It’s the weekend! Not that that matters all that much any more. It does mean though that the mad crush of John Day’s crazy rush hour traffic will be quiesced, and the long haul truckers should be off the roads. Today and tomorrow should be the best days for a highway ride. We’ll save the backroads for the work week.
We look through our portfolio of ride candidates, and pull out one we’ve been talking about for three weeks: a ride west up Rock Creek to Keyes Creek Summit. You’ll recall that we rode part of this climb exactly three weeks ago on a ride that began in Dayville and ended with a visit to the Blue Mountain Hospital emergency room.
Once the day warms up enough we hop in the Jetta and drive west, mentally thanking Bruce and Andrea once again for convincing us to keep the car two years ago. On the drive we pass the time by discussing plans for the coming months, and agree that it’s time to abandon our planned July stay in Vancouver and a tour of the Sunshine Coast. Maybe the world will be sane enough that the trip would be viable a few months from now, but it doesn’t feel likely. Who knows if Canada will even reopen its doors to us by then? This evening we’ll cancel all of our reservations and start considering alternatives for July.
A few miles west of Picture Gorge we pull off on the shoulder and unload the steeds. It’s exciting seeing tha formation ahead. We’ll enjoy revisiting the coming miles.
The first ten miles of today’s ride climb through Jerry’s Draw and then keep climbing at a steady, comfortable 3-4% grade until topping out at an upland prairie. We rode this stretch before, stopping just shy of the prairie. It’s as impressive this time as before - better even, because it’s warmer and sunnier, and we enjoy the benefit of a modest tailwind as we climb - but you’ve seen it all before so we’ll just give you a few photos as a brief reminder.
Is there a name for this impressive canyon? There should be - it’s shorter but nearly as dramatic as Picture Gorge. Oh, there is - it’s Jerry’s Draw.
Looking back across Jerry’s Draw to the Aldrich Mountains. I took a shot from about this spot last time, and we see that the mountains have considerably less snow now.
Once on top, the ride changes dramatically. We’re not actually on top yet, but will continue climbing very gradually for another 11 miles. We’re out of the gorge though, and views are suddenly expansive as we cross a large upland prairie. The most consequential change though is in the winds. Our helpful pusher stayed behind in the gorge and has been replaced by a punishing headwind that will push back forcefully on us all the way to the summit.
Once we’re out of the gorge we enter a broad, open upland prairie.
After what feels like hours inside a wind tunnel, the summit finally appears. Just as we arrive, an adult bald eagle flies out of the trees and soars off. We take our summit photos and then sit on the grass eating our sandwiches and imagining how great the ride back is going to be. We’re really going to fly!
And fly we do. The miles whiz past as we race the wind back east in a totally exhilarating ride. It could hardly be better - the miles glide by effortlessly as we race across the plain, resplendent in the low-lying sun behind our backs. The reeds and willows lining Rock Creek are brilliant as we pass through a three or four mile chute of vibrant, shimmering color.
Once off the plain the drop through the canyon is fantastic, even better than last time because the sun brings out all the colors in the rocks and cliffs ahead. When we arrive at the car, Rachael offers up some of her highest praise - the descent reminded her at times of dropping down from Mount Lemmon to the outskirts of Tucson, possibly her favorite mountain ride anywhere. Today at least, this last hour feels like the highlight of the month.
Summit shot! I should have fully unzipped my overlayer and exposed my jersey from Nanaimo. Better, we should have taken a team photo to show that we both have our orange shirts on today.
