July 1
On day 52 we biked 70 miles and climbed 4500ft in the heat to escape Hell’s Canyon. We did have a nice brunch stop at a cafe in Richland. I can’t recall if I posted about this, but many miles ago in Illinois (I think..) we ate lunch at a bar-restaurant and an unknown cyclist had paid forward for our lunch.
So we decided to return the favor at this Richland cafe and left money for the next cyclist to eat at this cafe. After a delicious apricot French toast, we continued biking for 40 miles to get to Baker City. Roger got another flat tire just 7 miles from town. We tried to just inflate it to make it in but alas we had to pull over 2 miles for camp to change out the tube. On the bright side, this rv park has a hot tub 😎
July 2
Saturday was Day 53. We biked 60 miles with 4000 ft of climbing. We got out of the hot desert and into the hilly National forests. We met two other bikers, Eddie and Alice, from Texas who were also heading to Florence OR. They have done a lot of touring over the decades and you could tell based on their neatly packed and lightweight gear. We rode with them for 20 miles until we reached the hills and then we zoomed ahead. We spent Sunday as a rest day at a quiet campground with my sister, Clayton, and Allen.July 3
We had a rest day in the campground to spend time with my sister Jessica, her son Clayton, and her boyfriend Allen.
July 4
Day 54 and happy July 4th 🇺🇸! We had a late start this morning as we were hanging out with family at the campground for a nice breakfast We had a short 50 mile day today. Missed the small town parades, too early in one and too late in the other. Only 4 more days until the ocean finish!
Day 54 and happy July 4th 🇺🇸! We had a late start this morning as we were hanging out with family at the campground for a nice breakfast We had a short 50 mile day today. Missed the small town parades, too early in one and too late in the other. Only 4 more days until the ocean finish!
July 5
On day 55 we rode 78 miles with 4700ft of climbing. The most amount of climbing since Rocky Mountain National Park. We had a nice cloudy day with a few sprinkles along the way. The road traveled through gorgeous gorges, canyons, national monuments and forests, through a nice small town, and over two mountain passes. Anita found a nice campground on the lake for our last RV stay of the trip. She will head to my sister’s house in Eugene tomorrow so my Dad and I will get a hotel after we get over the last mountain pass of the trip. 3 days of riding left!
July 6
Day 56 was a grand adventure in itself. Anita sped off to Eugene to spend the day with Jessica/Clayton so Dad and I will be staying at a forest resort tonight. We rode 90 miles and up and over McKenzie Pass to end the day. We started the day on an annoyingly busy farm road for 20 miles then we veered onto some nice quiet roads through forests, past small organic farms, and a large alpaca farm. After 55 miles We stopped for lunch in Sisters. We had to pick up a couple of extra sandwiches to carry with us as the “hotel resort” we booked for the night was not near any restaurants. The climb up the pass was beautiful, past large pine trees. As we got near the top we saw a massive lava rock field. I had no idea this place existed and it was truly otherworldly! The clouds got darker and the temperature dropped as we were exploring the summit. Once we started descending it began to rain. Not too hard but it was very cold (at least for cyclists without proper warm clothing!) We had a 20 mile descent to the forest resort. Once we arrived we couldn’t find the front desk area. We waved down a car and the couple said you have to check in at their other location, 2.5 miles away! And no cell service so we couldn’t call the hotel. Ah crap, the last thing we want to do is to tack on an extra 5 miles as we are shivering cold! The couple noticed our expression and offered me a ride to check in and return. Such nice folks we meet! Once we got into our room, the AC was blowing but there was no thermostat. At least it had a warm shower! But also no Wi-Fi and a non working 30 year old TV. Then we both slept poorly, I accidentally took my salt pills instead magnesium pills before bed. So my heart was racing and I had to drink two bottles of water during the night! I prefer the RV! Two day left…
July 7
On day 57, we cruised down the highway to Eugene to stay with my sister. Rode about 60 miles, much of it was on the highway until we got a bit closer to town and could ride on some county roads and then crossed town on bike paths/lanes. In a car, this highway would be a beautiful drive but it is nothing compared to the views and feelings you get when cycling on the remote roads that we have mostly been in across the country. Tomorrow, we will ride 80 miles to touch the Pacific Ocean at Florence, OR!
July 8
Day 58 of riding and we made it to the Pacific Ocean!! It took us 80 miles to get there. Clayton joined us for the start and then Jess, Mom, and Clayton all met for the end. I had many feelings and reflections of the entire journey. Just getting to Day 1 was the most difficult aspect of the journey. Once on the bike, life was pretty simple: pedal, eat, sleep, repeat…
Most of all, I feel grateful for many things:
- The loving support of Jess and Rosie.
- My Dad’s desire and motivation to make this adventure happen.
- My Mom and Riley following and leading with the RV and shared in on the fun.
- My brother for helping around the house while I was away. My sister for hosting us in Eugene.
- Friends who helped Jess back home.
- Friends and family who rode some miles with us.
- Many people we met along the way
- Support from my employer allowing me to take so much time away from work.
- And I am grateful for the Facebook friends who encouraged me to document our adventure, without you my GoPro movie skills would never have developed. I will appreciate these videos a lot as time passes. In total, we rode 4111 miles with 178,000 ft of elevation change. We started in Yorktown Virgina on May 2nd, 68 days ago. Tomorrow, I fly back to Colorado to be back with my family.
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