Day 5 - Sept 15th

• Distance:  69.4 miles

• Climbing:  7,018 feet

• Moving Time:  5:44:37

• Elapsed Time:  7:23:02

• Average Speed:  12.1 mph

• Max Speed:  40.4 mph

Today was another layover day.  While most people were doing the short Painted Hills ride today, Todd and I were doing the long route - nearly 70 miles with 7000 feet of climbing.  We started by retracing our steps from yesterday, heading back along the highway toward Mitchell, then turning left to go up the climb we’d descended yesterday.  It was cold, but some people stopped on the climb to shed some layers.  I kept my jacket on, knowing there would be a descent coming up.

We were able to stop and take some pictures of this pretty area that we’d zipped through yesterday.  The morning light also made for a better scene.  After finishing the climb, we started the descent and I was glad to still have my jacket on.  After a brief pause at the water stop, we continued, turning left at the stop sign where the police had been yesterday.

Then it was a swift descent through the narrow canyon to a food stop.  I dropped off my jacket here (they’d drive it back to camp, where I could pick it up at the end of the ride).  But I kept the arm and leg warmers on for now.

We descended past the bridge where everyone had stopped yesterday.  Today, no one.  After some mostly flat roads, we started a long, lonely climb.  Todd went ahead of me, and I think I may not have seen anyone else for half an hour (no cars or bicycles).  Eventually I passed a couple other riders and was passed by someone else, but that was it, all the way up to the water stop (same place where the food stop was near the sharp right turn last time).

Next we turned right and started a descent of the 10-mile climb we’d done on Day 2.  There was a bit of a headwind, so Todd and I took turns at the front, making good time.  Then we turned right onto Service Creek-Mitchell Highway to travel the one road today we hadn’t seen yet.  It shortly crosses the John Day River over a bridge, where we stopped briefly for some pictures.

Then we started a tough climb of about 1400 feet in a little over 5 miles.  It was warming up by this time, but I still had my warmers on.  Todd jumped out ahead as I stopped and decided to start playing music on my phone to motivate me.  I managed to keep a good pace and didn’t lose too much time.  The top was somewhat level, and then there was a brief descent to the second food stop.

By this time it was finally warm enough that I took off my arm and leg warmers.  Kendall, who we’d met at dinner the previous night, was running the rest stop and kindly offered to fill my CamelBak with ice cubes - and that was before she recognized me.  The ice definitely made a difference the rest of the day.

After a little more descent, we started another climb, stopping briefly to take pictures of some green hills off to the right.  And they weren’t green because of grass, but rather that was the color of the rock/soil.

Now we descended back to that infamous stop sign we’d turned left at earlier today, completing the loop portion of the ride.  Now we made a left and started the final climb of the day.  We zipped past the water stop, made the climb up, then the final descent down to the highway.

Todd had mentioned wanting to stop for maple bars in town, so I turned left to look for him in town but didn’t find him (or the maple bars).  I turned back and headed to camp.  Along the way I saw the store selling maple bars along the highway, but didn’t see him as I rode past, so I just kept going back to camp.  I found out later he’d been there even though I hadn’t seen him.

Sadly, there was no chocolate milk when I got to the finish line.  Perhaps because most people were doing the shorter Painted Hills ride today?

During the announcements (either today or yesterday, I can’t remember), they gave some rider stats.  70% male (30% female), with an average age of 58!  It wasn’t all older riders, as we definitely saw some 20- and 30-something riders, but it definitely skewed older.  A handful of riders had actually ridden every single Cycle Oregon - going back over 30 years.