And then the rains came.  Bright flashes of lightning, followed by rumbling thunder through the open valley.  A steady downpour.  Not a cyclist’s dream scenario… except maybe when it happens at 2am.  Which was exactly the case in Kah-Nee-Ta.  We were warned that thunderstorms were imminent, but they moved right through in the darkness.  By 8am, the skies were clearing and the roads were mostly dry for our 60 mile run into the farming town of Prineville, near the very center of Oregon.

The friendships and cycling bonds are growing deeper as we get to know each other, and settle into riding groups of equal abilities.  I spent some time riding with Reid (from Evanston, IL) today as we pulled each other over some early hills and descents.  Then I flew solo for awhile before joining into a nice pack with Reid, Brad from Iowa, and the two Canadians on the tour – Rick and Doug.  We capped off our ride with a stop at a burger place in Prineville called The Big Dawg – where we reminisced about today’s journey and laughed about some of the travails.  We help motivate each other, while also reminding ourselves to have fun along the way.

Tomorrow will be our longest day yet.  We say goodbye to the Cascade Mountains and head east on U.S. highway 26 to the small town of John Day, 116 miles away.  I better get some rest!

~Dan

(by the way, those are carrots growing in the fields on the right)

Another epic day. Mt. Hood was in full glory today, showing off her glistening snow-capped peak.  The day started with a 14 mile, 2,500 ft. climb to Summit Ski Area and a small village called Government Camp.  According to wikipedia, the town was named in 1849 when U.S. Cavalry troops were forced to abandon wagons and supplies here.  Fortunately, our tour group had a full supply of water and energy food to re-fuel after our ascent over Barlow Pass (Elev. 3995 ft.).  We continued on past Mt. Hood into the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and the welcoming resort of Kah-Nee-Ta.

Every good cyclist has a great support team – before, during, and after rides.  And our tour support team (America By Bicycle) has been fabulous (for more on today’s ride, click here: https://blog.americabybicycle.com/aan/2018/6/20/day-3-welches-to-kah-nee-ta-or).  But my best support team is at home – Travis, Evan, A.J., and my beautiful wife Jackie.  Today (June 20) marks our 26th wedding anniversary.  Happy Anniversary Babes!  Thanks for encouraging me to take on this coast to coast challenge – and providing constant support and encouragement.

Here’s a flashback to last year (2017) and our 25th wedding anniversary, celebrated with our own personal bike tour of Niagara Falls and the nearby wine country of Canada:

That was an epic ride, for sure!

Tomorrow we head 65 miles from our high desert oasis of Kah-Nee-Ta to the farming valley of Prineville.

Till then,  ~Dan

Today was a spiritual ride, in many ways.  I rolled through the city of my birth, Portland Oregon, and through the suburb of Gresham, where I spent the first two years of my life.  My Mom may have imagined I would return some day – but probably never imagined it would be on a bike.  As I cycled through town, I could picture a loving family with a wandering toddler taking his first steps here about 50 years ago.  I felt the spirit of my Dad smiling down on me with a sense of pride.

Along the way, after crossing St. John’s bridge and riding along the mighty Columbia river, the spectacle of Mt. Hood made a grand appearance.  Often shrouded in clouds or fog, Mt. Hood only shines when she wants to, and she was gracious enough to show off her splendor today.  Majestic and mystic.  A very spiritual and moving ride for me.

Tomorrow we climb over the shoulder of Mt. Hood into the Native American town of Kah-Nee-Ta… let’s hope the mountain continues to be a gracious host to this Oregon-born kid who is still wandering.

For more photos and a ride journal from the touring company I’m with, check out https://blog.americabybicycle.com/aan

~Dan