The stretch of back roads between Smith Rocks and Prineville is only about twenty miles, so we had planned to push up over Ochoco Pass today, to Mitchell’s tiny city park, which is available to traveling bicyclists. Since Santiam Pass we have joined the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, the original coast-to-coast route created as part of the U.S. Bicentennial celebration in 1976. The organization that created the original route and maps was then called Bikecentennial, now Adventure Cycling (www.adventurecycling.org). This is the same organization that created the Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route that is to be the heart of this adventure.
We soon found ourselves riding in a lush, highly irrigated high-desert valley between huge rock escarpments, with a tailwind strong enough to allow us to simply coast at times. It was also surprisingly cold, around 60 degrees, with dark and threatening skies. With just a few miles to go, we pulled under a huge unused open-sided hay barn just as the skies opened up. During the hour and a half or so that we were waiting and talking while the rain continued, Don allowed as how his original route and schedule had been unattainably ambitious, and that had bothered him for the last couple of days as it was becoming apparent, but he had reached peace with going for the ride rather than the mileage. He was on vacation and could enjoy himself. He appeared visibly lighter and more at peace.
So he suggested a shorter ride, to Ochoco Lake, and I countered by suggesting an even shorter ride, given the continuing rain, to a possible Warmshowers host right in Prineville. For readers who have never heard of Warmshowers (www.warmshowers.org), it’s an interactive web resource for bicycle travelers to find a local home to stay at (from camping yard space to full bed & breakfast) pretty much anywhere in the world. Johanna and I are new Warmshowers hosts at our home off the Turquoise Trail between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, having hosted just one traveling couple so far. A few weeks ago I had contacted four hosts in towns along our Oregon route, and received encouragement from each to call when close, as all were happy to host us.
When the rain stopped we rode to Prineville and called Dennis and Kim, who promptly welcomed us in, even though both would be soon leaving on their own business. Leaving our bikes in their garage, we walked downtown to Solstice craft microbrewery for beers and lunch.
Tomorrow is forecast to be clear and sunny. More to come as it develops.
Two photos today… one is of Don, waiting out the rain in the barn today.
