The Thin Blue Ride: The Thin Blue Ride - Part 2 Day 8

Ride Report: 50 Miles, 432 Total Miles, 15.2 Avg mph, 2,408 Ft Climbing, 3,766 Calories.

As the reader has likely noted from the ride report, today was a bit shorter than normal. Thus far I’ve avoided looking forward too much in the daily posts. The exception being McKenzie Day. But in order to understand why today was a bit shorter, its necessary to have some idea what has yet to come this week. In essence, there are six mountain passes this week. McKenzie Pass and Ochoco Pass have already fallen to the rotation of my cranks. The reader will see proof that I topped Ochoco Pass in the pics that follow. Tomorrow is Keyes Creek Pass. (Hey, I don’t name em, I just ride em.) Mitchel, OR is where we'll overnight tonight and is on the up slope of Keyes Creek Pass. Not wanting to handle two mountain passes today we called it a day at Mitchell. If the reader is proficient in math (and for those who are not) this leaves three mountain passes this week. Unfortunately, they’re all grouped so closely together that they must, of necessity, be beaten down in one day. That would be the day after tomorrow. So, it now gets a bit easier to understand why we called it a day at 50 miles.

But on with today. The ride was interesting – in a different sort of way than were the Cascades. It's similar to when we drove thru New Mexico and Arizona on the way out to start The Thin Blue Ride, it kinda grows on ya. So yes, its rocky and sandy, there are scrubby looking plants everywhere, water is becoming less in evidence as we progress East, but where you find it the countryside remains lush. Its just that there’s a lot less lush than was the case even in Prineville where the day started. Here’s what it looked like…

According to what I read on the menu at the restaurant last night, Prineville is one of the few cities to have constructed its own railroad spur and the City still owns/maintains that spur today. This was sitting on the main drag thru town as I left this morning.

Before long we’d climbed up to Ochoco Lake which I presume supplies water to Prineville. It was very scenic. The only problem was that it bred mosquitoes like rabbits breed…well…more rabbits. And they apparently called their annual convention right along the edge of the road in the shade of the pine trees that lined the highway. I learned something new today. Flocks (?) of mosquitoes like to hover at precisely head height to a rider. I learned this when I rode thru the first flock – with my mouth open. Well, technically I didn’t learn it till after the 4^th mosquito snack, but learn it I did. Regardless, the lake was a nice distraction – from the mosquitoes if not the effort of the ride.

This is what I’m talking about when I say that where there is water things look all green and spring like. It also happens to show what I’m now positive will be my last look at the Cascades. I know, I know – I said the same thing earlier, but this time I think its true. If the one looks closely one can just make out a snow capped mountain in the slot of the hills in the foreground.

This lasted for maybe a mile and a half or two miles this morning. While it might look flat, I can assure the reader that its actually a steady uphill slope of between 1-3%.

About 15 miles in, this happened. The reader will note that the road no longer looks flat in the distance. One can just make out that the road starts to wind around the hill in the distance. It kept winding for the next 15 miles.

Oh yes – some kind soul had pity on we poor riders and set up a water stop for riders – complete with a bench in the shade. Very kind. Hmmm… or maybe they just got tired of riders knocking on their door and asking for water all the time? I was doing fine. No need to stop for anything but a pic.

Susan and I had arranged to meet for lunch at a trail head about a mile before the summit. I was feeling pretty good, but it was still a welcome break. So – shortly after lunch, I finally reached the top of Ochoco Pass.

It wasn’t nearly as difficult as McKenzie, but 31 miles of steady uphill wears on a guy. The last fifteen miles varied between 4-6%

Then started the downhill. It was 18 miles to Mitchell with about 14 of those miles being downhill before the route flattened out. The early descent was a hoot since the slope was probably at 6-7%. This side of the mountain is clearly more consistently steep than the side I climbed. Unfortunately, the wind (which had been in my face all day, to include coming up the freakin mountain) remained so and actually increased in velocity – thus stemming some of the fun associated with a blistering downhill. I think my high speed for today was only 39.5 mph. But it was still fun.

I don’t stop often on downhills, but when I saw this shot I just couldn’t pass it up.

This is a tamer part of the downhill. I think the slope was maybe minus 2-3% here. I always think it looks cool when the road disappears between rock formations on a downhill. One has to learn how to judge the radius of the corner and adjust speed accordingly.

This is the thriving metropolis of Mitchell, OR – population about 140. Most of the businesses were closed. They did have two restaurants and a grocery store. When Susan stopped and went into one of the restaurants for directions to the RV park, the inside door knob fell off when she opened the door. Need to get the maintenance guy on that... We also wandered thru an antique store.

But being on the Trans-Am they’ve availed themselves of the opportunity to put a stylized bike beside their town sign. Very nice. They also turned what I presume is a disused church building into a biker hostel. Its right on the highway before taking the "Mitchell Loop Road". That would be the one street in the previous pic. Hmmm... The Mitchell Loop - very catchy. Prolly draws tourists like flies to honey.

I’d show the reader a pic of the RV in the Mitchell RV Park, but frankly its kinda depressing. Just a small dirt lot with the occasional bout of dust blowing across when people drive by on the road above it. We were, however, surprised to see electrical hookups. Great! A/C tonight - and for only $25. We're in.

So there ya have it sports fans. Another day in the books.

Till next time.