Day 45: Dayville to Mount Vernon, OR; Trip Interruption for a Smoke Break

August 15, 2015

Notes:

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2.) Climbing Today: 975 ft -- Total So Far; 104,795 ft

3.) If you haven’t done so already, you should read the section in the Intermission titled “Second Half, Here I Come!: Considerations, Challenges, and Concerns,” so as to understand the challenges I may face. Some of these, like smoke, are already proving to be problematic.

4.) Average Speed While Biking Today: 9.3 mph

5.) Mechanical Issues Today: none

6.) Miles Traveled To Date On This Half of the Journey: 415

7.) Miles Remaining to Canon City: about 1,585

I didn't know where I would stay tonight, so that's always a bit of a concern. I'm not too worried, I can always camp somewhere, but it helps to have an idea of what city and where in the city you might camp. I had called ahead to the town of John Day (another town named after John Day) and all the motel rooms were booked due to the influx of firefighters. These forest fires were becoming a big deal; they were the nation's number 1 priority at the time and some 32,000 firefighters had already been mobilized to fight them. So a wandering cyclist was just going to have to take whatever could be found for lodging. I really wanted to make it to Prairie City anyway, as that would put me at the base of Dixie Pass, the first of 3 passes I had to summit on the following day. But there were no hotel rooms in Prairie City, and I'd really prefer to not have to spend energy breaking camp on the morning before such a tough undertaking. At the very least, if I camped I'd like to have a shower so I could get the gunk off me from the day's ride and feel good about the next day. I had called the campground number the night before so I could find out if they had showers, but no one answered.

So I was a bit undecided this morning. I slept a bit longer than usual, then got up and made myself a pancake breakfast in the church kitchen. The money from donations from cyclists had bought the food, and I left a donation myself. As I was putting some cash in the donation box, I noticed on the bulletin board that there was a listing of campgrounds ahead on my route, and that the campground in Prairie City did indeed have showers! So that was the answer then - I would ride to Prairie City today, camp and get up early the next day and tackle the 3 passes with fresh legs. I was happy to have a plan, and set about packing and getting Harvey ready to roll.

I really like the concept of using churches for community functions like this cyclist's hostel. It's a win-win for everyone, as the town benefits economically (I ate twice at the café and bought supplies from the Mercantile) and word-of-mouth advertising amongst cyclists generates a lot of good will. But here's what I don't like;

If you do a little math using this "history" on display at the church, you can calculate the earth to be maybe 6,000 years old. The nearby John Day Fossil Beds National Monument has fossils that are 40 million years old, yet youngsters attending this church will be taught a different view of earth's "history." Sigh... This entire region of Oregon advertises the "journey through time" that one takes on these scenic byways.

Oregon Recognizes a Different Time Scale Based on Science

Happy to have a plan for the day, I packed and got rolling. Here are this morning's rustic old barn photos;

And this building caught my attention;

Perhaps it was once a 1-room schoolhouse? I was constantly reminded that the fire danger was high, but I didn't need a reminder.

No Reminder Needed, the Fire Danger is Currently My Danger!

The current fires were caused by lightning, not man. Here's what looked to me like a nice fixer-upper project;

A Fixer-Upper. Appears to be in Sound Structural Shape

And here are several views of the John Day River between Dayville and Mount Vernon;

Another View of the John Day River Between Dayville and Mount Vernon

Energetic in Places, the John Day River Between Dayville and Mount Vernon

Sorry for the overload of river pictures, but I'm simply enthralled with the beauty of these natural streams. I'm afraid I have little to offer in the way of wildlife photos today.

Where are the Elk? The Sign Lies, I Saw None Today...

Where are those elk and deer advertised by the highway signs? I didn't see any. But I did see these quail, so small game is all you get today.

I Did Manage to Come Across a Covy of Quail

I thought this was a scenic homestead, so I stopped short to photograph it so I wouldn't disturb anyone who might be outside wondering what I was up to.

Nice Looking Homestead, It Was Actually Abandoned

When I rolled past it, I could tell that it was abandoned and was now just being used as farm storage. Rolling on, I met Mikel from Dallas.

Mikel From Dallas Gave Me Info on the Fires Ahead

Mikel started off in Dallas and made his way north to the Transam Route and is now finishing up westbound. He showed me some frightening photos of forest fire plumes that were way too close to where he was on the road. He rode through it and said he had ash dropped on him for a few miles until he cleared it. He suggested that I hurry up and push on to Prairie City else they may close the road. I told him about the excellent hostel in Dayville, and he headed off to stay there for the night. And so I headed off determined to reach Prairie City prior to any road closures. Here's what the smoke looked like;

The Smoke Appears as a Haze Here, Not Too Thick at This Location

It was just a haze at the time. As I rolled on it became only slightly worse.

Then it thickened noticeably.

A few miles outside of Mount Vernon, it became a fog-like soup that limited visibility.

The Smoke Approaching Mount Vernon Had Become Almost Fog-Like

I didn't like the idea of breathing this stuff, and I stopped in Mount Vernon to inquire of the locals if anyone knew about conditions ahead. The rumors were rampant, ranging all the way up to road closures ahead. But no one really knew anything. While I was at the local mini-mart, a lady walked over who worked at the only hotel in town. She said their rooms were going fast and they had only 2 left. It seemed like a good idea to get out of the smoke, so I walked over to the motel and talked the owner into a cheap rate and decided that I was done for the day. I needed to get some solid information before I proceeded, and the room had a TV. The room had been remodeled recently, but there was an almost 1-inch gap beneath the door. So engineering ingenuity came into play and I manufactured an air leak seal.

My Remodeled Motel Room Had a 1-inch Gap Below the Door - I Fixed It to Keep Out the Smoky Air

The TV only picked up channels far removed from Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon is a tiny town - most of my route goes through tiny towns - so it worked out that the best way I could get any information was to hang out at the local café and ask folks what the conditions were like where they had come from. I had stopped 25 miles short of Prairie City, so I needed a new plan for tomorrow. Looks like a Gonzo day is called for if I'm going to stay on schedule. It's early to bed for me then. Hoping for better smoke conditions tomorrow, good night everyone...

Today's ride: 23 miles (37 km)
Total: 2,712 miles (4,365 km)

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