July 21 update

It's been over a week since I posted on my blog, and I've covered a lot of ground. I'm only about 200 miles from the finish at Astoria. Between not having internet service, and just being to tired to post, I have gotten way behind on my posting, but I'll briefly try to catch up.

On the fourteenth we got to Baker City, a town of about 10,000 people. We stayed in a very nice hostel just opened this year by a very hard working couple who seemed to have a lot of irons in the fire. We were pretty tired and the hostel was so nice that we decided to stay an extra day. The town was having a big celebration and parade the day after we got there so that was extra incentive to stay. We got so excited about the event that we entered the bed race after the parade. This was a one block sprint pushing a bed on wheels with a pretty girl in the bed. We took second place  in the event and our picture and the trophy bed now resides in a place of honor in the hostel. To be honest, there were only two entries, but we had the prettiest girl in our bed.

The next morning we had a long ride of about 75 miles to John Day, Oregon, where we camped in a park. Then on the seventeenth, we had a short ride of about 40 miles to Dayville, Oregon, where we stayed in a Church hostel. The town did not have any restaurants open, but the hostel had a kitchen, so I cooked cowboy stew for dinner. I guess it turned out okay because we consumed a huge pot full.

On the eighteenth, we had another short day to Mitchell, Oregon where we stayed in one of the nicest hostels of the entire trip. The hostel was run by a middle aged couple who were members of the Assembly of God Church. They had felt called to reopen this failing church as a Church for the locals and as a hostel for bikers and other passers by. The have done a wonderful job with the hostel upstairs in the old sanctuary and a kitchen and new small sanctuary downstairs. The couple, while not seeming to be  overly zealous, seemed to have a very strong sense of purpose.

One kind of funny thing  happened while we were in Mitchell. The only open restaurant in town sold beer, but could not serve it, however, the town allowed open containers anywhere outside in the town. We bought a six-pack and went across the street to the park to drink it. While we were there, a guy in a pickup truck drove up and went in to the restroom shouting for, what we thought at the time, his dog. He drove empty handed back down the street, and returned walking and shouting a few minutes later. As he approached us, he shouted "have you seen my wife", and with his hands spread out wide, said " she's A big girl". As he seemed a bit distraught, we denied any knowledge  of her whereabouts. She finally showed up, and with a less than stellar display of marital bless, they walked away. Well, it was funny at the time.

On the Nineteenth we had a long ride to Redmond, and on the next day we made our last big climb up to McKenzie Pass. This was one of the best rides of the entire trip. The 15 mile climb up from Sisters, Oregon was on a scenic road with vehicle size restrictions that allowed bicycles to use the entire lane. The last five miles to the top ran along side a lava field from an eruption some 1500 years ago. There were great views of Oregon 's big snow covered peaks. Then, at the top, we climbed to the old observatory where there were 360 degree views of the lava field and peaks.

For me, the best part of the day was the 3000 ft descent over 20 miles to the McKenzie river. This was a fast hairpin fall through what became an increasingly dense and shaded northern rain forest. The mostly huge pine forest of the East side gave way to spruce/for and western red cedar and then, on the lower scoops gigantic redwoods.

After the long descent, we camped in a National Forest Campsite beside a good sized stream. We were surrounded by the tallest trees I have ever seen. The campsite did not have showers, so we bathed in the cold creek, and I ate ramen noodles for dinner.

Today we rode 87 miles to Corvallis, Oregon, a big college town with motels and lots of good places to eat. By our standards, it's quite luxurious. We only have about 200 miles to go and should be finished by Tuesday. I may be at coffee at Ellie's on Wednesday morning!