Day 16 - August 15: Baker City OR - John Day OR
80 miles. 4781 feet up, 5143 feet down.
Well, that was a long day and it's already after 8 as I sit down to try to remember what the heck we did today. We had three big climbs and a few smaller ones, so it seemed that we were either going up or down pretty much all day. One thing that struck me today (as it has other days as well) is just how varied the terrain is, and how much it can change within a day's ride. We don't get much of that on day rides at home. Oh - and I left the "trunk" off my bike today to see if that would make any difference with my creaky seat. I'm not sure that it did, but even though the temperature wasn't scorching hot at the end of the day, it seemed to build until mid-day and then lessen towards the end of the day (or maybe I'm just deaf to it by then).
We started out on a different highway today (State Route 7), although still a pretty quiet road with decent shoulders. Apparently it's known as the "Journey Through Time".
At first there were not long stretches without some type of civilization - rural, spread-out properties often set well back from the road, mostly.
Just as I was starting to notice the vegetation changing to more and bigger trees, we entered the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. At some point later in the day we transitioned to the Malheur National Forest. It's interesting that in travelling back across Oregon in a westerly direction we are encountering some of the same names that we first saw going easterly a bit north of here. I must go home and read the Nez Perce book that I picked up in Montana a year or two ago. They were originally from this area.
Not today...........
Phillips Lake in the background.
Next up - osprey du jour. Two for one deal this time, and both nests were occupied........
And the first substantial climb is underway............ Up to Larch Summit at 5,082' (at mile 29.6). Too bad there wasn't a sign at the summit. As with so many signs (and stop signs) in the western US, this one was full of bullet holes. Because?????
Downhill, and the clouds are starting to build. And it was a sweet downhill................
Where it flattened out between hills, there was this big ol' fella sitting outside the fence watching the world go by. I managed to get a picture just before he got to his feet and gave us a "get outta here" look.
The section between Larch Summit and Tipton Summit flattened out for a bit and we were once again out of the forest and into a bit of a meadow.
SAG 2 was just before the climb to Tipton Summit (5,124' at 43.8 miles). The clouds moved in and it actually started to rain just as I started the climb. Perfect timing - it rained all the way up and the temperature dropped to 11C. The only bad part was that a bit of a headwind also moved in. I would have been too hot with a rain jacket on so I just enjoyed the cooling effects of the shower. No summit sign at the top (although there had been in 2018), so this will have to do.
The camera goes away when it's raining, so nothing more until I was down the other side. I had to bring it out for this shot, though. I distinctly remember taking a picture of this old building while going the other way on TA1.
Our first Scenic Bikeway sign just as we are about to turn onto US 26 at 51.1 miles. The clouds were pretty thick to the left, but we were turning right toward blue skies, or so we thought.........
Saw this sign in the restroom at the Austin House Cafe and Country Store.
Climb #3. At least they had a sign to reward us for our efforts. Mile 57.6, and SAG #3 was just beyond the sign.
By the time I left the SAG, the clouds were catching up with us and getting wet again was pretty much a certainty. Next stop @ 61.3 - the "large covered wagon photo opp". Well, except that it's not covered anymore (it was in 2018). We could already see lightening bolts coming down to earth in the distance. Hopefully no more fires were started.
Yes, I did get wet but it wasn't heavy for very long. Even though the camera was away for most of it, there were some pretty cool sky pictures although I didn't capture any of the lightening bolts.
I wonder if this is where Cy and Katie (our SAGs) will be staying tonight............
More fun skies.........
By then the rain had stopped and we were able to cruise into John Day pretty much dry.
The Ride:
Garmin: 128.3 km. 4637 feet up, 4999 feet down.
RWGPS: 129.5 km. 1699 m up, 1810 m down.
Temperature range: started at 16C, up to 20C, down to 11C, up to 26C, down to 16C
The Route:
John Day OR. Population 1,664
The city was named for the nearby John Day River, which had been named for a Virginia member of the 1811 Astor Expedition. At a population of 1664, it is the largest "city" in Grant County. The largest part of early John Day was the Chinese community, called Tiger Town. The Chinese immigrants had been attracted to the area by the gold rush. There is now a museum called the Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum. I saw it last time I was through, but probably won't have the time this time around. John Day is surrounded by the Strawberry Mountains to the south and the Blue Mountains to the east. Historically, industrial and agricultural businesses like gold mining, sheep and cattle ranching, timber harvesting, and lumber milling were the mainstays of the community. However - now recreation, health care and government account for the majority of jobs. In 2000, about 18% of the population lived below the poverty line.
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