The last and greatest of the passes

Saturday, July 12 (Day 57)

Distance: 68.5 miles

Average speed: 9.8 mph

Max: 32.4 mph

Total: 3279 miles

Weather: mostly sunny, afternoon thunderstorm and hail

It was a slow uphil climb all day, transforming gradually from short dry forest to tall beautiful trees.

As I made my way west, I soon saw huge snow capped mountains looming in the distance, growing ever closer. Were these the majestic Sisters?

As I approached Sisters, the town and not the mountains, I found signs warning of cyclists and soon began to see many road cyclists participating in some event. Later on one told me he was riding from Corvallis to Bend, although I don't know if that's what the event was.

Upon entering Sisters, I found out that I was in town for the massive annual Quilt Show, meaning of course lots of old women and traffic!

Lots of cars were really nice though, stopping to let me cross when it seemed impossible.

After Sisters, the ride was pure bliss on a beautiful and very bicycle-friendly road. It had signs for bicycles every few miles, and there were very few cars.

I was in awe when I approached the summit to find incredible views.There were massive mountain peaks in every direction you looked, preceded by ominous 1500-year-old lava fields, which were sparse and desolate.

A few miles before the summit, I stopped to gawk and take pictures and was approached by two men in white polo shirts, Mark and Chuck. They told me they had ridden cross country in 1973, when no bicycle maps existed yet and they had to strap canteens onto their 10-speed bikes for water. They were incredibly friendly and shared stories of their trip, their eyes glowing as they fondly remembered their own great adventure.

Another man traveling with Mark and Chuck lives in Eugene and is a dentist. He offered to clean my teeth for free! Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow? :)

After meeting Mark and Chuck, getting to the top was a breeze, and I laughed my way up! McKenzie pass was the most gradual and beautiful of all the summits.

At the top, there was a beautiful observatory built of black lava rock.

Soon after reaching the summit, a violent storm descended, bringing large drops of rain and pea sized hail. I was glad to be at the top, where I could cower under the awning of the bathroom until it passed, where I was joined by two men hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which passed 100 feet from that point.

The storm passed and I went back down the way I came to a campground a mile away, where I fought the Mosquitos until sheltered by my wonderfully large tent!

Sunday, July 13 (Day 58)

Distance: 77.5 miles

Average speed: 14 mph

Max: 32.7 mph

Total: 3356 miles

Weather: mostly cloudy, a cool 70 degrees

I delayed going out into the swarm of Mosquitos at my camp site until 8, meaning I re-summited at a late hour to find three cyclists already there! It was the second couple from a few days ago and one I hadn't met yet, all headed into Eugene that day. The couple is Becky and Keith, they work seasonally and adventure often. Their fantastic blog is at https://bingedrifting.com/. The other guy was Carson, a recent college grad. These three had met in Virginia and been leapfrogging each other ever since.

From there, we rode together for about 50 miles, and it was great! I was thinking about skipping my break in Eugene just to go on with them for three days to the coast, where their journey ends. 

We descended into a new kind of forest, damp, green, tall, and beautiful. It was incredibly fragrant and I felt like I was I a dream. This is why I came back to Oregon!

We went quickly from 5325 feet to 1000 feet.

And then we had to get back onto the busy, unfriendly highway. At one point, a car slowed down to pass us and was rear ended by the car behind them. I half expected someone to come after us with some choice words and a gun...

I sadly bid farewell to Becky, Keith, and Carson, wishing I had met them sooner, and went on to my host for the evening. Remember Laura from Traverse City? Her daughter, Claire, lived in Eugene for three years, and set me up with her bicycle loving friend, Allie, who has taken me in during my stay here.

So now I'm going to stay with Allie and her two lovely cats in Eugene for a couple days before embarking on a new chapter of this fantastic journey.