Coast2Coast Day 5: ’Recovery’ Sisters to Prineville, OR

After Melissa’s Monster Day, we had a ‘shorter recovery ride.’  We had camped in the National Forest (priced well) for the night, and Cathy took us back to where we had stopped on Day 4.

We started on the two-lane highway headed toward Prineville, and soon turned off to a more scenic route.  We travelled through high deserts, and stopped for a selfie.  While stopped, a rider sped by pointing in the direction we had been riding.  There have been less than a handful of riders heading our way so far.  We caught up to Tom and had a nice chat while riding.

Tom was doing a seventy mile loop from Bend, where he splits his time between there and Portland.  He is a retired environmental engineer who had specialized in clean up.  He is prepping for a group excursion of 300 or so riders that will be camping and riding over several days!  We stopped at his usual ‘rest stop’ and captured a photo of the three of us.  He had shared noting the direction of Smith Rock, and we headed off again.

We took a few turns through Terrebonne, and rode by many pastures with beef cattle and horses, plus alongside a number of sod farms.  After some rolling hills through the segment of high desert, there was much irrigation to support the sod farms.  We did pass a couple of self-supporting riders, but were making good time on our way to meet Cathy for lunch at Stryker Park in Prineville.  (Most drivers were very courteous, but there was one trucker who blasted his/her horn while passing us.  More than a little disconcerting!)

At the park, we met a young man (William) who works at the local saw mill, and Melissa had the opportunity to get a much needed puppy fix with a five-month old Corgi who was also visiting the park and fountains.  We lunched at the gazebo in the park before loading up to drive to Bend for a couple of nights at an ABNB.  Actual shower and local breweries (Deschutes and Podski) beckoned us, plus an streaming episode of Jim Gaffigan!

Looks like our luck with weather has been interrupted, and we may have two days without riding as a wet system has settled over the area.  (Having a couple of days with 100% chance of rain is unusual for us Coloradans.). Cathy will have a chance to re-organize the van, and Melissa and I will be able to acclimate.