July 11-12: Prineville to Welches
I didn’t have internet access last night (near Warm Springs) so this is a summary of two days of riding.
Yesterday (July 11) I tried to make into an easy day because I knew today’s ride was going to be a difficult one.
With that in mind, I took my time on the long, gradual climbs in the twenty-nine miles to Madras. In Madras, I spent some time re-grouping and gathering information about my options for lodging. I could stay in town, at a motel or campground, or I could proceed north on Highway 26 and camp near the Deschutes River. By camping there, I could cut about 12 miles off of my ride the next day.
So that’s what I did. I did a little shopping in Madras for dinner and breakfast supplies. Then, I proceeded north on Highway 26 and found myself a campsite at Riffle’s Fly Shop (which also offered a poorly maintained RV park and campground). It was a tolerable spot. It had plenty of shade and grass, but the bathroom was downright creepy. It had a shower, but I wasn’t about to use it.
Early this morning, I left Riffle’s behind and proceeded across the Deschutes River and into Warm Springs. There I started the first of three very long climbs today. This first one was roughly 1200 feet at four to six percent grade. It was very cool when I started so it was a good way to keep warm. Within thirty minutes of starting, I took off the leg and arm warmers and jacket I was wearing.
There had been a wildfire just outside of Warm Springs the day before. It briefly closed the Highway 26 and caused me a short panic about what to do if the 26 was closed. This morning though, all that remained of the wildfire was a thick smoke hanging over town.
At the top of the first climb, I began a twenty-five mile stretch of rolling hills across the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Towards the end of this, I started seeing more trees which was nice for the shade. The trees also signaled the start of the second climb of the day. Blue Box Pass was the summit of the second climb and it topped out at 4025 feet. By the time I reached it, it was getting pretty warm outside, but at least I had a gentle tailwind.
The third summit was Wapanitia Pass at 3952 feet. It was the shortest of the three climbs, but the steepest and with the heat, it was the hardest, I thought. I was very happy to reach the summit and shortly afterward Government Camp.
Government Camp was very busy with tourists so I decided to continue on to Welches where my friend Jane Conner had told me there was a good selection of places to stay.
About three miles from Welches, coming up the road in her silver BMW, is Jane Conner with a couple friends. I had been in touch with Jane about my arrival in Wilsonville on July 13 and she said she would be coming out to greet me today with a welcoming party.
Whenever I visit iSense, the company where my friends Jane Conner and Dick Sass work, they’ve always gone the extra mile to be sure I feel welcome and this visit is no different. The next thing I know, I’m checked into a very nice hotel in Welches courtesy of iSense Corporation, the company where I also happen to have my own bicycle parking spot.
The room I have tonight is very comfortable and very spacious. I’m fairly certain I could roll my bike into the bathroom and still have enough room to pitch my tent. In fact, I think the entire room I stayed at in Unity, Oregon would probably fit in this bathroom.
Tomorrow, I’ll be riding to Wilsonville. It’s just 48 miles or so and definitely downhill from here. On Monday, I’ll be taking a rest day in Wilsonville so I can make a visit to the iSense facility and stock up on supplies such as insulin and test strips.
Other photos from the last two days of riding:
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