Day 12: July 17, 2024 - Rainbow, OR, to Sisters, OR
End: Sisters, OR
Miles: 44.8
Feet climbing per mile: 122 Record of the day's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/203019171
I was up at 5:00 and on the road at 5:45 which was sunrise. The temperature was in the high 50s. I had learned the night before that McKenzie Pass, which Kevin Prentice of RideWithGPS had recommended I take rather than Santiam Pass, was open. I saw on my route that no water would be available for a long stretch, so I filled my water bladder, only the second time on this trip.
The traffic was light and the scenery gorgeous.
There was a lot of tree cover throughout much of the long climb. I walked several times and wondered why I needed to do so, because the grade did not seem steep.
Eventually I came to a section that had experienced a lot of burn.
When I saw the black rocks I thought that it looked like someone had plowed the area, which obviously made no sense. I later learned that these rocks came from lava.
So that’s why I needed to walk so often! In a few hours I had ascended 4000 feet. I rode at nearly 5000 feet on my 90-day trip in 2019, but I never ascended 4000 feet in such a short period of time.
At the summit was the Dee Wright Observatory. At first I was not going to hike up to it, but a motorcyclist with whom I spoke encouraged me to do so. I realized that I would probably never be there again, so I parked my bike and walked up the winding steps, some of which were made from lava rocks.
Here I am at the top of the observatory, where I took a video showing the view in all directions.
The winding descent was on beautiful new asphalt.
Scott Forrester, one of my fellow Feldenkrais practitioners, met me in Sisters and drove me to his home in La Pine, where I spent the night. Previously we had met only online. It was fun getting to know Scott. I expect this to be my last home stay until I get to southern Illinois.
I felt quite wiped out by the long hard climb and the ascent of 4000 feet, so I considered spending an extra day at Scott’s place. The next route I had planned was from Sisters to Mitchell, a distance of 85 miles. That distance would be too much given how early in the day the extreme heat would start, so I split the route in two. After I did that I realized that I did not need a rest day but that with an early start the next morning I would be able to ride from Sisters to Prineville avoiding the worst heat. Scott and I made a plan to get up at 5:00, out the door at 5:30, and in Sisters at 6:30. Based on that plan I thought I might get to Prineville as early as 10:30, when it would be only 80.
At my send-off party Jennifer Hoult told me that Ibuprofen is effective for altitude sickness, and I’ve read that it can prevent it. I brought 50 capsules with me and took one before going to bed. I will continue to take one each day.
See all of my daily routes here: Cross Country 2024
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