Fourteen Years and Counting

To Dayville, Oregon -- 61.9 miles, 13.7 mph, 1675 ft

Today is a very important day indeed -- Meg’s and my fourteenth wedding anniversary. Fourteen years ago, we were up early at home and busy hauling stuff -- drinks, decorations, stereo equipment, camping gear -- up to Sanborne Skyline County Park near our house where we would be married later that day in the middle of an impressive, towering redwood grove on a small wooden deck. We had a full house of friends and relatives who travelled long distances to be there, not to mention two adorable and needy, two month old Lab/Retriever pups running underfoot. We were fortunate to have many helping hands for our do-it-yourself affair. As a friend said on Facebook today, Meg and I are literally pedaling through life’s ups and downs. That is very true, and I am very lucky to have such a fun, adventurous, and understanding partner. (I just want to know why we seem to spend so much more time on the ups these days than the downs!)

One of the ups

Just yesterday, we pedaled our 3000th mile since leaving Sudbury, MA on May 1st. We've been covering about a thousand miles every three weeks… and now have only a thousand miles to go!  I told Kylie yesterday that we probably have only twenty riding days till home, and she was amazed. Only a trip of this duration would make someone think that a twenty day bike trip is short.

3005 miles since Sudbury... and counting

It has been very nice to have a large group to share the journey the last ten days. The cold and rain of the first few weeks in May and the winds and remoteness of the northern states have now been replaced with the repeated climbs and descents and intense summer heat of the last couple weeks. Our plan this morning was to get out of camp by 7:30, and we were within a few minutes of that. The cool morning air as we headed up Dixie Pass was much appreciated. Unlike yesterday, there were numerous towns along the route, so we could rest and refuel.

At the top of Dixie Pass

Reaching the summit early in the day, we enjoyed the wide open descent looking out over the valley into Prairie City.

There’s nothing better than a second breakfast after an early morning climb. We managed to pack all nine of us around a single round table in the courtyard of Chuck’s Little Diner. I think Bobby had two of the biggest pancakes I’ve ever seen, though we had little doubt he could finish them off. Kylie wanted an omelet but was worried she wouldn’t be able to eat the entire three-egg version. I assured her that, with this crowd, there was little danger of food going to waste. I’d love to know how many calories we're burning especially when we're grinding up hill for hours.

Bobby with his giant pancake, game face

As the day got warmer, we stopped in two other towns searching for snacks. Apparently, I didn't manage my eating too well today, because five miles after leaving Mt. Vernon for the last 22 mile stretch, I was already out of gas. I waved Bobby, Meg, and Dex on and stopped for a Power Bar and some Shot Blocks. Everyone else had left ahead of us so they were all miles ahead. Kylie announced she was ready to go, but my legs weren’t. Even in her most enthusiastic moments, moving the bike on her own is pretty hard to do. We eventually got moving again and caught up with Meg and Dex, who had stopped to wait in some shade, eight miles from the end.

Kylie was super hot as it was 99 degrees and the wind felt like a blast furnace at times. Like me when I was young, neither Dex nor Kylie really sweat much. Kylie’s coping method is to sip warm water from her Camelback and squirt it through her teeth onto her arms and legs.

The best part of the day was arriving in the small hamlet of Dayville, where the local Presbyterian church provides free accommodation for bicyclists. Attached to the small church was a dining hall, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. With everything we needed, it was a perfect place, and we were truly grateful.

  

Cooling off in the sprinklers