Day 9. 35 miles. Ohh, distractions.
I pushed 24 mph on flat ground, holy awesome tail wind! And for the first time on this trip, I used the large chain ring and pedaled hard.
I'm now in eastern Oregon's high desert; it's barren and dry with buttes aplenty. The landscape has changed from sandy beaches to fir trees, and juniper to tumbleweed. My favorite so far: old growth forests of firs and pines; it reminds me so much of Maine and the wilderness.
The plan was to ride to a campground 8 miles east of here, but once I rolled into town, saw a brewery and then a motel a block later (and threatening skies), my mind was easily made up: beer and a bed! That just means I need to add on those 8 miles tomorrow to keep me on target for another scheduled WS stay.
Tomorrow is Ochoco Pass, hooray for another zippy downhill! I hope I still have a strong tailwind to push me up the pass.
Fingers crossed!
Update: my hopes of microbrews have been crushed. And there's now TransAm cyclists to hang with!
What a drag about the brew pub! But you made some new friends -- AND found a hotel -- so life is clearly good.
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