Today's Report:

Early get up today since we had lots of miles to ride.  Everyone woke this morning with a feeling of uncertainty about their ability to finish the toughest day we have on our schedule...on paper at least.  The distance is over 117 miles and we have over 5000 feet of climbing plus it's probably going to be the hottest day we've had so far.  The only thing easy today was the navigation...turn left out of the motel and ride 117 miles and turn into the motel.  Somehow I could tell it on their faces that fact didn't seem to give them much comfort as they sat around breakfast.  I tried to assure them that it was doable and if they needed anything out there, we'd be there.  We loaded the luggage at 5:20 and set up breakfast at 5:30 to beat the heat...at departure it was pretty chilly, but it didn't take long for the sun to start warming things up and when we got to the climb just past Mitchell, it was really toasty.  I was in the van today so I was in the mindset for a long day...I wasn't wrong as it was after 6 when I finally got to the motel.  It's been worse...the light winds made it a little easier than it could have been, but we had enough challenges to deal with without unfavorable winds. 

There were so many beautiful vistas today.  After the first climb, we traveled through some magnificent Ponderosa Pine forests and saw several deer and other wildlife sneaking through the brush.  The views made you feel like you should see Ben, Little Joe, Hoss, and Adam Cartwright coming across the meadow 4 abreast on their trusty steeds while the sound of Bonanza played in the background.

The town of Mitchell at mile 45 was a neat little spot in the road on highway 26 East just before the ascent to Keyes Summit.  It's one of the few spots on the road today where you could get food...I guess it was 1 of only 2 such places we passed today.   I knew right away that Mitchell was a tiny town when I saw the local Laundromat which also serves as the welcome center...and you can get your pet supplies there too...what a novel idea?  Probably everyone in town stops by every week to do laundry and the fact that those passing through could also do laundry while learning about the hot spots in Mitchell just makes it all the more special.  Hey there's no end to the excitement in this small town of about 25 buildings.  There was also a live black bear in a pen but I couldn't get a good picture since he was sleeping.  Hey, I wasn't going to poke him just for a photo...it was a BIG bear.  Kind of wanted to let him out so he could go up in the hills where he belonged.

Just out of Mitchell, we encountered a 6-mile climb to Keyes Summit at 4369'.  This climb was a good one that rose above several grass pastures resembling a golf course in the desert.  Areas that are not watered here are brown but any place they can get water is always a deep green with either hay or grazing horses.  After going over the summit, the riders enjoyed a beautiful 25 mile downhill with a little tailwind to boot...it just doesn't get any better than that.  Along with the great conditions we definitely experienced sensory overload as the landscape was beyond description.  They descended into a canyon that was just breathtaking...it's hard to believe something could be so beautiful...all right, I've beaten that horse to a pulp, but I don't know how else to say it.

I was enjoying the day just riding through the riders, taking in the scenery, and taking photos when I got a call that there was construction at mile 102 (I was at 75) and we couldn't ride through it.  They were chip sealing the road with new oil and gravel which made riding risky...DOT advised us to pick everyone up and haul them through the 6 mile fresh gravel on the highway.  I hustled up to the site and made a couple trips through with the DOT follow me car hauling bikers through for the rest of the afternoon.  The riders were great.  They cooperated without hesitation and we got everyone through without incident.  Oh, enough about our long day.

I must say that Oregon is one of the most beautiful states that I've ever been in.  It has a most varied geography: Pine mountains, high desert, fertile high prairies, a beautiful coastline, and some of the most beautiful natural topography I've ever seen.  The land is so fertile on these high plains that almost anything will grow up here.  Today, we came across a Nike tree (right).  Dave and Tom stopped to admire the new styles and were in awe.  I've seen these before out here and they are really quite interesting...this one had many styles, but most were outdated.  The Nike shoe company harvests the fruit for their new styles every year but this one didn't seem to be as healthy as I've seen in the past.  In some areas of the country they are Adidas trees; in other parts of the country, they are New Balance trees...I just happened to have my camera with me so I got a good shot of one...see any styles you like?

At our third SAG at 85 miles, we set up at the Dayville Mercantile.  The previous proprietor, Steve Cookinham, was a participant on the Odyssey 2000 around the world bicycle trip and even though it's now under new management, they were definitely "bicycle friendly."  The store was something out of a travel magazine, and I imagine if you couldn't find what you were looking for, you probably really don't need it.  You can get a saddle for your horse or tires for your bike...what a deal!  Check out their web site for some good deals and some bike stuff too.

Everyone should be proud of their accomplishments today.  The last rider got in at 6:15...it was definitely a long, tough day, and they all came through with flying colors.  We had a couple of people who opted to ride in the van for a portion of the ride...they have my utmost admiration for recognizing their limits...sometimes that's harder to do than to try to ride it out and get into trouble.  We even had a couple of people who had never ridden a century before...CONGRATULATIONS!!! 

Well, tomorrow's another tough day with 3 summits to cross.  So I need to sign off for now.  See you again tomorrow when I get to ride again...no rest for the hired help.  As I say to my non-cycling friends, "Your worst day cycling is better than your best day at work."  Although this is work, it still is cycling!  See you tomorrow. 

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