0707 - Along the Powder River - Rejuvenation? Or Last Hurrah?

July 7, 2022

0707 - Along the Powder River

A sublime ride

EASTBOUND RIDERS GET THE BETTER DEAL on the stretch of OR 7 North that runs from the Union Creek USFS Campground into Baker City, in my opinion. For one thing, it's downhill just about all the way. Not precipitously, for the most part, but it's EASY miles.

The second, and to me no less important, reason to go east here is that the highway follows the Powder River, often quite close to the watercourse. On a still, quiet morning such as today, it makes the most pleasing splash and gurgle and rush as it twists and turns and bounces off of rocks and boulders in the stream bed. The effect, when combined with the slope, absolutely still air, and low traffic, is magical.

OR 7 follows the Powder River for miles, sometimes right alongside the stream.

Sometimes it's quiet and placid, at others it splashes and burbles and gurgles over rocks, boulders, and fallen timber.

In one place it squeezes through a very narrow gorge, which gets its dander up.

Visits to the West have been, for me, few and far between. My fragmentary memories are buttressed by photos from National Geographic, travel posters dating from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, and other highly idealized images. And yet, for all that they represent the ideal, that's what I experienced today, and in fact for most of this week.

Yes, yes I am. Partly because I choose to be but equally because I have no other alternative. Then again, do they HAVE TO advertise the fact to the rest of the world?

Both the John Day River, alongside which I rode for several days, and now the Powder River, provide exactly the sort of environment I see when I close my eyes and think of "The West".

If I ever tire of seeing views like this, it'll be time to die because it just doesn't get any better.

"Hippety Hoppity, there goes the Wapiti." (by Ogden Nash) Portals such as this are iconic Western fixtures. No self-respecting ranch will be without one.

One last view of the Powder, where two low dams are sufficient to illustrate the amazing power of water flowing down a slope at speed.

As you descend, the landscape changes gradually from pine forest to open rangeland and scrubby hillsides. There are also lovely meadows to be spotted along much of the way.

A bit of everything: meadows and wetlands in the foreground, scrub-laced low hills in the middle distance, and pine-covered mountains beyond.

This linear oasis of calmness affords the opportunity for the touring cyclist's mind to drift and wander free. In my case, I was busy watching the scenery go by and composing today's entry. The road really is the story, or at least a major part of it.

Another part is what happens when you give yourself a "rolling rest day". Bike touring is time consuming, and on most days it pretty well consumes the available time. There's the riding, of course, but there are pre- and post-ride routines and tasks to be considered as well. Meals don't cook themselves, nor does the tent magically erect itself on nights when I'm camping. Gear needs to be sorted through and reorganized. Journals want words and pictures to be added while the memories are still fresh and the "news" is timely.

Off days are for laundry, restocking supplies (food, toiletries, and the like), and laundry. Especially laundry.

Since today's ride was short and easy, I found myself in Baker City by 1100- far too early to check in to my motel. So, it was a "task day", not worth reporting for the most part.

The one item worthy of mention was the chance meeting with Marc Baud, the Swiss rider I met two nights ago when we each stayed at the Dayville Community Church. I was on some mundane errand when he spotted me and crossed the street. Not expecting to see him, at first I failed to recognize him but I quickly recovered.

It was lunchtime so we adjourned to the local Mexican restaurant and got to know one another a bit better. After today it's unlikely that we'll cross paths again: he's faster than me and likely to cover more territory in a day. But it was great to have even a brief, unexpected link-up.

I sure hope there's more to town than what you can see here...

Quite a bit more, in fact, when you get to Main Street.

Lacking much to report about today's riding, beyond reiterating how much I enjoyed it, I'll take the opportunity to give a little more ink to a few topics I've either mentioned only in passing, or neglected altogether.

Birds

I hear a lot of birds while I'm riding, and especially when I'm camped. I don't know them either by sight or sound, for the most part (although I can reliably distinguish between an owl and an ostrich, most of the time) so I'm not the one to say what types they are. I've seen small, darting birds that I think are some form of swallow (they flit and dart in the most acrobatic way), and a couple large raptors (some form of hawk), and what I think are a few killdeer as well as red-winged blackbirds. I hear many more. Cheery bird song is one of the happiest sounds I can think of, so it pleases me to hear it.

Today while I was paused at a bridge over the Powder, two birds (of the same species, I think) were having a long, sustained dialogue. They tweeted and twittered back and forth for the entire time I was there. I assume they were discussing politics, religion, or some other meaty topic. But it seemed to me that the discussion wasn't progressing, as I heard each bird repeat itself over and over without, apparently, either changing what it was saying or persuading the other of the rightness of its cause and position. Or maybe they were arguing over whose turn it was to take the trash out. I dunno.

John Day

I still haven't looked him up in Wikipedia (or anywhere else, for that matter) so I can't tell you why, but he's clearly a big deal in these parts. He's got a river, its valley, a National Monument (the John Day Fossil Beds, which I failed to visit earlier this week) and two towns named after him.

The Blue Mountains

After you leave the Cascades headed east, you eventually run into the Blue Mountains. They're not as spectacularly rugged as the Cascades (no snow-capped volcanic cones, for one thing) and they're spread farther apart with inter-montane valleys that open the landscape in a way the bigger mountains to the west do not. But I like them just as well- better, probably, when cycling because they're not as hard to get over.

Touring Cyclists (or lack thereof)

Although I've been on the road for a week, I've encountered only three westbound riders actually on the road, and three others at places I've spent a night. I had thought, from reading other journals, there'd be more of them. Perhaps the westbounders are still before me? I've been caught and passed by several eastbounders, but only two while I've been out riding. The others, like the westbounders, have tended to appear at the overnight stops.

I've been reading John Pickett's blog over on Rootchopper.com, and anticipate that our paths will cross either tomorrow or Saturday at the latest. I'm particularly keen to see him since we've met before on local DC area bike events and have a few acquaintances in common.

The weather

I've discussed the weather, or at least mentioned it, several times but it deserves one more mention here. Evidently the weather gods have conspired to gift me with absolutely splendid, perfect weather for bike touring.

Mornings have been cool but not too cool. Afternoons have been anything from perfect to ideal. The evenings have cooled off nicely as the sun sets, sometimes driving me to put on an additional layer.

I have yet to encounter a headwind of any real consequence; today I did have one but it was a welcome, cooling breeze and far from an impediment.

There's been no real rain; the brief showers on the first day were nothing more than a momentary, passing blip, and as easily dismissed and forgotten.

I know that this is atypical weather for the time and place, but I'm surely glad to have it. I don't know how long it'll continue this way but it's been a godsend for the first week out of the box.

Heart

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Rachel and Patrick HugensHere in Boise even though we are not on a direct ACA route, we get Eastbounders in Spring, and Westbounders more likely in Fall (late August, Sept, mid Oct)
We are on the Idaho Hot Springs Loop where people fly into Boise, and that too is more late Spring, (after the snow melts in the Mountains) and Fall (hopefully avoiding the summer fires and smoke)
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2 years ago

Consecutive days without a tire problem: 5

Today's ride: 19 miles (31 km)
Total: 250 miles (402 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	11
Comment on this entry	Comment	13

Scott AndersonI hope your luck with the weather holds. It changes everything. Being lucky with the weather is Team Anderson’s superpower.
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsSend some of that superpower my way, please!

30 years or so ago, a college friend of ours set off to do the TransAm. He got rained on for something like 22 of his first (and only) 26 days, pulled the plug, and called it good. As far as I know he's never toured anywhere since.

He posted a comment a couple days ago about how nice he found the ride into John Day, and how good it was to get CLEAN and DRY.

(Bret if you see this feel free to add corrections and clarifications!)
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2 years ago

Rachel and Patrick HugensTurn Right and visit us in Boise
Racpat
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2 years ago

John PickettWe’re going to try for Baker City tomorrow. Logistics and heat may have something to say about that. It’ll be 82 miles with significant climbs. Keep your eyes open.
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo John PickettI got to Halfway today. If Baker proves too much there are RV parks here and in Richland. One big hill in between (3 miles, ~1300 feet of climbing). From Richland it's 42 miles to Baker City.

There's a motorcycle rally and a festival in Baker City this weekend so hotel rooms may be scarce.
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2 years ago

John PickettTo Keith AdamsThanks for the info. Hoping for a Warmshowers home. Otherwise we might change our plans
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo John PickettI keep forgetting about Warm Showers.

Good luck. We should cross tomorrow.
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo Rachel and Patrick HugensIt's a serious thought.

From Cambridge what would you recommend? John Egan wasn't thrilled about Boise traffic or egress earlier this summer. I don't want to ride I 84. Is there any alternative?
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo Rachel and Patrick HugensA quick and dirty RWGPS route comes to 160 miles, from Halfway. That makes it a three day affair, plus whatever time I need to get to West Yellowstone on the 24th. It seems like there should be plenty of time to do that but I know nothing about the region.

Your thoughts?
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2 years ago

Rachel and Patrick HugensTo Keith AdamsAre you on Warmshowers? We are Racpat and have a list of suggestions on that page. There's a bike path that gets you into and out of Boise that follows the Boise River. And we live a 10 min walk to downtown and off another bike path.
We are going rafting today and will respond more later. Especially about how to get to West Yellowstone.
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2 years ago

Rachel and Patrick HugensTo Keith AdamsFrom Baker City to Boise, Ride GPS sends you to the Weiser River Trail from Cambridge to Weiser. We did part of that trail as a training ride (see journal).
We've directed others from Baker City staying West of I84. Patrick can give more details later (we are headed out now)
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo Rachel and Patrick HugensHi

I'm in Cambridge now. Staying on my original plan would take me the opposite direction on the Weiser River Trail.

This is my decision point.

Unfortunately I can't really do a good job of evaluating the Boise route because the web version of the RWGPS route planner is unusable on a phone screen, and I have the app busy navigating my planned route.

If you see this by about noon today please email me your phone number. It'll be very helpful if I can actually talk to you.

My email address is ibike2havefun at gmail dot com.
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2 years ago

Rachel and Patrick HugensTo Keith AdamsGreat talking with you, disappointed we won't meet this time in Boise, but your route is a better decision with the rising temperatures. Better to stay high and in the mountains.
You are welcome to visit us anytime, on or off a bike.
Racpat
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2 years ago