We're in Big Sky Country

Last night went well-four Von Handorfs in the same room.  At least there was no sound of zippers in the middle of the night.  Only the door opening and closing (and of course the snoring).  The campground, besides the hot tub which Jerry and I used, had a trout fishing pond for kids  There were some very big fish in the pond, bigger than the catfish my dad use to bring home after fishing in the Ohio (happy to say we didn’t have to eat them.  Dad always gave them away.)

Today was somewhat uneventful.  Jack and Jeff put in over 100 miles.  Jerry held back to about half that.  We went over three passes all above 7,000.  The clouds played with the mountain tops all day long.  Gray skies, blue skies, heavy clouds, wispy clouds and in between clouds.

We’re presently sitting in a campground in Dillon MT.  We drove through a town called Wisdom, population less than 50.   I kind of wanted to stay a little longer and soak up some of the vibes there.

We saw antelope today a family of deer and two little calves running and playing with each other.  I didn’t know cows played…..

We are presently sitting in a campground in Dillon, MT.  2/3 of the men of off to a bike shop the other one opted for a shower.  There is a definite chill in the air, could be another cold one.

Happy Summer Solstice to all.

Ugh.....

Last night was interesting.  I had a difficult time coming to peace with the sound of the river and our neighbors.  So many spaces to choose from and they camp right next to us.  Of course they had to yell to be heard over the river so we also got the benefit of their ‘late night’ conversation.  I do understand that ‘late night’ is relative and might be different for bikers who get up a 5:00 a.m. and most everyone else.

I crawled out from under the sleeping bag about 7:00 this morning, broke camp and took a shower.  Hit the road about 8:00.  This is a crazy road.  Yesterday afternoon it was truly life endangering.  It is a road that is used by logging trucks-sometimes doubled, RVs, semis, boats (on trailers of course) and everyone else.  Speed limit 65.  This is in no way a straight road.  This morning when I got back on to head north I was greeted by a road sign that indicated it was a road shapes like a snake.  Very shortly beyond that the speed limit of 65 was posted.  A few feet beyond that was a Watch for Rocks signed.  Followed by a Watch for Game sign.  Again the speed limit was 65.  Unlike yesterday the traffic was fairly light.  Believe me God heard a Thank You from me.

So I headed for Kooskia – found some camping at the City Park.  It was free. The only catch was the automatic sprinkler system that turns on at midnight.  Not feeling very comfortable with that choice I waited until the men pulled in.  After a little discussion Jerry and I rode off in search of another campsite which we found across the river.  It was not the Ritz (whatever that is).  We found a campsite, the woman told us the rate was $10.  Her husband gave it to us for $20.  The toilets were flush but that is about all I can say for them.  When I checked out the women’s I could have written my name in the dirt and dust on the seat – which, I’m happy to say, I didn’t.  There were spider webs and spiders in the bowl.  I tried flushing but they just moved out of the way and then back again.   Thought I could use the men’s if I had too but happy to say she cleaned it up and it worked just fine.  The shower is another story but you’ll have to check with the guys on that one because I didn’t need a shower that bad….

It started to rain around midnight and continued on to the present moment – 6:00 p.m..  The guys, not wanting to ride in the heavy rain with logging trucks going up and over the pass, piled in to the car with all our wet gear and we headed for Missoula, MT.  We made it.  Stopped at the Adventure Cycling home and talked with some of the staff there.  We are presently following their maps –the concern was over the traffic the Coaster had been encountering and if it would get better or not.  This has become a real issue, a safety issue and a comfort issue.  It could very well effect the outcome of the trip.  There is rumblings among the troops.  We’ll have to wait and see what plays out.

So tonight we have wimped out and are in a motel for the night.  T-storms are predicted and our tents are still wet from last night, our Coleman stove has a major flaw and our new Kelty tent is leaking.  That being said – tonight we will be warm and dry.  Ahhh....(almost).

Ahhhh,...

... here I sit besides the Little Salmon River ( I think) tent sat up on a grassy campsite site waiting for the Coasters to roll in – and they will provided that can do 100 miles today.

But let’s back up a little.  The ‘to do list’ of Saturday got done.   We even managed to get to church in the evening.   Jeff and Jack cooked up some metts and brats for supper.  That was nice.

Up and at them early on Sunday, aka Father’s Day they hit the road once again.  I think their dad would be proud of them, even though he wouldn’t understand it.  And their children should be proud of them also.  How many people can say their father is attempting to bike across country….

Yesterday, during the late morning I caught up with them as they were climbing a very steep mountain.  I waited at the top so see if anyone needed anything or if they wanted to call it quits.  Silly me!  In order of usual appearance Jack rolled in first, Jeff with him, Jerry bringing up the rear (although I hear Jerry is out in front on the downhills – not sure I wanted to hear that.)  When I asked Jerry how he was doing he reply:  “I feel like I was made for this!”  Okay then…..

We said good-bye to Oregon and hello to Idaho when we crossed the Snake River.  My first reaction to the road taking us to ID was, This can’t be right!  It was gravel, and twisted and turned its way along the Snake River.  There was a sign at the beginning that read something like; WARNING – travel at your own risk.  Road is not maintained by highway department.  Falling rocks possible.  The road turned in to a paved one about 2 miles in.  The actual boarder was the dam that crossed the river.   We left Oregon and the Pacific Time Zone behind.  The campground was a large one that sits on the lake created by the dam.  It was a nice lakeshore site.  Couldn’t have asked for anything more beautiful.

Being Father’s Day I fixed a special supper – pasta (again)  but we did have a bottle of wine.  They also received a Tootsie Roll POP and a gift card from Starbucks from the only one of us who isn’t a father.

The Coasters were up and at ‘em early again today.  Hoping to do 100 miles.  I hope they do also because if they don’t we won’t be joining up tonight.

As I still sit here besides the Little Salmon River (by the way this is the area that Clair worked on when she was with the white water rafting people & the ski resort) so, as I sit here besides the raging river I’m wondering if this was the best choice of sites – we may all be deaf by morning.  But it is shaded – and suppose to hit 92 today. 

OREGON -

-the Pacific Ocean

-beautiful rock strewn rugged coast 

-elk roaming the campground

-white capped waves crashing on to the shore

-heavy traffic at times and fast

-beautiful sunsets which come around much later than at home

-nice national forest campgrounds

-oceans, mountains, hills, fossil beds, flat land, canyons, praires, rock formations, buttes and ancient geological history

-very simple camping experiences

-learning to look at roads through the eyes of a biker

-driving along with a WOW and Thank You in my heart and on my lips

-heavy wind swept clouds

-country/western towns, one street towns, ranches, cattle, sheep, horses

- signs – tsunami zone and warnings, elk, rock, free range livestock, wildlife migration route, speed (I’m convinced that the speed posted must be the minimum since everyone drives at least 15 miles over the posted speed), historical marker ahead (and in my head, take time to slow down and see the sights), gas $4.89

-bikers with tremendous appetites

-roads that wind and climb and twist and turn – sometimes all at once

-pit toilets, vault toilets and some that actually flush toilets

-spring wildflowers that look somewhat related to those back home but are not exactly the same

-birds and look and sound somewhat related to those back home but are not exactly the same

-setting up camp on dirt, dust, pine needles and/or grass

Baker City

We camped at prairie city Thursday evening.  It rained a little in the a.m. so I hung out for a bit and let things dry a little before breaking up camp.  The road to Baker City was once again full of amazing views.  The landscape is ever changing.  I saw an antelope, a pair of sandhill cranes, a pair of osprey, and some wild flowers that were calling out to me to take pictures of them.      I have developed a new method of driving, when I see a car, truck, motorcycle or RV in my rearview mirror I just pull over the first chance I get and let them pass.  Gives me a chance to slow down a little and ‘smell the roses’.  I was pulling out of one of those spots and rounding a curve when I came to a complete and surprising stop.  I was being approached by a herd of cattle, about 60 would be my guess.  Just walking down the road, surrounding our van.  They were complete with cowboys and cowdogs.  I took some pictures but they won’t be able to tell the whole story.  Just a never before experienced experience.

We’re in Baker City taking a day off.  The to do list includes; laundry, bike maintenance, oil change on the van, a car wash, shopping and a trip to the library to post some blogs.  Jerry and I may take in a new Oregon Trail Interpretative Center later today if time permits. 

One of the most stressful things I have to do is to pick out a campsite for the night.  Most of the time we can kind of guess as to where they will end up for the day and what campsites are around.  Last night the one we had picked out was a real dump.  After some searching and driving I found a RV Park.  There is a little grassy tent area in back of a building that houses a laundry, flush toilets, showers and a hot tub.  Pretty fancy for our simple needs but nice.

The guys have clocked 580 miles in one week.  This is their first recovery day.  Things are good.  I hear that Jeff and Jack are cooking tonight.  Hopefully things will remain good.

a Little out of order...

Everyone made it over McKenzie pass, okay.  The Coasters were able to take a road that was still closed to traffic after the winter, ele. 5,324.  I had to take a longer way around, ele.4,817, but it was all good.  Once again the scenery was tremendous – the, oh so very tall pines, the fields of lava stone, the areas that experienced forest fires and are in process of rebuilding. 

Karen and Jim had left us for a short sightseeing jaunt to the south and were planning on meeting up with us again if it worked out.  We had camped at different places Sunday and Monday night but on Tuesday as I was headed into Sisters OR.  I spotted them two cars ahead of me. 

We set up camp in a National Forest area – rates are cheap $7. per campsite with our senior pass (where would Jeff and Jack be without us old people).   The sites are nice, large and usually wooded.  The only drawbacks are the pits. But I guess you can’t have everything.  At this one the water was a very yellow color which you had to use a hand pump to get.  Needless to say, we did not drink the water.  And wind – it was so very windy there.  I was afraid that I would end up in a tree when I tried to move the air mattresses from the van to the tent.  The tent swayed in the wind to the point of having to add extra tie-downs .

Sisters OR is a unique little town.  Certainly made to draw the tourists.   Everything has a Western Theme.  We just missed the annual Rodeo by a few days.  Ah, shucks!  In the distance you can see three snow covered Mountain peaks.  We were told that are called Faith, Hope and Charity.  They were fantastic…

Because of the strong wind we decided that we just would not be able to cook supper ---so we headed to town.  Hit the library for a few minutes to do a little computering and then found a brewery where we ate – and of course most of us had a beer or two – but not me, not while were camping with pits. 

On the way back to the campsite the Three Sister Mountains came in to view again.  This time there was  a cloud bank so thick hanging above them, like nothing I’ve ever seen before.  It made us wonder about what kind of weather to expect for the night.  There was a predicted low of 29.  They wind had died down some at the campgrounds but it was getting a bit chilly.  We were all in our tents by 9:00.  The wind stopped during the night.  The morning was chilly – gloves, hats, and winter coats chilly.  The Coasters took off about 6:00 once again.  I followed close behind them after I broke up the tent, etc.  Today was the first day that the ground cloth was not wet in the least.  Guess the wind did help a little.

Did a little grocery shopping and then found them sitting at a Starbucks.  Is that what they do all day?!?  You have no idea what a joy it is to be sitting at a Starbucks with three guys in their biking tights, jerseys  and biking shoes(not to mention the goggles and helmets)……I guess it was worth the blueberry muffin but I’m not really too sure of that.  At the moment I’m sitting in a parking lot waiting to meet up with them.  This is an easy meet up, I’m very visible.  Sometimes you just have to hope you’re all on the same page…..

So We ''Met Up in Mitchell

 Sounds like it could be the name of a movie ? – well, it could be.  We go off on Mitchell’s ‘Business Loop’.  Mitchell is a one street town. Something right out of the old west.  But it certainly has a charm about it.  There is a City Park and they welcome campers – RVs $15., tents $5.  So I set up our tent.  There were some kids around playing.  Two of them, Abby and Aaron were very friendly.  As we were talking I mentioned that I was going to check up on the guys.  They offered to watch my tent for me since in Aaron’s words, ‘sometimes people get drunk and steel peoples tents’.  In hind sight I wish I had held off on setting up the tent.  But it all worked out okay.  When we got back it turns out that Aaron had kept a good eye on the tent – from the inside.  The guys did well on Wednesday, 92 miles.  Today, Thursday they rolled over the 500 mile mark.  We’re still in Oregon but making progress.

Dinners have worked out well.  I usually cook and hopefully the guys will do the dishes.  Last night we crossed the street to the town café for dessert.  The restroom for the park was also across the street as was the hotel, general store and post office.  The auto and farm store was on our side of the street.  That was the town.  There was a school on the hill the enrollment was 65 that’s for grades 1-12.  

The wind is usually strong in the evenings but seems to die down during the night.  As do we.