Day 14: July 19, 2024 - Prineville, OR, to Mitchell, OR
End: Mitchell, OR
Miles: 48.3
Feet climbing per mile: 59
Record of the day's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/230420634
I got up at 5:00 with the intention of being on the road at 5:30, a few minutes before sunrise. Somehow I did not get on the road until 5:50, at which time the temperature was 55. The night before I had studied my route and saw that I could get water at campgrounds just before mile 7 and 31, so I did not need to fill my water bladder.
The ride until the Ochoco Summit before mile 31 was a gradual climb, with four short significant climbs distributed throughout. The surface was excellent and although the shoulder was usually not generous, the traffic was light.
The south end of the Ochoco Reservoir caught my attention.
I was surprised to see homes on the Ochoco Reservoir, some with docks for boating and swimming.
After a climb of almost 31 miles I arrived at the summit.
Descending at 30 miles per hour for seven miles through the beautiful scenery was an intense experience.
It must have taken a lot of work to cut through this part of the mountain.
Maybe I can find out what mountain this is.
The picture below shows the sort of scenery I saw throughout the ride.
I arrived in Mitchell and headed to the Oregon Hotel where I had made a reservation. On the front door was a sign saying NO BICYCLES INSIDE THE HOTEL. I asked the woman at the desk whether she would make an exception and she said I would have to park my bike in the back because the tires chew up the floor. I told her I had been willing to help her out by switching rooms to accommodate someone who had been evacuated from her home due to a wildfire, but that I could not abide by (I used that expression, certainly the first time in my life) not being able to have my bike in my room.
I had originally planned to stay at the Spoke’n Hostel, but two days ago decided I wanted more privacy. After leaving the hotel I went to the hostel and met Jarét (jhar-EH), the host. As she showed me around I told her how impressed I was that she had thought of everything traveling cyclists need.
Home for the day…for just $35 per night!
I’m glad the Oregon Hotel has their rule about no bikes inside because otherwise I wouldn’t have stayed at Spoke’n Hostel.
At Spoke’n Hostel I met Derick, the only other person staying here tonight. Derick is riding the Trans Am Bike Race route from Astoria, Oregon, to Yorktown, Virginia (I’m following the same route but only to southern Illinois where I will head to the Blue Ridge Mountains). We’ve had interesting conversations about all sorts of topics. Derick is dealing with the heat much better than I have been, maybe because before starting his trip he experienced several days of 100-degree weather in Portland.
For my next two riding days I plan to stay at campgrounds with hiker-biker sections, just $8 per night. But tomorrow will be a rest day during which I will enjoy hanging out at Spoke’n Hostel, and also catching up on my blogging and investigating Patreon.
See all of my daily routes here: Cross Country 2024
Follow my progress on this map. Click VIEW ALL and then pinch the map to see my progress from the start in Portland.
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