaching the outskirts of Bend.
I was a little afraid that Bend would be horrible and smokey, what with the fires nearby, but there was no problem. I ate at the McDonald's downtown, then hauled past Pilot Butte and out of town by way of Bend's rather odd red sand bike lanes.
Passing by Newberry National Volcanic Monument was awesome. It has a huge cinder cone and lava field by the road, and reminded me so much of when Ev and I visited Craters of the Moon National Park. I flew past Sunriver (where my four buddies from the springs lived, who told me to swing by and see them) with my aim firmly on La Pine State Park.
The last few miles I was fueled by frustration; I had received a text from Ev about some irritating news, and I grew anxious about things at home, Olive, etc... in my absence. I was in an awful mood when I made it to La Pine, only to find that they had no hiker-biker sites to speak of. Physically and mentally drained, I walked over to a park bench and slumped down to consider my options.
After a phone call home and a campground host who found a space for me, I was so relieved to finally take a shower after a few days without, make some dinner on the stove and pass out. I was out of the desert and back in the forest...
Total mileage for the trip: 731 miles
Two things woke me this morning: my alarm clock and the bitter cold. I think it would take some time to get used to the temperature fluctuations of the desert. During the day it's crazy hot and dry, so much that the mouth feels parched right after having gulped down water. At night, all of your clothes that were sweaty are now frozen stiff.
The owner asked me first thing if I wanted some hot coffee. He already knows me really well. We perused my maps as he opened the restaurant, but I could not stay for breakfast. The weather was good now, the smoke had cleared for the time being, and I had to get out of here. I shoved off, cementing in my mind a day of huge miles, even if it killed me.
The day stayed chilly. I wore my cold weather gear for a few hours as I pedaled with uncommon authority across the desert. I ate a delicious breakfast in Brothers and called home to let everyone know I was okay. Later, I passed through Millican, a town so small that it reportedly had a population of 1 for some time. I guess that person passed on, because the store that was recently open is now closed. Still pressing on, I realized that I had been in my big ring for quite some time, and I was approaching the outskirts of Bend.
I was a little afraid that Bend would be horrible and smokey, what with the fires nearby, but there was no problem. I ate at the McDonald's downtown, then hauled past Pilot Butte and out of town by way of Bend's rather odd red sand bike lanes.
Passing by Newberry National Volcanic Monument was awesome. It has a huge cinder cone and lava field by the road, and reminded me so much of when Ev and I visited Craters of the Moon National Park. I flew past Sunriver (where my four buddies from the springs lived, who told me to swing by and see them) with my aim firmly on La Pine State Park.
The last few miles I was fueled by frustration; I had received a text from Ev about some irritating news, and I grew anxious about things at home, Olive, etc... in my absence. I was in an awful mood when I made it to La Pine, only to find that they had no hiker-biker sites to speak of. Physically and mentally drained, I walked over to a park bench and slumped down to consider my options.
After a phone call home and a campground host who found a space for me, I was so relieved to finally take a shower after a few days without, make some dinner on the stove and pass out. I was out of the desert and back in the forest...
Friday, August 27, 2010
Day 9: Riley to Hampton
Today's Mileage: 42 miles
Total mileage for the trip: 642 miles
I got the jump on the sun this morning, fearing that I would add another layer of burn over my already blistered skin. I wanted to go, push hard out of the desert, it was really starting to wear on me. My nose was peeling even after repeated application of sunscreen, I couldn't stay hydrated no matter how I tried, and psychologically, the heat was winning. I wanted to get back to the forest.
It was not to be; when I checked the weather app on my Droid, it said that today would be a windy day, blowing right in my direction, with gusts up to 45 mph. Not good. I tried to get as far as I could before it started kicking up, but by the time I got to Glass Buttes, I was spinning in low gear and trying to stay upright against a furious headwind.
After some time of this, I was done. I saw Hampton (well, the two buildings -one empty- that composed the town of Hampton). I pulled into the small deli, delighted to see that I had come while they were actually open. The owners, an older couple, asked me what business I had out in this kind of wind as soon as I got in the door. I obviously looked rough, beaten by the wind and starving.
The two of them took me under their wing, asking if I wanted to hang out in the restaurant until the wind died down some, to which I happily agreed. A lot of locals came into the tiny store, among them a lifetime firefighter who, even though retired, had just come from fighting a blaze in Sisters, OR. His news was not good; it seemed that two separate fires were burning beyond Bend in Sisters, and that the smoke was making its way here.
It wasn't long before visibility dropped to less than a mile. As I sat inside the cafe, I could watch the smoke move past on the road, along with dust and the occasional tumbleweed. It was a little spooky, and did not bode well for the rest of the day (or trip).
Soon enough, the couple offered to let me stay in a spot in their (now abandoned) RV park out back. I couldn't refuse,I had no other options. I was sure that it would be an awful night- wind whipping the tent, tractor trailers flying by all night, and let's not forget about the smoke. I went back and humorously set up my tent in the wind and came back to the restaurant for my second meal of the day, which they would not allow me to pay for.
When the sun went down, however, the wind died down with it. The smell of smoke was gone in no time, even though I now knew that there were three different forest fires in the direction I was heading. Nonetheless, I got a decent night's sleep, without being woken even once by a truck or the weather.
Total mileage for the trip: 642 miles
I got the jump on the sun this morning, fearing that I would add another layer of burn over my already blistered skin. I wanted to go, push hard out of the desert, it was really starting to wear on me. My nose was peeling even after repeated application of sunscreen, I couldn't stay hydrated no matter how I tried, and psychologically, the heat was winning. I wanted to get back to the forest.
It was not to be; when I checked the weather app on my Droid, it said that today would be a windy day, blowing right in my direction, with gusts up to 45 mph. Not good. I tried to get as far as I could before it started kicking up, but by the time I got to Glass Buttes, I was spinning in low gear and trying to stay upright against a furious headwind.
After some time of this, I was done. I saw Hampton (well, the two buildings -one empty- that composed the town of Hampton). I pulled into the small deli, delighted to see that I had come while they were actually open. The owners, an older couple, asked me what business I had out in this kind of wind as soon as I got in the door. I obviously looked rough, beaten by the wind and starving.
The two of them took me under their wing, asking if I wanted to hang out in the restaurant until the wind died down some, to which I happily agreed. A lot of locals came into the tiny store, among them a lifetime firefighter who, even though retired, had just come from fighting a blaze in Sisters, OR. His news was not good; it seemed that two separate fires were burning beyond Bend in Sisters, and that the smoke was making its way here.
It wasn't long before visibility dropped to less than a mile. As I sat inside the cafe, I could watch the smoke move past on the road, along with dust and the occasional tumbleweed. It was a little spooky, and did not bode well for the rest of the day (or trip).
Soon enough, the couple offered to let me stay in a spot in their (now abandoned) RV park out back. I couldn't refuse,I had no other options. I was sure that it would be an awful night- wind whipping the tent, tractor trailers flying by all night, and let's not forget about the smoke. I went back and humorously set up my tent in the wind and came back to the restaurant for my second meal of the day, which they would not allow me to pay for.
When the sun went down, however, the wind died down with it. The smell of smoke was gone in no time, even though I now knew that there were three different forest fires in the direction I was heading. Nonetheless, I got a decent night's sleep, without being woken even once by a truck or the weather.
Day 8: Frenchglen to Riley
Today's Mileage:79 miles
Total mileage for the trip: 600 miles
My alarm went off at around 6 am, and I hit snooze a few times before rolling out from under the nice comfy quilt on my bed at the Frenchglen Hotel. By the time I got downstairs, coffee was already on, and the manager was setting the table for breakfast. He seemed genuinely sad that I would not be joining them, but I was in a real hurry to get on the road. I did stay around long enough to chat with some folks from Eugene, an older couple who were artists, who had a lot of good ideas about what was important in life and so forth. I paid my tab and left, almost kicking myself for my visit. The inn is very quaint and homey, and the service excellent, but for my purposes I would have been better off going to a campground. It would have cost me a fifth of the price I paid.
Honestly, not much happened on the road today except for a lot of sweating on my behalf. The way was relatively flat, and I did stop off in Burns for a few things, some JB Weld to fix my broke eyelet, and another Blizzard from the DQ. In order to try to escape the heat of another day, however, I stopped in at the Bureau of Land Management to check on the status of some camping spots I might want to take advantage of. I was told that I could certainly camp off the trail behind the rest area outside of town.
I pedaled on, now that the heat of the day had finally broken. I finished the trip out to the rest area, walked the foot path behind it, set up the tent and watched the sun go down. Good riddance.
Total mileage for the trip: 600 miles
My alarm went off at around 6 am, and I hit snooze a few times before rolling out from under the nice comfy quilt on my bed at the Frenchglen Hotel. By the time I got downstairs, coffee was already on, and the manager was setting the table for breakfast. He seemed genuinely sad that I would not be joining them, but I was in a real hurry to get on the road. I did stay around long enough to chat with some folks from Eugene, an older couple who were artists, who had a lot of good ideas about what was important in life and so forth. I paid my tab and left, almost kicking myself for my visit. The inn is very quaint and homey, and the service excellent, but for my purposes I would have been better off going to a campground. It would have cost me a fifth of the price I paid.
Honestly, not much happened on the road today except for a lot of sweating on my behalf. The way was relatively flat, and I did stop off in Burns for a few things, some JB Weld to fix my broke eyelet, and another Blizzard from the DQ. In order to try to escape the heat of another day, however, I stopped in at the Bureau of Land Management to check on the status of some camping spots I might want to take advantage of. I was told that I could certainly camp off the trail behind the rest area outside of town.
I pedaled on, now that the heat of the day had finally broken. I finished the trip out to the rest area, walked the foot path behind it, set up the tent and watched the sun go down. Good riddance.
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