The Great American Road Trip

September 8, 2018

Driving a lot so we can bike a lot

The route for Cycle Oregon (heretofore "CO" to save keystrokes and carpal tunnel) varies from year to year. In 2018 it was located in the far NE corner of the state, near the Oregon/Idaho border. From what veteran riders told us, there are 5-6 go-to routes that the organizers rotate, with a few variations thrown in to keep things fresh. This year's ride was the 30th, although the very first CO ride was 31 years ago ... the disparity being the cancellation of the 2017 event. CO is a non-profit organization. They operate 4-5 rides each year, but the Cycle Oregon Classic (this ride) is their flagship event. They do a lot of bicycle advocacy work in Oregon, and donate some serious $$$ to the various towns that serve as host sites at the overnight stays. We weren't aware of that before registering and really appreciated the fact this is an organization that gives back to both the cycling community and the Oregon towns that help make the ride happen.

The first actual riding day for CO was Sunday, September 9th in Baker City, Oregon. We decided to make a road trip of it instead of flying out and hassling with shipping the bikes and taking a bus from Portland to Baker City, so we loaded up "Jack" our orange Honda Element (Jack is short for Jack O' Lantern ... orange car, pumpkins are orange, Jack O' Lanterns are made from pumpkins ... get it?) and off we went, Westward Ho.

We drove through Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah and finally Oregon over three days. The first 7 hours of each day were loads of fun, but the last two were inevitably soul sucking because we were knackered from a long day and getting cranky, needing a meal and a bed. But on the whole it was grand. We consumed hours of podcasts. I drove, Margaret knitted. On the way out we indulged one of our newly acquired obsessions: High Pointing. This is the nerdist hobby of summiting the highest elevation in as many of the 50 states (and Wash. D.C.) as you can manage. Looking at the map I noticed we'd be within shouting distance of Nebraska's highpoint (Panorama Point) so off we went.

It's located about 15 miles off the interstate in faaaar western Nebraska, almost in Wyoming. You travel mainly gravel roads to reach it and the ranch land upon which the highpoint is located raises Bison, and their entry sign admonishes you to NOT BOTHER THE BISON. We did not spot any as we entered but we accepted that as generally excellent advice no matter what. You might think the highest elevation in a place like Nebraska would be a bland joke, but you would be incorrect. It truly is a Panorama, and represents Big Sky country for sure. Take a gander at the photos below.

Though high pointing is a great bit of fun that the cool kids never would bother with, it wasn't biking, so we continued our driving quest and finally arrived in Baker City late on Friday. The ride is essentially set up to be a camping only experience. You either bring your own tent, or pay for the "Tent & Porter" service. That means CO will have a tent pitched and waiting for you each day at the end of the ride. CO sets up nearly 500 tents each night for the folks that buy this service. They actually have two sets of 500 tents that leapfrog each other from town to town. That's some serious infrastructure. When I decided to make life easy and pay for this service I didn't really ponder why they called it "Tent & Porter." We just wanted a tent set up for us. Imagine my glee when we found out the "Porter" part of the service meant someone lugged your giant gear/clothing bag to and from your tent each day! So, instead of having to drag a body bag from the baggage truck to your tent, you simply waltzed into camp, found your tent (#22 for us) and dropped anchor. This was excellent news, and I felt like a very clever fellow, even though I obviously wasn't clever enough to actually grasp what I was paying for when I paid for it.

Getting to know everyone on our block in Tent & Porter City.

The CO tent city is a marvel of organization and forethought. Everything you might need or want seems to be on site. There is a beer tent. There is a small "whisky wagon" (literally ... it served artisanal regional whisky). There is a coffee tent. There is a masseuse. And an acupuncturist. They recycle everything. There is a gear store for clothes, jerseys, jackets, and anything else you might have forgotten. They have four semi-trucks that have been converted into shower trucks. Hot showers. With individually curtained stalls. Honest to God, it's all been thought through. Now, not all of these amenities are free .... you gotta pay for your beer, coffee, whisky, health care, etc. But ... so what? The registration fee includes breakfast, lunch and dinner and if you avail yourself of all the food on the menu you WILL come home having gained weight. But the first night we weren't truly clued into the massive array of support and services available for this amazing ride. On Saturday Marg and I walked into Baker City, poked around, and came back to meet the folks in the neighborhood. There was a pleasingly varied population living on our "block." All ages, experiences and average speeds were represented. Good people, we bikers. Eccentric as hell, but good people. We went to bed (well, to air mattress and sleeping bag) Saturday night, eager and nervous to start riding, and super curious what it would be like to ride in the Wild West, instead of our home court roads back in Wisconsin.

What did you forget? We can sell it to you.

Typical Menu for the ride. They attempt to locally/regionally source as much of the menu as they can, and cite the place from which it came. Honestly, the food was to die for.

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