STATS
- Day: 3
- Day Mileage: 61
- Total Miles: 179.1
I didn’t sleep well at the altar. I thought I’d sleep great but was unable to for some reason. I popped up early at 5:45 and knocked out some NCLEX Prep questions before having to wake up my church bunk mate, James, as I snuck not so quietly to the bathroom. It’s an old church, nothing is quiet. After showering and getting things prepared for day, I made pancakes in the stocked kitchen for cyclists use. We each had 6 and debated on making more. Instead, we cleaned up, prepared our bikes and set off just after 8.
We had planned for 60 miles to Austin Junction where a cafe allowed cyclists to camp in the back lot, so that’s where we headed. It took 22 miles until the next town, Mt. Vernon, before we stopped to have a bite. I’m still learning my fueling for the trip so before we left Dayville, I bought bread and peanut butter and made 4 PB sandwiches to pack. I had one in Mt. Vernon and a root beer from a gas station and we were off again, this time to Prairie City. That ride had some gradual climbing but the real surprise was getting caught in traffic in John Day behind the 110th County Fair, the longest in Oregon. Once we arrived in Prairie City, I ate two more sandwiches and James made coffee. It was nearing 3pm and I had my biggest climb thus far to 5,277 at Dixie Pass. It was an 8mile climb lasting well over 1:30 and was every bit of a 1,900 ft climb from Prairie City.
It was a smooth 7 mile decent into Austin Junction, where the cafe was without internet for guests, showers or bathrooms after 7 for those staying so we pushed ahead another mile to Bates State Park, where there is no internet (expected), showers (unexpected, but sprinklers did the same trick), and 24 hour access to bathrooms. We got settled and used my SPOT Tracker Jared Muse was kind enough to let me borrow. It register with GPS to send a preprogrammed email to recipients letting them know you’re where you needed to be and also the location. I had my 4th PB sandwich and some instant potatoes before winding down. On Day Three now and my legs felt in on the climb. We have 2 big climbs tomorrow before we make it into a more populated city, Baker City. Today is my first day camping and it’s very exciting and not as lonely with James, who recently graduated from University in England, to chat with. It was a really good day today.
Day Three Bonuses
- Town parades, complete with everything you know small town parade to have
- A riding partner to learn all things England and one to navigate American culture
- Root beer
- Rob, in the middle of my climb, encouraging me at a view point
- Not dying of dysentery
- Better meal planning
- Knowing what I need to adjust… like more salt intake
- Live music at camp, a couple jamming some bluegrass?