I’m now in my little tent, with a clear sky and stars following a thunderstorm. We have ridden roughly 55 miles each day, which is pretty close to Don’s original plan, but we are already about a day behind, which is not. The last three days have been physically demanding and we’re both tired at day’s end. We climbed several passes, the highest being Santiam Pass at about 4,800′. That sounds fairly low – after all, I live at 6,600′ and Santa Fe is at 7,000 – until I recall that we started at close to sea level in the Willamette Valley.
Some of the climbs were so steep that my lowest gear (26 ring/32 cog) wasn’t low enough. Dropping down I hit 38 mph peak – on a fully loaded bike that feels darn fast.
Last night we camped at Lost Lake, which over the years has become more of a marsh. Each of us was visited (in our tents) by a couple of frogs tiny enough to sit on a dime with room left over.
Oregon is in its wildfire season. The road we plan to take east between Prineville and Mitchell, which is also the original Transamerica Bike Trail, has been closed for several days due to wildfire. I understand it was just reopened this morning, with a pilot car and delays. We’ll learn more when I call in the morning.
Once a bridge across the Santiam River, now a fishing spot.
Along the river, a deep blue-green
Don