I got to Halfway today. If Baker proves too much there are RV parks here and in Richland. One big hill in between (3 miles, ~1300 feet of climbing). From Richland it's 42 miles to Baker City.

There's a motorcycle rally and a festival in Baker City this weekend so hotel rooms may be scarce.

We’re going to try for Baker City tomorrow. Logistics and heat may have something to say about that. It’ll be 82 miles with significant climbs. Keep your eyes open.

Turn Right and visit us in Boise
Racpat

Support and encouragement...what you do best for others!

It is a lichen.

Matches pretty well with photos of wolf lichen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letharia_vulpina

Haha. Always with the good sense of humor 😂

Send some of that superpower my way, please!

30 years or so ago, a college friend of ours set off to do the TransAm. He got rained on for something like 22 of his first (and only) 26 days, pulled the plug, and called it good. As far as I know he's never toured anywhere since.

He posted a comment a couple days ago about how nice he found the ride into John Day, and how good it was to get CLEAN and DRY.

(Bret if you see this feel free to add corrections and clarifications!)

I hope your luck with the weather holds. It changes everything. Being lucky with the weather is Team Anderson’s superpower.

You're doing great at riding and writing! I hope you have to replenish your M&M's often!
Rachel

Thinking about digestion was why I had lunch at the summit. That way I was not starting the last climb on a full stomach.

Payday bars are the poor man's Powerbar...

Keith,

That's an excellent write up to your day - I feel as if I were riding with you. Especially since we also had a tough riding day. I've done the count down thing many times, to get to the top!

Something a friend pointed out years ago, when I offered her a snack on the climb, is that her body is too busy climbing to digest food. That made sense to me. But, I feel as if I need fuel replacement on extended climbs? What to do? I go for really easily digested things, such as gels, or those Hammer brand Perpetum tablets I talk about. I think I"m in the minority on my hill climbing fuel process. That, or no one else talks about it.

Jacinto never eats at all during his riding day. Nothing. IDK how he does it. Oren doesn't seem to eat much either, if he does it, it's a bite of a bar.

I like peanut M&M's, but try to stay away from them, as I can plow right throw a share size bag. Share? ha!

A good touring friend says his favorite convenience store snack is a big PayDay candy bar and a V-8 - that sounds like a terrible combination, but I tired it and like it!

Holy moly! I'm eavesdropping on this conversation, but I can see it all vividly in my mind. No wonder that stuck with you for so long!

As a one time moto rider myself, I have an abiding dislike for deer. Yes they're beautiful but they're almost as dumb as sheep, seemingly, and far less predictable.

Your comment about the motorcyclists reminds me of the only time I’ve ridden east from Austin Summit - 40 years ago on a solo ride from Detroit to Baker City (simply named Baker back then). I was racing down from the summit watching a pod of about a half dozen bikers rapidly approach me, when a deer leaped out of the trees immediately in front of the lead biker. He hit it, and I held my breath watching him swerve all over the road, wondering if he’d crash or maybe hit me - they were only a few hundred yards off. I was breaking to hit the gravel when he got the bike under control. I stopped to check in with them, standing on the shoulder cursing loudly and surveying the damage to the bike.

Amazing - 40 years ago this year, and it’s still a clear image in my mind.

Killed the deer.

Yes. Despite three substantial climbs Wednesday I felt better than on the ride to Prairie City.