The day of our trip has finally arrived and Sean is sleeping in!!!
What a surprise… not! That is ok as I still have a bit of packing to do, so much for leaving early. I was hoping to at least leave when Katja & Kara left to go play bingo at 10:00, but in usual fashion it was around noon when we finally got on our way.
RAIN…! That was the theme for the day. It rained on us all the way to Sisters and then we got a little break from there to Bend. It was 45 degrees on the pass in the rain so the 60 degrees now felt a bit tropical. We stopped in Bend for gas and then Sean wanted to go to Sonic for a late lunch. After lunch we hit the road to Burns and it is just as boring on a bike as it is in a car.
There were a few exceptions however… the smell of the rain on the sagebrush was incredible, I wanted to just close my eyes and soak it all in but not while riding. The incredible thing about riding is that you get to live in your surroundings … smells… sights… WET… dry… whatever is going on in nature you are part of. I saw some beautiful purple flowers in the desert mixed with the sage.
Having a wet year has made this part of the country very beautiful. We stop at Brothers as I find me a bit sleepy aft having that lunch at Sonic,Sean is as well, must be the food. Next thing I know I find myself being awakend by a kick and Sean standing over me saying “Dad you were snoring!”
Refreshed we hit the road again and arrive in Burns mostly dry. Gas, snack, and we head out of town and go south towards Fields. The weather is back to rain and this time there are some heavy showers. I am amazed at how much water there is, water every where as we go towards Malheur and Harney lakes. Sean tells me that he is as amazed as I am with all the water. I begin to wonder if he knew what he signed up for by going with me for a week away. I know he is cold and his gloves are not working so well, this is June and it feels like February. The Gortex gloves we brought for him are dead and we had to toss them in Bend. Will try to find some new ones for him.
We reach Frenchglen and normally this would be a stop but today there is not time as we are racing against daylight not to mention the storms. In the distance, off to the west, I catch a glimpse here and there of lightning. I don’t share with Sean my worries about the lightning, it is getting closer to us and my thoughts go back to last year when Katja was struck by lightning when we got caught in a storm on one of the final days of our 3004 mile trip. The bugs are getting nasty, I can hardly see out of my visor. In the process of trying to wipe them off with my glove I almost ride off the road. I will just suffer through. We blow right through Fields, at this point they are closed anyhow.
Finally we take the road to the left and now are on gravel… the adventure begins! It is dusk and now the obstacle is no longer rain or the weather but rather jack rabbits as they cross the road in front of the bike. Several hawks? fly right up next to the bike. The closer we get to Willow Spring the worse the roads get. It is now dark and as we turn on to the last little road at the butte we almost go down, I think Sean saved us on this one putting a foot down as we slid sideways down the track. The road is mud, thick and slick mud, we almost go down several more times but finally make it to the hot springs. Looking around we find a spot that does not have standing water and pitch the tent. Sean is so tired, we sit in the tent and fix some dinner. Sean opts for Chef Boyardee and go foursome chili. When we finish dinner the thought of the hot springs sound so good but we are so tired, I think Sean is already asleep and I can’t find the energy to get of the tent. I look up and there are a few stars out in between the clouds :-)
Finally off to sleep…
