June 3 (Oh the People You'll Meet)

A note from the editorial assistant:

For most posts, you'll probably see a lag of a day or so between the date that Bill uses in the title and the actual posting date.  He's blogging on his Droid late at night after he finishes his ride.  The Android interface doesn't make it easy for him to manipulate photo size/position etc. and he's asked me to apply those finishing touches for him ... which I usually do when I get home from work the day after he saves the draft.

In this case, however, there was an unusually long posting delay because someone called his mother and opened the conversation with, "Hi, mom.  How's your day?  ... Oh?  How about I make it worse ..."

I will leave it to Bill to write up that amusing story in the next post...

Because I was up so late blogging last night I woke up extremely late; I didn't manage to check out until 11. While on my way out, I heard this older man talking about how rough today was going to be for him, given that it's so hot and he's on a motorcycle. I wasn't going to say anything, but the receptionist did! Stopped him in mid sentence, that it did!

 

On the ride to the very small town of Mitchell (pop 170), I noticed the vegetation is significantly less lush than on the other side of McKenzie. I suppose it's evidence of how little rain actually makes it over the cascades. Anyway, that's all I noticed for about 20 miles, because there was nothing else to see.

 

 

 

As result ... well ... you know how, when you are alone in the car, music thumping, you start singing along. Well interestingly enough riding out on the open road is about just as solitary ... so I sang to Submersed, Saving Abel, and whatever else was playing for a lot of the day. Good times.

 

The gradual 2.5k climb up Ochoko Pass was uneventful until I neared the peak, where I passed my first touring cyclist of the day. Forget her name, but after exchanging the customary route information she let me know she had just passed a group ahead that knew me! Apparently the trio I left two days ago had pressed on and passed me. I wanted to catch up, so after she gave me her email so we could get in touch I huffed my way after them.

 

 

The trio themselves (whose names I am 90% ... no, 80% ... sure are Matt, Tish, and Phil) were just about to turn in for the night, so we didn't get to ride together much. They opted to shadow camp - ride a little off the road, set up tent and hope no one makes you leave. They're going the same way, so I might see them tomorrow.

 

At the hotel/hostel in Mitchell I came across another pair of touring cyclists. Apparently this guy ... Nate(?) ... and his dad are also doing the TransAm, mostly because his dad dragged him into it. He gave me some good route advice:  apparently you can skip a bunch of mountains in Idaho and save a week by deviating from the Adventure Cycling route that I've been following. Definitely looking into that. They're also going the same way, so that's two groups I could ride with tomorrow! Exciting.

 

And finally just a passing thought I had on the ride:  I think it says something about humanity that we see a large mound in the middle of nowhere and think "Wait! I could put a parking lot there." I'm not sure what it says, but it says something.

 

 

For your viewing pleasure I took a ton of scenic photos on today's ride. Check them out!