July 11 Huntington to Ontario
We have experienced the easiest and best days of our ride. Yesterday, Thursday, it was literally all downhill. Of course there were some hills but 80% of it I could have coasted. Today, it was flat. This is eastern Oregon. We have gone over the Blue Mountains. This is desert, less than 10 inches of annual rainfall. Lots of sage brush along the road sides. The only green we see is where there is irrigated fields. Alfalfa is common. Today we saw a number of onion and beetroot fields. Also lots of wheat and some corn and this is cattle country.
A Typical Day:
1. Going to bed no later than 9:00 P.M.
1. Going to bed no later than 9:00 P.M.
2. Waking between 5:00 and 6:00 A.M. usually by the clicking or zipping of someone getting up from a nearby tent. We often camp in the football field or adjacent field of a local high school.
3. Before even getting out of the tent, I grease up. You can use your imagination, dress in my bicycling shorts and top, and then make a run for the local facilities in the high school.
4. Take the tent down, pack and throw everything into a duffle bag and leave it by the semi that accompanies us.
5. By 6:00 A.M. the breakfast tables are up and I grab a large glass of cranberry juice. Every morning I have yogurt and a banana. We crowd around the lunch table where we make our own sandwiches, grab a few cookies, take some fruit and other high energy goodies.
6. I like to be peddling by 7:00 A.M. just because it is cooler. Every day is different. The distances vary due to where we stay and the terrain. The longest day to date has been 80 + miles. The shortest day has been 37 miles. I want to get myself on the road by 6:00 A.M.
7. Often I ride alone because I like it but then it is not uncommon to join with a few different people every day. There are 25 or so who are young and super fast. There are about the same number who struggle. I am somewhere in between.
8. We arrive at our destination between 2:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. We crash and lie exhausted for a few minutes on the lawn.
9. The tent goes up. Supper is right at 6:00 P.M. followed by ...
10. Just been informed the library is closing.
Gotta go! Bless you. Lou
posted by Jan at
6:04 PM
1 Comments:
Lou, our kids noticed the "downhill" day the first day they looked through the Sea to Sea devotional guide.....glad it was a good day for you....nice hair cut by the way, I feel a renewed feeling of brotherhood with you for some reason :-). Blessings, bro
By
Mike Buwalda, at July 18, 2008
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