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.