Wednesday June 29
40 miles
Silent Creek OR
Route 19 Journey Through Time Scenic Byway has got to be theist beautiful road in America. And the best kept secret. It was like biking through the Grand Canyon with few other card on the road. The canyon walls were incredible and went on for mile after mile...all downhill along the John Day River.
People are different out here. And I like it. They're friendly. They're helpful. They like other people. Yesterday we pulled our bikes onto a ranch driveway, spread out our wet tent to dry and hiked back under a tree for shade for lunch. As we were done eating and walking back to our bikes, a woman in her Mercedes drives in and jumps out. We thought she was going to bitch us out fir being on her property. No. She was worried something happened to us. She gives me a big hug and asks if we're ok. When we said we were just seeking shade, she offered her storage barn a bit further up the driveway. This morning again an example. Last night we camped just outside this fossil monument next to the gate. The keeper surprised us quite early thus morning when he came to open the gate. Friendly guy. Not angry about where we were camped. Even said that although they weren't open for a couple more hours, he'd unlock the bathrooms for us. (Why are bathrooms locked anyways?). There hasn't been an angry anyone. But we're respectful too of their property and don't take advantage of the kindness.
Pedal on, Pedal on
Saddle BagLady
-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Endless Downhill
Tuesday. June 28
Fossil Museum
40 miles. Passed halfway point of Fuat's trip
Breakfast in town. You can screw up hollandaise sauce I found out. Darn!
Laundry. More grub. Probably last decent grocery store for quite a while.
Yesterday we met Dustin and he had biked the Columbia River Gorge eastward and made great time with the wind at his back. He did just a section westward and it was impossible. IMPOSSIBLE! Change of plans. Not doing that. Still working our way diagonally across OR. Still many questions about which way to go.
But I've been loving our route and extra glad we came this way. Today was 40 miles of gradual downhill as we followed the John Day River. And it should have been a joy. But for the HEADWINDS!!!! Worse for Fuat than for me. It hits the upright bike differently. More force.
Tonight we have the best campsite and view ever!!! We're in the area of the John Day Fossil Monuments. Ancient rock formations in every direction! Because we got here after close today, we're camped out in a field next to the gate. First in line tomorrow.
Got some fabulous sunset cloud photos on my good camera. Can't capture that stuff on my iPhone.
But I did get a pic of our tuna sandwiches for dinner. That's orang peppers and napa cabbage on panini bread. Yum!!!
Pedal on, Pedal on
Saddle BagLady
-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Fossil Museum
40 miles. Passed halfway point of Fuat's trip
Breakfast in town. You can screw up hollandaise sauce I found out. Darn!
Laundry. More grub. Probably last decent grocery store for quite a while.
Yesterday we met Dustin and he had biked the Columbia River Gorge eastward and made great time with the wind at his back. He did just a section westward and it was impossible. IMPOSSIBLE! Change of plans. Not doing that. Still working our way diagonally across OR. Still many questions about which way to go.
But I've been loving our route and extra glad we came this way. Today was 40 miles of gradual downhill as we followed the John Day River. And it should have been a joy. But for the HEADWINDS!!!! Worse for Fuat than for me. It hits the upright bike differently. More force.
Tonight we have the best campsite and view ever!!! We're in the area of the John Day Fossil Monuments. Ancient rock formations in every direction! Because we got here after close today, we're camped out in a field next to the gate. First in line tomorrow.
Got some fabulous sunset cloud photos on my good camera. Can't capture that stuff on my iPhone.
But I did get a pic of our tuna sandwiches for dinner. That's orang peppers and napa cabbage on panini bread. Yum!!!
Pedal on, Pedal on
Saddle BagLady
-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Ya Gotta Earn Your Wheeeee!
Monday June 27th
John Day OR
40 miles
Trip total. 820, I guess
Not one, but two 5000 ft summits were crossed today. Up and up and up and up....then...wheeeee! I don't have a bike computer anymore so I don't know how fast I get going, but I'm way, way ahead of Fuat by the bottom. Blaze screams down the hills! I've started putting my helmet on for the downhills 'cause they're that exhilarating. And scary. O gave to tell myself to stop tensing up and just sit back and enjoy the ride!!! Wheeee!
After Dixie Summit, the second one, the downhill broke out into the most gorgeous valley I gave ever seen. Long. Wide. Green and lush. With snow capped mountains all along it. Took my breath away. I had to stop the speedy descent to take I'm the beauty. Breathtaking! The kind of view that pictures just don't capture. Ya just gotta be there.
And then it was downhill for 15 miles. Thankgoodness. Because these here legs ache every time I start pedaling after a stop. They're plum tuckered out.
Lost my sun visor today during one if the downhills when I switched it out for my helmet. And it's a critical piece of multiple-function gear: holds my hair off my face and off my neck and shields the sun (and rain) out if my eyes. So when I got to a town I started asking around to find one. Small town. Not many shops. But didn't the lady in one call down the street to another shop to see if Wanda had any. And she did. But I didn't like them. Not comfortable. But she did gave a baseball cap that I liked. Had to cut the center out - cooling factor for thus post-menopausal lady! So even before paying her I borrowed some scissors and started hacking away. Then asked for a needle and thread. She said she had a sewing machine and after she finished wrapping a gift she'd sew it. I said we wre going down the street for ice cream angus be back in a while. Still hadn't paid for it. Came back and she's apologizing for a slight sewing mishap. I said, "It's beautiful! Just what I needed! I love it!". Gave her $6.50 and a hug. What's not to love in small town America?
On to John Say and as we're riding in to town, Will, a forest service employee and bike,chats us up on the street. Says he has an Oregon bike map at his house, so we follow h home. One thing leads to another and we have a place to camp in his yard (please turn off the sprinklers, says me) and use of his shower. Lovin' it!
Pedal on, Pedal on
Saddle BagLady
-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
John Day OR
40 miles
Trip total. 820, I guess
Not one, but two 5000 ft summits were crossed today. Up and up and up and up....then...wheeeee! I don't have a bike computer anymore so I don't know how fast I get going, but I'm way, way ahead of Fuat by the bottom. Blaze screams down the hills! I've started putting my helmet on for the downhills 'cause they're that exhilarating. And scary. O gave to tell myself to stop tensing up and just sit back and enjoy the ride!!! Wheeee!
After Dixie Summit, the second one, the downhill broke out into the most gorgeous valley I gave ever seen. Long. Wide. Green and lush. With snow capped mountains all along it. Took my breath away. I had to stop the speedy descent to take I'm the beauty. Breathtaking! The kind of view that pictures just don't capture. Ya just gotta be there.
And then it was downhill for 15 miles. Thankgoodness. Because these here legs ache every time I start pedaling after a stop. They're plum tuckered out.
Lost my sun visor today during one if the downhills when I switched it out for my helmet. And it's a critical piece of multiple-function gear: holds my hair off my face and off my neck and shields the sun (and rain) out if my eyes. So when I got to a town I started asking around to find one. Small town. Not many shops. But didn't the lady in one call down the street to another shop to see if Wanda had any. And she did. But I didn't like them. Not comfortable. But she did gave a baseball cap that I liked. Had to cut the center out - cooling factor for thus post-menopausal lady! So even before paying her I borrowed some scissors and started hacking away. Then asked for a needle and thread. She said she had a sewing machine and after she finished wrapping a gift she'd sew it. I said we wre going down the street for ice cream angus be back in a while. Still hadn't paid for it. Came back and she's apologizing for a slight sewing mishap. I said, "It's beautiful! Just what I needed! I love it!". Gave her $6.50 and a hug. What's not to love in small town America?
On to John Say and as we're riding in to town, Will, a forest service employee and bike,chats us up on the street. Says he has an Oregon bike map at his house, so we follow h home. One thing leads to another and we have a place to camp in his yard (please turn off the sprinklers, says me) and use of his shower. Lovin' it!
Pedal on, Pedal on
Saddle BagLady
-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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