Day 18--The End

Caldwell, ID to Boise, ID
Distance 26.3 miles -- Total 826.3 miles
Time 2:14:43 -- Total 69:17:34
Elevation Gain  574 -- Total 29,420 feet

As Dirty Harry said in Magnum Force, "A man's got to know his limitations."  I have always thought of that quote in the context in which it was delivered--as a subtle put down. Today I am appreciating it as a basic truth. My limit for bike touring is 826.3 miles.

After considering this for several days, I have ended my ride in Boise. There is no deeper explanation other than I have not been enjoying the ride. And I am too old to spend two more months doing something I'm not enjoying. Plus my bike told me it was time to quit when I had yet another flat two miles from my destination.

I am happy I did this. It has been a great adventure. I feel I got what I wanted out of it. I rode for more than 800 miles; I crossed two mountain ranges and climbed more than the height of Mt. Everest; I explored a part of the country I had never visited; I reconnected with two old friends, Doug and Jean Ann; I saw the total eclipse; and, I met a lot of great people, some of whom are following the blog.

I only have one regret, the students in Ms. Young's 5th grade class won't get to follow along and play where's Melvin anymore.

For everyone reading, thank you. I hope you have enjoyed it. And to everyone who has commented, whether on the blog or through email (especially Marsha Berry who sent me an email every day), I cannot tell you how much that communication has meant to me. If you have any final thoughts you would like to share, post them here or email me at mdubee@comcast.net.

I have rented a car and will spend several days making my way back home. The good news is, now North Dakota is back on my itinerary. I will post pictures from the rest of the trip on Instagram @mgdubee. Here is one last picture at the finish.

A final thought, none of this would have been possible without the support of my wonderful, caring, understanding, patient wife Kristine, whom I love dearly.

Signing off for #melbikesamerica.

Day 17

Farewell Bend State Recreational Area, OR to Caldwell, ID
Distance 57.0 miles -- Cumulative 800
Time 4:46:15 -- Cumulative 67:02:51
Elevation Gain 2263 -- Cumulative 28,846

Another day, another lengthy climb out of a valley. This one was about 4.5 miles, followed by some undulating terrain and and a couple more climbs that were two to three miles long. When I crested the last one I was treated to a view of the eastern side of the Blue Mountains. It was the final pass.

As I descended, the land changed from high desert covered with sage brush to green farmland. Still a bit of low rolling hills but nothing like the last few days.

My 7:15 departure didn't get me much since I crossed into the Mountain Time Zone about three quarters of a mile after I left the campground and suddenly it was 8:30. Right after lunch in Ontario, I finally left Oregon behind and entered Idaho.

The day was reasonably uneventful until about mile 40 when I encountered a new torture, no doubt designed by some internal combustion loving, pedal hating, highway engineer. You have probably all encountered rumble strips on the side of freeways. The indentations intended to alert a driver should they drift onto the shoulder. I like these. They give me a sense of comfort as I ride along listening to approaching vehicles gain on me. But today the shoulder suddenly had these:

 

These troughs were cut every 40-50 feet. Seriously, if I had filings, they would have rattled out. I resigned myself to dealing with this for the rest of the day but after about four miles the shoulder thankfully returned to normal.

I had another flat. This one was frustrating because I was less than half a mile from the hotel. I could see it. I ended up walking the bike the rest of the way rather than sit in the sun to change it.

I am in Caldwell, ID, where apparently no one eats out on Sundays. I eventually found a family diner about a 25 minute walk away. The server there was kind enough to direct me to a bar not too much further down the road for after dinner. It seemed normal until they fired up the country and western karaoke. Well, it is the west.

Tomorrow I have a short ride to Boise to prepare for the next phase.

Day 16

Baker City, OR to Farewell Bend State Recreational Area, OR
Distance 50.5 miles -- Cumulative 743
Time 4:08:52 -- Cumulative 62:16:36
Elevation Gain 1306 -- Cumulative 26,583

Here's what the ride looked like today:

About seven miles into the ride I saw signs for road construction ahead. That could be an issue depending on lane closures, what's parked on the shoulder, etc. At about 9.5 miles the sign said "I84 Closed to Bicycles." That seemed like a problem. Fortunately, the good folks at the Oregon Department of Transportation, or whatever they call it, had established a Bicycle Detour Route. I spent about 15 miles on a nice, almost empty side road. 

The terrain today was generally downhill, but I was not able to take full advantage because around mile 25 I picked up an absolutely brutal headwind. I found it far more frustrating than the uphills. 

I still made decent time and had a late lunch in Huntington, a town which seems to be thriving on Oregon's decision to remove state legal prohibitions on the growing and selling of certain substances. 

The campground is about four miles past Huntington, and situated along the banks of the Snake River. Here's the view from my campsite (actually a nice little cabin). 

After settling in, I headed over to the showers. As I walked by a nearby campsite, one of the guys asked where I came from and where I was headed. I told him and he promptly invited me to stop over for a beer. Once I was cleaned up, I went over and had a Rolling Rock, or three, with Tim, Kevin, and Kevin's son Joseph. They are from the Boise area out for some fishing. They gave me tips for places to eat and/or drink--nice guys. 

Tomorrow I finally leave Oregon, and the Pacific Time Zone. I am heading to Caldwell, ID, about 55 miles from here. 

Day 15

La Grande, OR to Baker City, OR
Distance 45.9 miles -- Cumulative 692.5
Time 3:55:20 Cumulative 58:06:44
Elevation Gain 1391 -- Cumulative 25,277

Today started with another climb but nothing like yesterday. It was 4.5 miles. It seemed a little steeper than yesterday, but maybe my legs were just tired.

Early on I had my first ugly experience directed at me. I heard what sounded like a friendly honk and looked over to see a guy in a pickup truck making a decidedly unfriendly gesture. Why? I was 8-10 feet away from the lane of traffic, bothering no one, particularly not him since he was driving in the left lane like a jerk weed. I channeled the penguin from the first Madagascar movie, "Smile and wave boys, just smile and wave."

The scenery was nice but not spectacular. At some point I noticed some actual mountains to the south.

I spent a fair amount of the ride hoping the road didn't turn that direction.

I had another flat. This time on the trailer. But because my best friend Jay at Burley had given me two new wheels, all I had to do was pop the wheel with the flat off and pop the new one on. The whole process took two minutes and most of that time was digging the wheel out of my bag.

A bit further I saw this sign, which I thought was one of the more interesting road signs I have ever encountered.

Later I had dinner at the Latitude 45 Restaurant. I hate to admit that it took a while for me to make the connection. The food was good and the staff was friendly. Here they are.

I taught them how to make a gimlet. Sierra, second from the left, has never been on an airplane. She and Ashley, front right, are both natives of Baker City.

Tomorrow I ride to Huntington, OR, where I once again get to camp. I am hoping no sprinklers. 

Days 13 and 14

Mission, OR to La Grande, OR
Distance 45.8 miles -- Cumulative 646.6
Time 4:09:23 Cumulative 54:11:24
Elevation Gain 3268 -- Cumulative 23,886

Day 13
Nothing happened.

Day 14
The restaurant where I had dinner both nights at the Wildhorse had a terrific view of the Blue Mountain range, including the first several miles of the climb up Cabbage Hill to Dead Man's Pass. So I have been staring at the first three switchbacks for a day and a half. This was not a confidence building activity. I was a touch intimidated.

I started early this morning to catch the cooler weather. The first mile to the base of the hill was gradual then it got serious. The next eight miles was a series of switchbacks, then three more miles of climbing and two miles of relatively flat to the Pass. Those 14 miles took me 1 hour and 55 minutes. I gained 2175 feet of altitude.

This was at the 6.5 mile mark. If you look closely in the center you can see the resort down on the plain.

This was at the 11 mile mark. You can see the trucks coming up the other side of the switchback. Fortunately the pitch was steady and never got over six or seven percent.

Now that it is done, I will tell a story I didn't want to share with Kristine earlier. When I Googled Dead Man's Pass to find out what the altitude was, the second link that popped up was "Most Dangerous Roads in America."

At about mile 16, I saw this sign.

That was a happy time.

The downhills were long and required a lot more attention. Going 30 mph on a shoulder littered with debris with vehicles going by at 70 will keep you focused. I did, however, lose focus when something caught my eye to the left. At this point, the freeway was divided by a concrete Jersey wall so I'm only catching the upper half of this but when I look over I see a complete car wheel bouncing in the other direction at about 50 mph--no car, no crash noise, no squealing brakes, just a wheel bounding six feet in the air along the highway. Okay then, now I have one more thing to worry about.

Later I rode along the Grande Ronde River and had views like this with no wheels bouncing:



I arrived in La Grande around lunch time and found a terrific brew pub, Side A Brewing. The bartender asked me if I was just traveling through and I said "yes, I'm on a bike trip." "Oh, where'd you come from?" "I rode over from Pendelton this morning."  The guy next to me suddenly turns and says "Up Cabbage Hill."  I said yes, and their demeanors immediately changed. I couldn't figure out whether they were impressed, thought I was lying, or decided I was crazy and should be left alone.

Anyway, I'm back there tonight because their Isaac Haze IPA is fantastic.

Tomorrow I have a smaller climb out of here and then to Baker City.

Day 12

Umatilla, OR to Mission, OR
Distance 42.6 miles -- Cumulative 600.8
Time 3:37:43 Cumulative 50:02:01
Elevation Gain 2028 -- Cumulative 20,618

Today I am happy to be at the Wildhorse Resort on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The Umatilla is a confederation comprised of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes.

Before you ask, yes I slept well last night--no sprinklers or coyotes. I think I forgot to mention the coyotes howling in Roosevelt Park.

Today's ride was short for a variety of reasons and it can be described most aptly by this picture:

Although there was a deceptive amount of climbing. It was short because I have ridden seven days in a row, it is mercilessly hot so I want to quit before 2:00pm, and, most importantly, this brings me to the bottom of what will be a challenging climb over Dead Man's Pass. That will happen Thursday. I am taking a rest day tomorrow.

I stopped in Pendelton, about seven miles west of here, for lunch. If you are ever there, I recommend the Prodigal Son Brewery and Pub.

The Resort has a cineplex so I saw The Hitman's Bodyguard this afternoon. I recommend it.

Now I am going downstairs for adult beverages and possibly gambling.

I may or may not post tomorrow. It depends on whether anything interesting happens.

Day 11

Roosevelt, WA to Umatilla, OR
Distance 52.2 miles -- Cumulative 558.2
Time 4:18:26 -- Cumulative 46:33:38
Elevation Gain 1138 -- Cumulative 18,590

No scenery pictures today because if you saw yesterday's, you saw today's. Only it got flatter. But before we get to today's ride, let's talk about last night.

When I rode (I just realized that I have written "road" instead of "rode" several times and none of you have called me on it) in to Roosevelt Park yesterday I noticed a large RV parked off to the side of the entrance that looked semi-permanent. I thought that was strange, but whatever. About 6:00pm a guy comes out of the RV and starts picking up trash in the park. He walks over to the gazebo/picnic area where I have set up and I notice he is wearing a Corps of Engineers cap. I realize he is an onsite caretaker, hence the semi-permanent RV.

We chat briefly and then he says "You'll want to go over and grab three or so of those white half-pipes laid out on the table. You need to set them to block these sprinkler heads like this one here by your tent."  I look over and see a pile of PVC pipes cut in half with spikes affixed to them (pic below), and I note the sprinkler head. He added that the sprinklers would come on around midnight, but if I use the pipes I wouldn't get wet. I follow his instructions and set up four of the sprinkler head guards.

This seemed unusual, but I figured since it seemed to be a regular thing, it was no big deal. I went to bed early and woke up a couple of times thinking I heard the sprinklers start. Then at 11:35, I heard the sprinkler next to my tent activate. Imagine if you took the sprayer in your kitchen sink, pumped up the pressure to that of a fire hose, and then sprayed it straight down into the sink right next to your bed. I came out of my tent pretty quickly.

What I had imagined as a sprinkler similar to mine at home actually shot a one to two inch stream of water thirty yards or so. The one next to my tent was effectively blocked but was sending a shower spraying all around. My tent was getting wet but no more than a rain storm so I crawled back inside. I wasn't worried about the water but I clearly wasn't going back to sleep with the racket. I figured, how long do you water?  At my house usually 30 minutes. In 30 minutes, that sprinkler went off, and two more nearby started. Finally, at 2:30, all the sprinklers went off. I have had more restful nights

Today's ride was uneventful. Over the last third I noticed that I was moving into agricultural territory as I started seeing onions, then carrots, potatoes, and finally corn on the shoulder of the highway. I thought about making a vegetable soup. I could have cooked it on the road since it topped out over a 100 today. I also saw grape vines which lifted my spirits considerably.

We have all seen roadside memorials, and I suspect we almost always just pass them by. Something about this one made me stop.

It was 15 miles to the nearest town in one direction and 25 in the other. It seemed so lonely.

For the last few days I have been watching the forest fires in Idaho and Montana. I have decided my route is effectively blocked so I am turning southeast. I actually think it will be an easier ride but I am going to miss North Dakota, one of the three states I have never visited. Oh well, that means I have an excuse for a road trip.

Tomorrow I am heading to the Wildhorse Casino and Resort. I am going to take a rest day there and will give you more details on the new route then.