Day 8 End of Trans Am 2022 Final Day - 17,987 ft total climbing

 Our final day was a rainy 79 mile ride from Eugene to Florence. The route out of downtown Eugene had us going in circles until we found a bike trail. After that we had no more routing issues.
The forest route to Florence provided great scenery. The leaves were changing colors. The air was forest scented. Our two passes were not long. We had great roads with a shoulder most of the way. 

We had a bit of a food desert. At 50 miles in Deadwood we had to pull out the jetboil and make ramen noodles with tuna. The little store there provided Tim with ice ream and Eric and me with candy bars. Our last stop before Florence was the Mapleton Library/CityHall/Water District/Lion's Club building. We got wi-fi and bathrooms.

With 13 miles to go we got a break on the rain. I thought we were going to be dry coming into the finish. Instead the sky opened up with pelting rain for the last 3 miles. Our adventure ended on that note at the hotel in Florence where my brother Alan greeted us. Needless to say there are not many photos from today and not even a dip in the ocean. We were wet enough. One more carbo dinner at the oldest pub in Oregon and a stop for ice cream bars marked the end of a Trans Am 2022 adventure. This finale was like a mini-cross country trip as it gave us a very unique mix of scenery, varied weather, (including smoke) hills and mixed terrain. We camped, hoteled, warmshowered and bike hosteled.  All were interesting.  We cooked ramen in the jetboil; ate peanut butter and tortillas and got great meals along the way.  We did it all.

The next big plan for Eric and me is a 5 month round trip west to DC and back across the Northern route in May of 2025 when he retires.  Tim is leaving in January 2024 for a 4 month trip north to south through Africa.

Happy touring to all.

Day 7 End of Trans Am 2022

Another 50 mile day. 

It was a dry start from our stealth camp in the forest at McKenzie Bridge.  The rain started soon after we had consumed a great breakfast at Vida.  Eric wanted to get his picture on the wall for finishing 2 logger pancakes that were bigger than his plate.  We stopped at our second covered bridge for more pictures.  At the Leaburg Dam,  Eric and Tim both walked down under to see the foundation. There is no generator at the Dam.  The water was being diverted into a raised canal. We pedal by it for about 5 miles then the water was let out down through 2 generators to produce power.  

We pedaled through rain along a decent shoulder on 126 to Eugene.  There was a lot of traffic so we were happy to find some bike trails in Eugene.  We made 2 stops at thrift shops looking for bikes we could take parts off of.  No luck there or at a couple of piles of camp remnants that had broken bikes included. The three of us agree that there seems to be  more pot stores in Eugene than Starbucks in Seattle. After reaching our hotel, Eric and Tim went to REI, luckliy nearby, and got a derailleur and parts to repair Eric's bike.  He currently is taking it out for a spin to see if all is well. Tim is finding us a restaurant within walking distance. 

The bike seems to be working and Mexican food at Chula's was great.  The homemade corn tortillas were delicious. We are busy drying out clothes in preparation for our last day.

Day 6 End of Trans Am 2022

Our route today was from Sisters to McKenzie River Bridge -50 miles.
We left my cousin's house at 8:30. The home provided us with clean clothes, showers and a good night's sleep on beds.  We stopped at Ray's Food Store in Sisters for food supplies as the next 90 miles was iffy for food and lodging.  At 9:30 am we started on the most awesome 50 mile ride. Out of Sisters we turned onto highway 242 over McKenzie Pass. This road is closed in the winter. It is not used by trucks or campers.  The forest going up was recovering from a burn 3 years ago. It was an interesting combination of burnt trees and new forest -so unique. 

Our climb was 2125 ft from Sisters to the Pass over 18 miles.  At the top we came into a huge Lava field. This area goes on for miles.  It is actually 3 lava flows next to each other.  It was like we went to the moon.  

At the top we had a bike blowup.  Eric is now riding a one-speed bike as his derailleur bent and died.  He did great for the rest of the ride which was another adventure.  

The road was smooth and curvy and downhill for 29 miles! Tim has not quit smiling. I imagined I was on the Tour.  Eric said he executed a perfect turn.  It was all worth every climbing mile.

We found food at McKenzie at a restaurant. 

Stopped at the covered bridge. Now we are stealth camping in the forest nearby. 

Day 5 The End of Trans Am 2022

Our route today took us from Prineville to Sisters.  After yesterday, today was like a day in heaven on the road.  We said good bye to our host family after coloring with youngest and playing hangman.  Breakfast at Dad's was the perfect energy load.  The sun was out and although it was only 34 degrees and frosty, it felt great. 

We had a view of the Three Sisters mountains and Mt. Jefferson all day.  Mt. Bachelor popped up too.  The fields were in every state of growth.  Green, cut hay, brown wheat, plowed. It was a great sight all the way to Terrebonne where we stopped at Oliver Lemon's to get lunch. This was a great little grocery store.  We took off with our lunch and stopped to eat at the best spot.

See our pictures of the Alpaca farm.  It was right on the route. We had grass and a front row view of the alpacas and the mountains.  I cannot remember a better view.

The rest of the ride in still provided sunshine and scenery all the way.  We are now in Sisters at a house in a development that is just like Sunriver.  So nice.  Thank you cousin Kay.

Day 4 The End of the Trans Am 2022

A wonderful evening was spent at the Spoke-n-Hostel in Mitchell.  It was a full house with another bicylist from BC and two women hikers from Eugene.  We talked a lot of cycling and about the eastern Oregon landscape. The women got caught in snow in the Strawberry mountains and came down to the hostel.

This morning we got coffee at the hostel and breakfast next door at the cafe.  We left in the rain. Weather made all day a challenge.  We had 16 miles of climbing to the summit all in the rain and as the temp went down from 41 to 33.  The downhill was not bad as it was not steep. We could pedal to keep our legs warm.  Hands and feet were all in a partial or whole state of frozen.

The last leg into Prineville was flat and fast.  We got a hot lunch at the Cafe Pioneer in Prineville and now are at our Warmshowers host. A hot shower has unfrozen me. We will spend the evening with Anne and Marcel and their 3 daughters.

Tim Ice reporting-  Warm Showers hosts normally provide lawn space for camping and use of a bathroom with warm shower.  Our hosts have a compact house (three bedrooms, one bath) but, anticipating our bedraggled state, managed to tuck us into an outbuilding with small shop and sauna.  We layed out our sleeping bags on the sauna benches.  

After showers and Marcel arriving home from his job as a smoke jumper, we were treated to dinner from their garden and an evening of Irish jigs and folk songs by Marcel and the daughters.

Day 3 The end of Trans Am 2023

After yesterday, today was going to be easier. Which it was but the addition of rain, a little hail and colder temps made it memorable.  We left from John Day at 7:20 and only went 8 miles for breakfast at the  Silver Spur in Mt. Vernon.  I had enough coffee for everyone. Breakfast was great. The temp was only 41 when we headed out to Dayville only 20 miles down the road. 

                     

Unfortunately Twisted Treasures restaurant that features gun-packing cook and waitress was not open.  The Dayville Cafe came through with pie.  We ordered sandwiches to go and also got a candy bar at the Dayville Merchantile.

Thus began our one climb of the day. The elevation gain was 2736 over 35 miles of slightly uphill and more uphill.  The rain and hail came periodically.  We put our rain jackets and took our rain jackets many times.  The temperature at the top was 45.  Luckily a 7-mile smooth downhill made our day on a great note.  We are snug inside at the Mitchell Spoke-n-hostel.  I have had two cups of hot tea to warm up.   Tim is eyeing ice cream in the freezer and Eric is wandering the whole place that is full of books, maps, pictures and bunk beds.  We are doing great now.

Day 2 of the End of our Trans Am ride

Baker City to John Day 80 miles with 5000+ feet of Climbing.

We had great breakfast burritos at The Pig restaurant at 6:30 am.  We met our host, Brian, back at the hostel.  He and his wife bought the building 2019.  He came from New York city to Baker city in 2007 and has never left.  He and his wife are both artists. They are trying to make a go the school as an arts center and bike/ski hostel.  He was a great host.

We left Baker at 7:45 and headed south out of town toward the Elkhorn mountains.  We had a climb out that was not steep but long.  Near Sumpter we stopped to see the Sumpter Valley Historic Steam engine railroad sight.  It wasn't open but we wandered around a very large area.  We climbed into a caboose car.  See our pictures.  The area was full old equipment used in sawmills and logging as well as railroads.  Eric and Tim were in heaven!

We climbed two more passes that were over 5000 feet. We thought we would eat lunch in Austin Junction which listed a restaurant. But it was not open Tues-Thursday. We made do with ramen and canned chicken. Literally we had a food desert for 72 miles all the way to Prarie City.

We had Dixie Pass after Austin Junction which was our highest climb at 5230. Yesterday I was going to be the ultimate tourer.  By the time we were climbing Dixie Pass I was in "just hanging on" mode.  I no longer have hopes of being the ultimate tourer.  I just have to ride and make it to the next stop!

The view coming down Dixie Pass of the prarie was incredible. In Prarie City we all got the food we had been missing. Tim had ice cream; Eric has an iced coffee. I went for peanut butter pretzels and an apple.  We went another 15 miles to John Day and now we are headed to dinner.

Tim wanted me to mention what good roads we had all day and decent shoulders to ride on. It was a great day.

Day 1 of the end! Trans Am 2022 finish in Sept. of 2023

Eric and I are finally finishing our trip. Due to logistics and time constraints we had to start in La Grande, OR and will finish in Florence, OR 8 days later.  

Our friend Tim Ice is also along for the finish and his wife Priscilla was nice enough to drive us to La Grande this morning.  We had a great send off breakfast there at the Long Branch cafe and bar. From a road nearby we unloaded bikes and loaded gear.  At approximately noon we headed out 

I have been so excited about going back on the road 

for this trip.  I am determined to be an ultimate bike tourer.  In the first hour I took more pictures than ever and I can tell you more about it than any hour on our previous trip! We saw donkeys, goats, sheep, horses, chickens, lots of cows and hawks. We stopped at big willow that had a picnic table and old water pump. It worked perfectly. We checked out a quinoa field. Fruit was irresistible- peaches, plums and apples were easy to pick from trees on the side of the road. The day was a perfect 75 degrees all day.

Our favorite stop was Union, OR. In addition to a Carnegie Library there was an old brick hotel. Behind the hotel we noticed that George Harrison had parked his rolls royce. It had been repainted white.  It was in perfect condition and it was in good company along with a new corvette, a 1968 corvette, and a BMW.  Amazing in a town of 1,000 people approx.  The park had a perfect gazebo for our food stop.

Baker City has a great bike hostel called Churchill that is an old school. It is also is an arts center and event center.  With showers and beds, we are most happy.  We had great mexican food at El Erradero which was packed on a Monday night.  Off to bed we go now.

Day 66 Sep13: John Day OR to Mitchell OR, 62.5mi 2582ft

I was in John Day OR almost exactly a year ago, following a Cycle Oregon route with friends Leisa, Tim, Jeff, Linda and Henry. I had so much fun and it was on that trip that Leisa and I vowed to do the TranAm in the spring…and we did! Left Clyde Halliday CG after sleeping in and having a leisurely breakfast. The headwind going west was brutal and consistent all day. Stopped in Dayville for a pumpkin spice latte and a BLT at a cafe we visited last year. It had made quite an impression because the young couple that own it and work it each pack pistols at their hip. Weird…your order is ready, here is your latte…and she is carrying a gun at her hip. Just another day in Central Oregon. I just had to see if they are still locked and loaded and they are.

After Dayville one enters the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The geology gets very interesting with volcanic relics, uplifts and basalt rock. It was a steady climb and though the total ascent was only 2582ft for the day compared to 3665ft yesterday, it was a taxing slog into the headwind. I ran out of water and got a bit forlorn. Finally, I got to the big descent into Mitchell OR.

The plan was to park the trailer just outside of Mitchell for the night for free on some janky BLM land but we stopped by the Spoke n’ Hostel because I wanted to show Bill what a neat place it is (we stayed here last year) Jalet the owner was just leaving. She remembered me and the gang from last year. She told Bill we could park the trailer in the parking lot and have the run of the hostel, its kitchen and the showers. She is a trail angel extraordinaire!! Writing this post from inside the hostel with some nice hot tea, rippin’ WiFi on a cozy sofa. People are so nice.

Day 65 Sep12: Union Creek CG to John Day OR, 68.2 mi 3665ft

Today was a trifecta: three ascents all 1000ft climbs followed by going all the way back down 1000ft. I heard someone on the TransAm near the Blue Ridge Mountains call these PUDs. Pointless Ups and Downs. But I don’t mind climbs and I certainly love the downhill rewards so today was a gratifying day. The towns along this route came to be because of logging and railroad. Prairie City was very cute and had a railroad museum that Bill visited (I will catch it on the return journey).

Met the unlocked trailer in John Day and heated myself up some ramen with hot dog slices in it. Junk food for sure but pure salty comfort and after all it is the official cuisine of bike touring. Bill was in the Kam Wah Chung museum and was deeply impressed by it. Apparently at one time John Day had the third largest Chinatown in the United States! The museum showed the hardship and discrimination the Chinese folks suffered as well as their grit and perseverance. They focused on two particular Chinese men that became successful businessmen, generous and kind, pillars of the community. I didn’t visit the museum but very much look forward to catching it on the way back.

Settled down in Clyde Halliday State Park Campground which was a blue ribbon facility! Beautiful park with mown lush grass, water and electrical hookups, flush toilets and showers. You can even stay in a teepee if you want. We are living large!

Day 64 Sep11: Richland OR to Union Creek Campground OR, 63.5mi

Today was a pleasant pedal as the rugged, harsh terrain of Hells Canyon gave way to the Elkhorn scenic byway after passing Baker City. Bill left camp at Richland and headed straight to Baker City for some chores; grocery shopping, car wash and laundromat. On my way there was a historical site where you can see Oregon Trail wagon ruts. A very pleasant hilly pedal with very little traffic. We met for lunch at Good Wife Bakery which was super yummy. Another TransAm cyclist was there that started in Astoria and intended to finish in Pueblo CO. His wife was sag-supporting him from their Tesla. They are hoteling it, but apparently charging is a bit of an issue and they intend to mitigate by camping at the occasional RV park with electricity. 

The ride along the Elkhorn byway revealed idyllic mountain streams, chiefly the Powder River, ghost towns and lakes. We made camp at a huge but virtually empty Union Creek campground. A wonderful place with sites ranging from tent to partial and full hookups, a dog park, boat ramp, well spaced sites, empty camp store, tall lodge pole pines. It was kinda weird though. This recreation site is in on Phillips Lake and the lake is very, very, woefully low. So much so that one would have to hike way, way down through mush to get to it. All the docks are high and dry by I’d guess 200ft. It just feels wrong. It’s just another illustration of climate change at work. They say that Oregon is in a severe drought, there is reduced snow pack and temperatures are hotter causing evaporation. Well it looks pretty obvious here at Phillips Lake where the lake is pretty much inaccessible for recreation. A little web research revealed that Baker County has declared a drought emergency and the lake is at 11% of capacity. It just feels like this well developed campground is going the way of nearby ghost towns. 

Day 63 Sep10: Brownlee Campground ID to Richland OR, 55.1mi

Had a hearty eggs’n sausage breakfast and started the day with a long, beautiful downhill into Brownlee Reservoir basin. This is Hells Canyon country and the valley walls are steep, a bit volcanic with basalt and covered in golden grass. With the morning light it was gorgeous. Rode along the Snake River for a bit and enjoyed the serenity of waterfowl, fishermen folk, glassy water and zero traffic. Crossed the border into Oregon, the final state of the TransAm! Went through Oxbow and cruised the rolling hills into Halfway OR. Halfway is a cute, tiny town and today they had a little farmers market and an interesting Mercantile. Treated myself to a veggie burger, an iced tea and a leisurely sit down. 

Finished up the last 20 miles with a big climb on Highway 86 followed by a huge, ripping downhill. There was little to no traffic so I took the whole lane and refused my brakes. So fun. Pedaled right into Hewitt County Park and Campground near Richland to the awaiting land yacht. Bill had it all set up. We had electrical power for the first time, so microwaved Trader Joe’s fried rice was a snap. Today was a good day.

Day 62 Sep9: New Meadows (Zims) ID to Brownlee Campground ID 73.5mi

 Took off from the hot springs campground with a route whereby I would pick up the Wieser River Trail just after New Meadows. I have been very curious about this trail since I discovered it on a trip to McCall in May 2020. It is 82 miles long and ideal for bikepacking on gravel bikes. My route was to ride on it from New Meadows, through Council and end in Cambridge. So yeah, I entered the trail after New Meadows and found it to be a complete mess with very thick ground gravel, like riding in sand. So I got back on Highway 95, which has absolutely no shoulder. It felt completely dangerous and after being buzzed a little too close I jumped back on the trail. Joy! This part of the trail had lovely compact dirt, tall trees, streams and plenty-o trestles bridges. Delightful. That lasted about 10 miles then the trail turned to dusty, ground cementy washboard. Again I crossed over to the highway and a double trailer semi truck came super close (<3 ft?) and it completely freaked me out. Back to the retina detaching washboard. Met Bill in Council ID for lunch. Stopped in a cute Mennonite dry goods store and bought some jams, salsa, peach pies. 

After lunch back to the washboard for another 20 miles because there is no way I want to die in Idaho. The stretch of the trail between Council and Cambridge goes off into the backcountry range so there is no bailout. Not only was the washboard jarring but every mile or so you have to unchain and re-chain a cattle gate. I thought if I can just get to Cambridge, we are camping at a hot springs resort there and I will be golden. Alas, when I arrived Bill reported that the resort/campground is closed for the season. The next campground is 20 miles up the road. So be it. He offered to load the bike on the car and drive in but No Way! EFI !! (Every #$@‘ing Inch as my Jamestown VA friend Debra says!! So I wrapped my head around riding another 20 miles (it’s simply like doing the morning Rocket Ride, right?) and pressed on. It was smokey, hilly and straight into a head wind. 

We camped at Brownlee CG US forest service which was nice and treesy. I ate, took a shower, took two Advil PMs and slept like a rock.