Day 4 (61 Miles) Friday June 22, 2007- Kah-nee-ta, OR to Prineville, Or (3083')
Today's ride was really a big, sunny, piece of cake. At just over 60 miles and maybe 3,000 feet of climbing it was a ride that was just what we needed before tomorrow (more on that in a minute). We started with a nifty descent out of
the hotel and then started a climb of around 1,000 feet. I've yet to see a pitch out here over 7-8%, and even those aren't around for long.The big climb today was about 3-4 miles and we picked up about 1,300 feet. Tons of rear view beauty- we saw Mt. Hood and numerous other snow covered peaks throughout the day.
Today was our 4th straight day and I feel good. I've been sleeping well, eating OK and doing my best to stay hydrated- that's going to be an issue for me if I'm not careful. My saddle feels somewhere between tolerable and so-so, but I have no posterior problems- knock on wood. I'm taking two showers a day and I apply a heapin' slatherin' of butt butter before and during each ride. Now I'll admit that I can barely keep my shorts from sliding off me, but it sure helps with friction in the plumbing department.
Actually, today started with a fizzle. Right after we had breakfast everyone gathered at the box truck to load luggage and then depart. I decided to get some air and immediately found that I had a "hotel flat". It was fine when I got in, but sometime during the night the tire went flat. Fixing the flat put me at the end of the pack, so I spent most of the day trying to catch the group. By mile 40 or so I'd gotten back and finished the ride with Rich and some others.
We're in Prineville, OR which is a town of about 10,000 just about smack in the middle of Oregon. High desert and pretty hot- though it could be a lot worse. It's probably 85-90 now, but we got to the hotel by 2:00PM, so we avoided the worst of it. BTW, I rode along the Deschutes River and saw a bunch of people getting ready to launch drift boats- wish I could spend a day fly fishing. The Deschutes looked fabulous- great color and lots of water. Hmmm good.
Since I planned to take this trip, I have dreaded what we're going to do tomorrow. The route is nearly 120 miles and we'll climb over 5,000 feet. The weather will be warm- probably high 80's to low 90's. The plan is to start very early (probably be riding by 6:00AM) and to stay as hydrated as I can and to ride a slow, steady pace. We have ridden nearly 300 miles already, so tomorrow will be a big challenge for me. I expect that the ride will take 10-12 hours, so we'll be out all day.
Thanks to Keith, Jack, Joan, Scott, Danny and Sherry for sending me their thoughts- I really look forward to reading your comments at the end of the day. I'm having trouble replying to a comment that you send me through the blog, so if you want me to respond, send me an email at bobframe@hughes.net. Bye...
