Day 4 -- Don't tell me it's hot . . . I see snow everywhere

June 24, 2004

ROUTE: Kah-Nee-Ta to Prineville OR  
DISTANCE:  60 miles                  
WINDS: Light but in our face for the final 30 miles.

WEATHER: Upper 50s at departure and we were forecast to be hot in the afternoon.  Cirrus clouds cover kept the temperatures tolerable through the early afternoon, but it got a bit toasty before the last ones got in.  Good practice for tomorrow.          
TERRAIN:  Steady climb for 7 miles then one significant climb from 17 to 21 miles.  The last 30 miles were rolling desert range land.                  
TOTAL CLIMBING:  3500 feet

RIDE OVERVIEW:  Well, we are off again.  We woke to a beautiful sunrise over the mesa behind the motel and to the sounds of black birds chirping to announce the start of another day.  A young coyote was playing below our bedroom window...just a reminder that we are really out in the sticks even though we are at the motel. 

Kah-Nee-Ta resort, what a nice place to stay.  But it's a logistical nightmare for the staff to get all the vans in the right place and to get our stuff organized.  It's quite a hike to our rooms and the trek involves elevators.  All that aside, I think everyone enjoyed the stay...especially if they got to the pool or won some wampum at the casino.  Everyone was wearing a shirt this morning so I guess there weren't any big losers.

Today was our first taste of the desert, but it was just a small taste as the temperatures stayed pretty mild in comparison to what I've seen out here before.  I just hope we can get a break tomorrow as we trudge into John Day which is twice as long as today's venture. 

We descended out of the motel down the same "cliff" we climbed yesterday but the thrill was short lived.  At the bottom, we started a gentle climb for the next 8 miles or so before a beautiful downhill into the Warm Springs valley.

Two years ago, we had a couple of dudes from Florida that cornered a local Indian and after a long discussion on tribal customs, taxes, and life on the reservation, they asked him if the high terrain we were riding on was a mesa or a butte.  The old Indian just shook his head and told them that it was a "hill."  I'm sure he was thinking, "White man have too much formal education."  Anyway, whatever it was, everyone in our group would probably agree that it was a tough climb whether it was a butte or a mesa...or just a hill in the desert.

After crossing the summit of the climb out of the motel, we were met with a beautiful view of the long, winding descent into the valley below that produced post card views of Mt Jefferson as the riders twisted down the curvy descent into Warm Springs.  After Warm Springs we rode along the Deschutes River before another long climb to the top of a mesa on hwy 26...I guess it was a mesa (I'm afraid to ask)...it was big.  Just about two miles after the summit, we turned off into the country where we began to see the results of irrigation as there were farms with many different cash crops that we just don't see in the east.  Things like mint, onion, and rice fields were strung along our route for several miles before we came back to hwy 26 in Madras.  The aroma of mint and alfalfa fields sure didn't remind me of the feedlots of Kansas we saw on the Fast Ride.

After Madras, we traveled on a long desolate highway that contained endless rollers until the last 10 miles to Prineville.  It was really dry out there...well, that's to be expected, it's desert.  It was hard to believe that we were so hot and dry when in every direction we would look we could see a snow covered peak.

Tomorrow we ride 116 miles to John Day.  On paper it will be the to toughest day we have...plenty of climbing, plenty of miles, and dry desert...but no matter how tough the day is, it is a most beautiful ride with photo ops all over the place.  I'm pulling sweep duty tomorrow so I'll get plenty of photos, but probably only of one person.  It will be a busy day supporting everyone with all the miles that will be between the front and rear of the group, but I think we are up to the task.  We talked about the importance of keeping water bottles filled all day tomorrow.  Neglecting that fact could be harmful to one's health out here.  Tune in tomorrow and I'll let you know how we did...until then, have a great day.

HEARD ON THE ROAD TODAY: 

• "Where's the climbing?"    
• "It's a shame there isn't any scenery out here."     
• "Wish I could get to that snow!"      
• "My butt is really sore!!!  
• What!!!  We would only be halfway by this time tomorrow?"    
• "If that's the Three Sisters Mountains, how come there aren't six of them?"

DUH! OF THE DAY:  Don't ever miss a turn when the next cue is 30 miles away because you'll go a long way before you know you are off track.  Today we had one turn about a mile after the SAG.  Jesse was following a group of riders out of town when he basically put his head down and rode on thinking he'd just follow everyone to the motel.  Well, with his head down he didn't see them turn and he also didn't see the big sign that pointed the way to Prineville.  He called the SAG to tell them he was off track and was trying to find his way back by taking a "cut through" road to intercept our route.  He found out pretty quick that most of the roads in the desert, that aren't main highways, are dirt.  The SAG van drove out the way he had ridden to look for him but couldn't find him even past where he said he had been.  He was probably off on one of the cut through roads at the time.  We finally got another call and I was able to direct him back to the intersection he missed so I could pick him up.  He already had over the mileage to the motel so he let me drive him up the road a bit.  Lesson:  Even though you have a cue sheet, you have someone to follow, and we need all the help we can get sometimes, don't ignore signs when the state gives you clues to where we are going...like big signs!!  That's OK...we don't charge any extra for those bonus miles.  Plus, he got to see some of Oregon none of the rest of us got to see...thank goodness.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY:

Ask you doctor if Viagra is right for you.

Neal didn't need this sign to tell him how
he was riding up the slopes. 

If we ever have any overflow luggage, we could just pack it into Bill's trunk...he probably wouldn't notice the extra weight. Most moving company vans don't hold as much stuff as he hauls every day
.

Liisa doesn't want anyone to think she is a push over by carrying her mascot Chamois B. Sprocket...
she picked up a new mojo (lower right) to show her more feminine side.

For all you people who have ridden with us before...
Barbara is riding today...and she climbed that big hill out
of Warm Springs.  Her bike has been across country 8 times
and only has 150 miles on it.

Who better to stand watch over our luggage while we are eating
than our own retired Marine Lt Col Tom...Hurrah!