Day 6: Baker City to Farewell Bend State Park

May 13, 2015

At last we were all going to be running on a good night''s rest and an unhurried morning, thanks to our wonderful hosts Will and Julie. The weather was looking ominous despite the forecast, and I made the last minute decision to don full rain gear. Of course this normally is just a prelude to several stops to remove and stow away each piece as the rain beomes less of a threat. Today was no exception.

It always amazes me how those first few miles fly by. But then a headwind picked up and our relatively easy day was starting to feel like it was going to be a long slog. We were winding from one side of the interstate to the other, occasionally passing one of the old Highway 30 concrete milestones. There were very few cars on this road. After a while we got pretty complacent about it and rode as though it were a bike path.

We ate lunch on the lawn of the Grange Hall of some little village whose name I never saw. We ended up chatting with two of the people who were there for some sort of wildfire fighting meeting.

Next was a stretch where I-84 was really the only option. It turns out that the shoulders were wide and clean, and the traffic was not a nuisance at all. We even stopped at a rest area, bought iced teas, and relaxed for a few minutes even though we didn't need to take a break at all.

We finally got Highway 30 back to ourselves. We stocked up on a few supplies in the tiny town of Huntington. Thinking we were practically to our destination, we were lulled into a false sense of security. The road ahead put us into our places. It was fairly long, steep enough to have us all spinning in our lowest gears, and it even turned to unpaved washboard at one point. However, we reached the crest and were rewarded with an easy coast straight to the state park.

It was early enough that we hardly knew what to do with ourselves. Things were looking great when suddenly bad news struck: our stove wasn't functioning. I fiddled with it as best I could, but the fuel canister just would not pressurize, Finally Amy suggested that we buy some firewood and cook in the fire pit. It took a while but Sunyoung expertly oversaw the rice, ramen, vegetables, and tofu. It was more of a feast than even we deserved.

The campground is beautiful, and Amy pointed out owls sitting in nearby trees. Everything added up to make today a genuine camping experience. I think it's just what we were looking for.

We loved staying with our hosts Will and Julie. We had so much fun!

Julie sent us these great action pics with all three of us. She also gave us each a warm "mommy hug" before leaving!

OK, we're on our own again. A little sad but we'll manage.

Had to snap a photo of this bookmobile while enjoying a picnic lunch at the Durkee Grange Hall.

Getting ready to camp at our fantastic hiker-biker site at Farewell Bend State Park.

Amy showing off her hammock. It really is incredibly comfortable.

It's good to see mine and Sunyoung's bikes getting along so well.

Today's ride: 51 miles (82 km)
Total: 370 miles (595 km)

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