catfish
Hi
boy what a great few days its been. I might get kicked off the comoputer before i finish typing so this may end abruptly (sorry) i stil lwioshed i could type as fast as Joe anne does the key board smoles when she gets those fingers flying accross the keys.....
Ok so I slept inthe church in Dayville you allready know that. about 9pm i was about to crawl into the slpeeping bag when a dude and his woman walk in they were looking cold and lost. it turned out they were travleing in their car and neglected to get gas at the last town that had anything open and were about to run out. the next chance as gas was at least 40 miles east. I told them where Claudieen lived and thet chould check with her and see if they can find the fellow that ownes the gas stationin town and he might open up and sell some gas to them, i never saw them again so they must have done ok.
i got out on the road about 7 am and headed tyo the dinner in Dayville for breakfast and coffee. met a fellow rinning for some kind of office and he was talking to any one that would listen after i had an ear full i got up and moved to another table and ate my pancakes while he kept the jabbering up.
out on the road now and the scenery is gorgeous ridning through the John Day fossel beds and picture gorge the early morning sun makes a soft light and everything takes on even more beauty. it was cool but before long the sun was warmimg me and i stopped to get out of my jacket and leg warmers.
Before long the first of 2 climbes started this one is a gradula at first 32 mile grade. steady up some flat and more up it was about 4 hours till i reached the summit ann was rewarded with a fast long decent.
After 5 or so miles was the tiny interesting town of Mitchell Id camped there before in the park and was thinking about doing it again tnight rather than make the 2nd more serious clomb today. Wheni got ther the town was packed with some kind of festival i went to the p[ark and raninto the polition from breakfast and he talked at me again for a while then i talked to some locals this festival looked like a lot of fun but i knwe i wouldnt get any sleep there and decided tomake the 2nd climb ad thoughts of making Ochocho resivor for the night a nice camp site 4 doll;ars with a shower.
Out of mitchell i was still going down hill and enjoying it but ther was a slight head wind picking up. then the climb began not easing into it it was just there right in your face type of climb. I was working through the gerars and still confidant it was early enough to make the resivor and get intothe little cafe accross the street before they closed at 5 pm..
This climb went on for ever i think it is 12 or 16 miles cant remember but took forever, and every time i thought i could see the top and went over a notch ther was another hill the cars and trucks would diossapear and I could hear them down shift you know what thet means steeper grade. I had to stop every chance i got to take a short rest and drink and get the sweat out of my eyes. it was warm and sunny the scenery was awesome the hill was kicking my butt though.
Little by little i began to realize i wasnt going to make it to the resivor before dark. i got lights and a blinking tail light for emergancys but i didnt want to be out on the dark especially on a holiday weekend. I started to look arround for a suitable place to just pull off and hide for the night Being up arround 5,000 ft i knew it would get cold tonight so was looking for some place to block the wind too. I came apon the sign that said passing lane 1 mile i knew from last time through here in one mile the hill got really nasty for about 2 iles then it gave opne last push at the top. i also remembered there was a primitive camp at the top the forest service owned but fdidnt know anything about it. My right quad was cramping and i had to stop and stretch often so it wouldnt shut down on me
When i got to the top i knew i wasnt going anyfurther it was allready 5 pm and the down hill side of this monster was going to be a gype since it was not as steep ass the up hill side and pretty much levels off real quick and the resivore was still 27 miles into a head wind.
i found out the bike camp was 2 dollars no showers but there wa cold running water. As i pulled in i met a guy and his wife we talked and when they asked where i started from and told trhe Desoto Wi they light up they were from La Crosse 30 miles from me small world heh? ok i talked tot he old couple camp hosts and got settleed in the camp made dinner of some slop (noodles and anything i had in the food bag ) Washed up and wealked arround the camp.
a copuple about my age invited me to their camp for tea. they were from British Columbia he is a 29 year veteran for thre canadian customs dept and gest 6 weeks off each year. we talked till it got dark and COLD then i said "hey i got to go home its dark and my light is in camp " So i stumbled home in the dark the sign at the entrance said this is bear county so my food bag was already hung high between two trees. As i walked into my camp i heard something just off in the brush something big i scared it of course i figure BEAR! then there was two more of what ever was out there and i started to make more noise not to startle them and let them know i was there..........i got to the table where my light was and shined it in their direction and what do you know? iot was 3 or 4 deer whew!
I did get cold and when i wike up i made a fire frompine copnes and twigs to get warm made breakfast and got going dwon the hill to the resivor and remember thinking i wouldnt have mnade it ther night before.
First night in camp was really loud i was in a camp near the Hy and the people in camp partyed all night not giving a darn about anyone else and disturbing them. most everyone was nice but this one group was just obnoxious.. However the next day being labor day rthey all packed up and left i moved into the besst site in the place over looking the water. Rode to town and resupplied with groceries. the traffic was heavey and i was gald not to be travleing today.
That afternoon i had a nce chat with th ecamp hosts and his wife they gave me a tomatoe from their garden to add to the dinner menue. I had a checken breast carots rice tomatoe garlich and a potatoe to cook up built a fire and sat arround thinking as it gat dark a couple stopped by to talk a while then i craweled into the tent. When i got up at 2pm and looked into the sky again it was filled with stars and a bit of a moon accross the water. This morning a huge flock of geese came by maybe it is a sign of something maybe not
ok i got through with out being kicked off :) today i am headed to Sisters and the base of Mc Kinzie pass topmoprrow i climb this las mountian pass before the coast with any luck in a few days Ill be in Florance and have to decide which way to go either to portland to catch the train or go south and enjoy the coast route and figure out how to catch the train further south
C?F
boy what a great few days its been. I might get kicked off the comoputer before i finish typing so this may end abruptly (sorry) i stil lwioshed i could type as fast as Joe anne does the key board smoles when she gets those fingers flying accross the keys.....
Ok so I slept inthe church in Dayville you allready know that. about 9pm i was about to crawl into the slpeeping bag when a dude and his woman walk in they were looking cold and lost. it turned out they were travleing in their car and neglected to get gas at the last town that had anything open and were about to run out. the next chance as gas was at least 40 miles east. I told them where Claudieen lived and thet chould check with her and see if they can find the fellow that ownes the gas stationin town and he might open up and sell some gas to them, i never saw them again so they must have done ok.
i got out on the road about 7 am and headed tyo the dinner in Dayville for breakfast and coffee. met a fellow rinning for some kind of office and he was talking to any one that would listen after i had an ear full i got up and moved to another table and ate my pancakes while he kept the jabbering up.
out on the road now and the scenery is gorgeous ridning through the John Day fossel beds and picture gorge the early morning sun makes a soft light and everything takes on even more beauty. it was cool but before long the sun was warmimg me and i stopped to get out of my jacket and leg warmers.
Before long the first of 2 climbes started this one is a gradula at first 32 mile grade. steady up some flat and more up it was about 4 hours till i reached the summit ann was rewarded with a fast long decent.
After 5 or so miles was the tiny interesting town of Mitchell Id camped there before in the park and was thinking about doing it again tnight rather than make the 2nd more serious clomb today. Wheni got ther the town was packed with some kind of festival i went to the p[ark and raninto the polition from breakfast and he talked at me again for a while then i talked to some locals this festival looked like a lot of fun but i knwe i wouldnt get any sleep there and decided tomake the 2nd climb ad thoughts of making Ochocho resivor for the night a nice camp site 4 doll;ars with a shower.
Out of mitchell i was still going down hill and enjoying it but ther was a slight head wind picking up. then the climb began not easing into it it was just there right in your face type of climb. I was working through the gerars and still confidant it was early enough to make the resivor and get intothe little cafe accross the street before they closed at 5 pm..
This climb went on for ever i think it is 12 or 16 miles cant remember but took forever, and every time i thought i could see the top and went over a notch ther was another hill the cars and trucks would diossapear and I could hear them down shift you know what thet means steeper grade. I had to stop every chance i got to take a short rest and drink and get the sweat out of my eyes. it was warm and sunny the scenery was awesome the hill was kicking my butt though.
Little by little i began to realize i wasnt going to make it to the resivor before dark. i got lights and a blinking tail light for emergancys but i didnt want to be out on the dark especially on a holiday weekend. I started to look arround for a suitable place to just pull off and hide for the night Being up arround 5,000 ft i knew it would get cold tonight so was looking for some place to block the wind too. I came apon the sign that said passing lane 1 mile i knew from last time through here in one mile the hill got really nasty for about 2 iles then it gave opne last push at the top. i also remembered there was a primitive camp at the top the forest service owned but fdidnt know anything about it. My right quad was cramping and i had to stop and stretch often so it wouldnt shut down on me
When i got to the top i knew i wasnt going anyfurther it was allready 5 pm and the down hill side of this monster was going to be a gype since it was not as steep ass the up hill side and pretty much levels off real quick and the resivore was still 27 miles into a head wind.
i found out the bike camp was 2 dollars no showers but there wa cold running water. As i pulled in i met a guy and his wife we talked and when they asked where i started from and told trhe Desoto Wi they light up they were from La Crosse 30 miles from me small world heh? ok i talked tot he old couple camp hosts and got settleed in the camp made dinner of some slop (noodles and anything i had in the food bag ) Washed up and wealked arround the camp.
a copuple about my age invited me to their camp for tea. they were from British Columbia he is a 29 year veteran for thre canadian customs dept and gest 6 weeks off each year. we talked till it got dark and COLD then i said "hey i got to go home its dark and my light is in camp " So i stumbled home in the dark the sign at the entrance said this is bear county so my food bag was already hung high between two trees. As i walked into my camp i heard something just off in the brush something big i scared it of course i figure BEAR! then there was two more of what ever was out there and i started to make more noise not to startle them and let them know i was there..........i got to the table where my light was and shined it in their direction and what do you know? iot was 3 or 4 deer whew!
I did get cold and when i wike up i made a fire frompine copnes and twigs to get warm made breakfast and got going dwon the hill to the resivor and remember thinking i wouldnt have mnade it ther night before.
First night in camp was really loud i was in a camp near the Hy and the people in camp partyed all night not giving a darn about anyone else and disturbing them. most everyone was nice but this one group was just obnoxious.. However the next day being labor day rthey all packed up and left i moved into the besst site in the place over looking the water. Rode to town and resupplied with groceries. the traffic was heavey and i was gald not to be travleing today.
That afternoon i had a nce chat with th ecamp hosts and his wife they gave me a tomatoe from their garden to add to the dinner menue. I had a checken breast carots rice tomatoe garlich and a potatoe to cook up built a fire and sat arround thinking as it gat dark a couple stopped by to talk a while then i craweled into the tent. When i got up at 2pm and looked into the sky again it was filled with stars and a bit of a moon accross the water. This morning a huge flock of geese came by maybe it is a sign of something maybe not
ok i got through with out being kicked off :) today i am headed to Sisters and the base of Mc Kinzie pass topmoprrow i climb this las mountian pass before the coast with any luck in a few days Ill be in Florance and have to decide which way to go either to portland to catch the train or go south and enjoy the coast route and figure out how to catch the train further south
C?F