Welcome back to my bike tour across a sizable swath of Oregon.
This is part 2. Part 1 is here. Part 3 is still under construction.
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Good morning from the Good Bike Co bike shop in Prineville, OR. The countdown has begun for the 2021 Ochoco Overlander grand depart.
I rush between breakfast, last minute bike tweaks, announcements, map updates, introductions, more and more coffee, and of course the line for the bathroom.
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[Photo by Good Bike Company] Last minute group shot just before we go.
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And we’re off. Prineville is a cute town. Not too small, but has a small-timey feel.
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The group will eventually thin to individual cyclists stretching for many miles.
GPS Navigation devices are required to make sure we don’t get too lost when biking alone.
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The landscape quickly changes from when we left town. We’ll bike over 70 miles today, the first 25 or so will follow this highway before we get to the gravel roads.
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I’m contractually obligated by wife to return home with photos of horses.
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Moving into the National Forest, this will be the view from behind the handlebars for many hours.
From this point on, I came across very few other cyclists in our group.
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My Element Bolt navigation device currently says I’m on the right road.
It had its moments where it got confused, which got me confused. That's another story if you'd like to hear more.
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They ran up to the fence when I stopped.
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The designated lunch stop was in Ashwood, OR, 97711. Here at the post office, they leave out goodies for cyclists on a donation basis.
Leave a few bucks then help yourself to water, ice cream and energy bars, chips, Gatorade, etc.
Our support van (not shown) was just across the way with a make-your-own-sandwich set up.
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This is big grass and gravel country. From here, the ride continues on for dozens of miles.
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Finally made it to the John Day river. Unfortunately the air is a mix of haze and wildfire smoke.
Tonight’s camp is at the end of this valley. Those white dots are dairy cows.
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Found the correct turn from the road and found the gang. Time to grab some beers and setup the tent.
An epic first day. I’m covered in mud and grime and quite happy regardless. Rosie had zero issues even though I pushed hard on some of those washboard and rutted descents. But the roughest stuff was yet to come.
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Dinner, song, drink and general cheer. Overnight, a windstorm kicked in at 4:00 AM. The staff tents were knocked over and one was ruined beyond use.
At breakfast, there were stories of tents flapping and items being blown adrift. I was fine, I slept like a brick.
However, since I left my utensil set at the staff tent, those items went missing. They were found eventually over the next few days.
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The adventure continues the next morning. The overnight weather system ushered in a gray day of wind and rain.
Steve and Thorsten have pushed off from camp and are heading to the Painted Hills overlook. I have just returned from there.
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The overlook at Painted Hills. Geologically, it's very interesting, but I’m not excited to ride in this weather for another 6 hours. Eventually I got warm and felt ok.
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This is the view for much of the day.
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The sky eventually cleared, but gave way to a massive headwind for the final 4 or 5 miles. I was attacked by an angry mob of tumble weeds bounding down the side of the road coming right at me. A comical moment.
Tonight’s destination is the Spoke N Hostel (above). It’s a spiritual center, a hostel for tourists & bikers and a community hub for the tiny town of Mitchell, OR. Population 100. The owners love hosting cyclists.
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Upstairs are bunks and dining tables.
Downstairs is the kitchen, bathrooms and plenty of sitting areas. Everywhere you look are notes of inspiration and instructions on how to help yourself to anything you may need.
Outside, under a modified gazebo, is the shower and laundry room. https://www.spokenhostel.org/
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Those of us who wanted to camp instead of bunk, set up in back along a small creek.
Happy hour, dinner and general party atmosphere was now the nightly routine at this point. Life is good.
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The treat-fairy has been following us the entire time. Return to your bike to find snacks and other eatable goodies. Tonight I found a nip of artisan Gin.
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Good morning from another winding gravel road.
Today’s ride will bring more rain, mud, wind and a couple of technical descents that caught me off guard.
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Leaving Mitchell, you pass the bustling center of town: the FEED ‘N FARM and the Trading Company.
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Climbing out of the valley, our route took us into some high elevation forest.
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The route stayed high for most of the afternoon, then dropped quickly.
The descent to camp was steep and shaded, visibility was decreased further since clouds and rain had moved in.
My glasses were covered with muddy spray. I had trouble seeing the ruts and huge rocks. Picking a good line was tough and at times I got sucked into the rough stuff, bashing it out with Rosie. A classic example of survival descending. Nothing rattled off the bike!
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Tonight’s camp is the last for our group. The rain has stopped, the campfire is going, and all are in good spirits.
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Good morning from coffee central. Chad and his renovated VW van are ready to get your caffeination started.
Checkout his website at https://www.autobahncoffee.com/home
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Next stop after coffee: breakfast, or perhaps some yoga?
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I took a bike & rider (and staff) photo of everyone before they left for today's final ride. It's nice to remember the faces and all the cool bikes. And all the inventive ways straps and bungies were employed!
See all the riders here.
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This was the typical view for most of the morning. Climbing through the trees.
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We broke out of the forest and started a long descent.
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When you come upon this tent, it's time for lunch.
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There are many miles to ride, but they are ticked off nicely as the route takes you down to the valley. A bummer to have to start working hard again when you reach the pastorals just outside of town.
But how nice the Sisters look white capped from the resent storms!
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Eventually, finally, gladly, I make my way back to the bike shop. I coast in ready for some cold beer. And there's a taco buffet, whoot!
Riders strewn between here and this mornings’ camp roll in. Sometimes triumphant, sometimes struggling, but we’re all fully rejoined by late in the afternoon.
High-fives, hoots and laughter abound. Selfies, email exchanges and lots of chat about coming back for another spin.
And just like that, this part of my trip is done.
A few of us hang around after others have been scooped up by friends or family to drive back to Bend or Portland or the local airport. Eventually I pull Rosie from the bike rack and wobble down the street to the hotel. I will sleep well tonight.
Tomorrow morning will bring chores of laundry, resupply and mapping my next segment. Part 3 coming soon: My ride from Prineville to Bend.
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If you've made it this far, thanks for plowing through it all :) If you have questions or would like to leave a comment, please do! The comment password is: life is good