Days 3 and 4 / June 19-20
Day 3: I ate breakfast at 6:00 a.m. and got an early start on today's 66-mile ride. At 2.3 miles I started the first climb, 2,500' over 11 miles. What grade is this Tony? I used my 29th gear and kept my heart rate below 130. The climb kept me warm in spite of the chill in the air. The scenery included long stretches of forested valleys. In the distance I could spot Mt. Hood from time to time. Since the weather was clear, I stopped to take a number of pictures. The 2,500' climb was followed by a 1,000' descent over 4 miles. Of course, the descent was followed by another 1,000' climb. This up and down pattern continued for a few more cycles.
After the second SAG wagon stop, the scenery changed drastically. I found myself surrounded by tan colored sand, dry vegetation and flat mesas. The next 20 miles were great; the terrain rolled up and down and up and down through a box canyon. The final 0.6 miles was the steepest of the day. I managed to ride this section, but many cyclists chose to walk their bicycles.
The Kah-Nee-Ta Resort is very nice, with a large pool, casino area, a gift shop, and a restaurant. The coffee shop opened at 3:00 p.m. Our crowd was the first to be seated. We are a very hungry bunch, and food is often the topic of conversation.
At the briefing after dinner, we learned that the total elevation gain for the day was 5,200'! I look forward to an easier ride tomorrow. Everyone seems to be doing very well. We couldn't have asked for a better start.
Day 4: After climbing 600' I was on top of a mesa. I could see the Resort at the Mountains below. The views were spectacular and the sky was clear. Today, it was warm enough to wear just a short-sleeve jersey and bicycle shorts. I descended the 600', only to get to climb another 1,000' over the next 4 miles. I have been using my heart rate monitor and low gears to guide my speed up and over these passes. So far, it has been working well. It's a little slower, but it helps prevent knee injuries.
Throughout the morning I had a perfect view of six snow-covered mountains. I also saw horses grazing along the road, and a snake curled up on the edge of the road. The snake definitely caught my attention. We follow route 26 for a while, then started riding in a less congested area near irrigated farm fields of oat and wheat. The surrounding farmhouse gardens were overflowing with roses, peonies, and irises. This section of the ride was very peaceful.
After stopping at a grocery store to buy some peanuts and raisins, I started riding with Rich. He is a strong rider and we kept a good pace. We soon caught up with two other riders, Francis and Julie, and formed a four person rotating pace line. We switched positions every mile or so. It was fun and made the next 20 miles go by very quickly.
We when arrived in Prineville, we spotted a Mexican restaurant. Since we were starving, it was easy to decide on where to eat for lunch. Several others saw our bikes outside of the restaurant and joined us. Lunch was great way to end a very this wonderful 61 mile ride. This afternoon I will spend some time cleaning my bicycle in preparation for tomorrow's 116-mile ride.
/Gunnel