MISSOULA

fun at 45th parallel

week 3

We left Baker City on Sunday 20th June and made it to a place called Halfway. One big hill along the way! Next day we crossed into Idaho, our 3rd state and moved into a different time zone, forward one hour. Idaho is wilder than anywhere we've been before and the scenery is spectacular! Rivers, mountains,pine trees....its immense!As we cycled along the Salmon river we saw all these people fishing. We chatted to one guy who told us how he hunts and gathers all his own food. He catches maybe 30 salmon to fill his freezer. He shoots bears, wild turkeys,cougar and elk! We were impressed!! He said that his wife shot a bear last week!! Guess they have a big freezer!
We travelled through Idaho over the next 4 days, staying at Cambridge, New Meadows, White Bird, Kooskia and Lowell. We bumped into our cycling buddy Russell a couple of times along the way. We had a nice time in the motel bar in Kooskia chatting over a couple of beers with a bunch of motor bikers!
Just as we arrived at Lowell on friday we pulled up at the shop and a man came over to chat to me. He asked me had I seen the bear two miles back...... 'BEAR'....I stammered, 'WHAT BEAR?'
He said he passed us immediately after he passed a bear who was sitting at the roadside and he couldn't figure out how we'd missed it!!!! Damn!!!! I so wanted to see a bear!!!! Still plenty of time!!
After Lowell we were faced with a 66 mile stretch of uphill wilderness...nothing at all along the way! However it wasnt as bad as we had anticipated as the climb was pretty gradual! We reached our accommodation only to find that our room which I had booked was not booked and we were faced with a night in the TENT! We were allowed to camp for free as they had made a mistake with our booking and told us to go behind the shop which was beside the kiddies play area. As we tried to sleep, shattered, at 8.30pm, the kids were still playing outside!! We got through the night (just about) and enjoyed nice pancakes in the lodge for breakfast. Another long day on Sunday, up and over the Lolo Pass at 5225 ft and then we crossed into Montana and sped downhill all the way to Missoula.55 miles later. We are now enjoying our day off there and have just had our photos taken for the wall of fame at the Adventure Cycling Headquarters. We have bought the next 9 maps which will guide us all the way to the Atlantic ocean (we hope).We are availing of the free ice cream, pop and computer use at the HQ! Off to relax in the sun now, 1000 miles under our belts and temperatures now in the 90s...HOT! Clothes finally getting looser!!! There has to be some bonus for all those hills!

GAYLORD

A day in Baker City

After a pleasant 29 miles downhill we arrived in Baker City at 9.40 am on Saturday. I broke a spoke on the way so it was straight to the bike shop.As it was going to take a while we decided to have our rest day there ,so we booked into Knights Inn. The highlight of our day was our first EVER Dominos pizza....what an experience!!! It was even delivered to the bench we were sitting on across the street!! That evening we also had a great meal (our best food day so far )... Dermot had steak and I had pasta and we drank wonderful Hells Canyon wine!! Up to that point the day had gone very well indeed, I forgot to mention that it was sunny and we lounged by the (tiny) pool for a while too. Well ,off we went to bed at our motel and fell into a very satisfying sleep, until suddenly, a few hours later, we were awoken by a VERY LOUD BANG!!! We both shot up at once in our queensize bed and said "what was that ???" Dermot immediately reassured me by saying "GUNSHOT !" We lay there for about an hour too scared to speak,waiting for the aftermath...footsteps...shouting ...more shots....but all was quiet. I took note of the time in case CNN needed me for a witness statement next day, it happened at exactly 01.38 am. Well , next morning we awoke and discussed the events of the night, soon afterwards Dermot went to move my bike (bikes in room for safety) and lo and behold hadn't my back tyre exploded....that was the bang!! The tube was in bits.... we had never seen the likes before!!!! Well,that was that ,nobody was shot and all is well again!!

The Oregon Trail

All set and ready!

our cycling friends

week 2

On Friday 11th we cycled from Springfield to Rainbow, a lovely ride along the McKenzie river. We had our day off there ,relaxing in the sunshine,before the big climb on Sunday.McKenzie Pass was closed due to snow so we had to take the alternate route over the Santiam Pass which was 20 miles longer!! It was hard as we climbed to 4817 feet and it was hot! On the way down, about 10 miles from our town, we had a little mishap...... Dermot's wheel just buckled! There was nothing for it but to hitch a ride in a pick up. Pure bliss!! We arrived in a town called Sisters and fortunately there was a good bike shop there, even open on Sundays. A new wheel later we were on our way (next day) to a whole week of high passes,5 in total and three of them over 5000 feet. Legs of steel later we are still on schedule and now in Baker city where my bike is now in a bike shop with a warped back wheel!!
Over the past week we have met some amazing people...Parker and Susan Hudson,chronic cyclists who are carrying an unbelieveable amount on their bikes!!! Everything but the kitchen sink!! We also had the good fortune to meet up many times with two nice girls who live on mashed potato!! They are Rachel and Kelsey and they are heading for Colorado. They are now ahead of us due to a little bit of help over the last three passes......enough said! We will miss them all!!
A little mention of the wildlife we have seen along the way so far.... lots of deer (elk), snakes 3 or 4 (one could have been a piece of string), millions of prairie dogs (NOT dogs), buzzards,wild geese, beautiful birds....no bears yet!
The weather has been pretty mixed ,hot,cold, freezing, hail, fresh snow on the passes, lots of wind in all directions.
We have stayed in many different and interesting places but not in a tent yet and I hope to keep it that way! The accommodation has varied from dull motel rooms to homely cabins; rooms in very individual small hotels and last night we stayed in a wild west stockade in Sumpter, camp fire ,the lot!
We have just completed our second map and have covered about 600 miles. We are about to leave Oregon and enter Idaho, our 2nd state. Its been a tough week but I ain't givin up just yet!!

Week 1

WE HAVE COMPLETED OUR FIRST WEEK AND ARE STILL ON SPEAKING TERMS! WE SET OFF LAST SUNDAY FROM ASTORIA IN THE RAIN AND MADE IT TO MANZANITA. I HAD 2 FALLS THAT DAY, ONE TO THE RIGHT AND ONE TO THE LEFT SO AT LEAST BOTH KNEES MATCHED!! ON MONDAY WE SET OFF DOWN THE COAST, BEAUTIFUL SCENERY ALL THE WAY, TO PACIFIC CITY. WE HAD PLANNED TO STAY AT A PLACE CALLED SAND LAKE BUT WHEN WE GOT THERE THATS ALL THERE WAS.... ONE BIG SAND LAKE AND NOTHING ELSE!! ON TUESDAY WE HEADED INLAND AND EVENTUALLY, MANY HOURS LATER ARRIVED AT THE STRANGEST TOWN EVER... WILLAMINA, TIMBER CITY OF THE U.S. WE CHECKED INTO THE ONE AND ONLY HOTEL WHEN IT OPENED AT 5 PM AND FOUND WE WERE THE ONLY GUESTS. THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO THE RESIDENT POLTERGEIST WHICH WE READ ABOUT IN THE VISITOR BOOK. PREVIOUS GUESTS SAW BOOKS JUMPING OFF THE BOOKCASES . WE HAD A LOVRLYLOVELY ROOM, OWN RETRO KITCHEN AND VERY UNUSUAL SITTING ROOM!! I RECOMMEND ANYONE TO GO THERE, AMAZING PLACE! ON WEDNESDAY WE MADE IT TO CORVALLIS, QUITE A BIG TOWN. STAYED AT MOTEL 6. HEADED OFF IN WRONG DIRECTION NEXT MORNING (AHHHHH!!!) ADDED TOO MANY EXTRA MILES! MADE MANY MISTAKES BUT FINALLY ARRIVED AT SPRINGFIELD EXHAUSTED. DUE TO FIELD AND TRACK EVENTS MOST OF SPRINGFIELD WAS BOOKED OUT. WE WERE SOAKING WET AND VERY TIRED. THEN LUCKILY GOT A SUITE IN BEST WESTERN WITH ENORMOUS BED REAL LUXURY!! FRIDAY WAS A GOOD CYCLING DAY, NO WRONG TURNS, NO RAIN AND ABOUT 50 MILES

ADMIRING THE VIEW.

Rear wheels in The Pacific Ocean!

A short while later we had our next official start by dipping our rear wheels in the Pacific!

AT THE START!

We started in the rain from the official starting point in Astoria, Oregon on Sunday 6th June.

First stage!

We've done 4 days, covered about 220 miles, become addicted to pancakes and maple syrup, got sore butts and developing enormous legs!! Great so far!!! Photos when I get access to a computer!

We're Here!

Dermot putting together the bikes in Seattle train station.

Leaving do at Hendre Llan 31/5/10