McKenzie’s Pass was Incredible

STATS:

Smith Rock State Park, Oregon to McKenzie Bridge, Oregon

Distance: 75 miles

Elevation: +3,765 ft / -5,315 ft

What an amazing night’s rest. I woke up just before my alarm and sat up feeling well rested. I packed up pretty quickly, and even performed a quick tent cleanup from the gravel that found its way in. We all met for breakfast at the picnic bench and enjoyed the usual coffee and oatmeal. This combination is perfect for the start of my day. As usual, we left around 7:30 AM in order to avoid the heat we’ve been experiencing. We rolled out of Smith Rock State Park with cool temps and spectacular views of the mountains coming our way. The road we took out of town and into the countryside was fantastic. To add even more coolness to the route, there was a tour of hundreds of cyclists coming in the opposite direction. I tried to wave to every one in hopes to lift their spirits during their own rides. The road itself was pretty light with traffic, and had some wonderful country feels. Some land was covered with farms, and other parts with dense foliage. I’ll have to agree with Dean, this was one of the better days of riding and I highly commend Adventure Cycling for choosing this route.

Some 30 miles later, we finally arrived in Sisters, a touristy town with a few ‘second breakfast’ options to choose from. As we rolled closer though, the town was legit overrun by people. All streets were closed off to cars, and quilts were hanging off buildings around every corner. I was seriously blown away with the attendance this town had for a quilt show, but what I was even more impressed with was some of those damn quilts! We ended up rolling out of downtown due to the crowds and found a restaurant just off route. After a game of corn hole with Kylie (went into double overtime), we ate second breakfast, making sure to properly fuel and hydrate for McKenzie’s Pass.

We hit the road after some food shopping, and never looked back. The start of the climb was steady, and lead us right through some welcoming shade. The road was only two lanes, but traffic was pretty light. One common trait riding up the hill was the greenest of foliage. The landscape was beginning to look more forest or jungle like with hairy moss and fern plants. Eventually the climb steepened, and the shade became more sporadic and unforgiving. That’s when the sweat really kicked in, and soon enough my back was drenched and face was dripping. The climb sure was a challenge. I stopped at a viewpoint to check out the lava rocks spewed all over the land, but noticed a car that appeared to have almost gone off the edge. That guy must have shit his pants. We hung around for a bit here drinking some warm water and snacked a bit. Four more miles was all we had until the top, so we strapped on our rally boots and went for it. Alas! The summit has arrived, and we congratulated each other by eating lunch in the shaded mountain viewing area. McKenzie’s pass was stunning. Lava rock laying around like, “Hey, whaddup, I came out of a volcano, beech” After we consumed our meals, we got rolling through the lava rock once again, and even passed over the Pacific Crest Trail. I’ve now crossed the triple crown of hiking trails by bike. The ride down was euphoric. Lush shrubbery and foliage the entire way down. The switchbacks were insane, and at some points I felt like I was riding a motorcycle. I was hit with an unbelievably heavy feeling of happiness, and laughed out loud as tears came out of my eyes. I dreamed about making it out here for months, and here I am. This feeling lasted all the way down the 4,000 ft descent.

We rolled right to the first market in the town of McKenzie Bridge, which was a gem at the end of today’s ride. I chugged a yellow Gatorade and joined in on some cayenne ginger kombucha from April and chocolate milk from Meg. We rolled over to Kirk’s friends house, after Dean changed a flat, and arrived to a wooden cabin surrounded by towering trees. We set up our tents and prepared dinner with a refreshing wine glass in our hands. Tonight’s menu was a cyclist’s favorite, salad, pasta, and apple pie for dessert. Another lovely meal in a dream home with some good-hearted people. We laughed and laughed and ate and ate until we couldn’t anymore. Our tents were summoning us one by one, and as I laid down under the large trees, I quickly dozed off. Tomorrow we don’t have to pass any summits. Rest easy my leggies, rest easy.

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