A ride like today could be separated into several segments based on a few different forms of categorization. One could be temperature; another could be terrain; another could be the level of fatigue; and another could be based on hourly/bi-hourly increments. I'll stick with the latter. The first two hours of riding were flat and straight for about 22 miles. At this point, US-20 was still in a valley dominated by farming. US-20 did not have a curve for what seemed like an eternity. The powerline poles that ran parallel to the highway became a solid line as I gazed further and further down the road. Eventually, a slight curve emerged in the road three miles before one of two gas stations along today's 114 mile ride (Oard's Gallery & Museum). I stopped here for a snack and drink before beginning one of several climbs that defined the second two hours of the day. This next two hour segment featured approximately 1700 feet of climbing. Fortunately traffic was still light, so riding uphill didn't require as much attention to vehicles behind me as it might otherwise. Once US-20 had departed from the fertile valley, the land became almost barren. Several climbs were challenging yet manageable. One in particular was the climb up to a pass that apparently bears no name. Toward the end of these two hours, the route flattened out in spots. The next two hours consisted of a few descents and one noteworthy climb. Before this next noteworthy climb, a blistering descent of five miles in just over 10 minutes was a welcomed break from pedaling. About 45 minutes of rolling across small ascents and descents, a two mile climb up Drinkwater Pass stood between me and a gradual downgrade to Juntura; the locationof the cafe on today's route. While en route to Juntura, I passed a sign indicating that the time zone had changed to the Mountain Time Zone (keep this in mind). All that much closer to the Midwest. Once in Juntura, a hearty lunch was in order. There was still another 56 miles to ride between Juntura and Vale. I had the Juntura omelet which had: five eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, and onions along with toast and hashbrowns. Two waters and two coffees ensured that the meal would digest properly. After the 50 minute stop for lunch, the road was calling me back to head onward to Vale. On a map, the remainder of the ride was predominately downhill with two climbs toward the end. Easy enough, perhaps? Well, that wasn't quite the case. The first five miles were fairly easygoing. At one point, I saw another gentleman riding the opposite direction that also appeared to be touring. He crossed the road, and we chatted for a few minutes. I was shocked to learn that Kevin had left Florida about a year ago and has been riding around the United States since! I still can't wrap my head around how unbound and free that must feel. Despite the next 25 miles being predominately downhill, I quickly learned how much force the winds created by rolling off the high ridges of the Malheur River Valley and down to the valley floor below. This valley is relatively narrow, which I think amplified the strength of these winds. There were times when I was pedaling on a 3%+ downgrade just to maintain speed! After careful consideration, I've concluded that there are very few things on a bicycle that are more demoralizing than the circumstances just described! Eventually, I made it to Harper where the second of two gas stations were along today's route. I stopped here for a Sprite which provided ample carbs for the remaining 22 miles between here and Vale. The remainder of the ride provided a challenge with stiff winds from the east/southeast. During the final, flat, five miles, I heard the most encouraging three words of the day: "go man go" a fellow exclaimed from under the shade of a tree as I rode by. Strangers that holler phrases like that are good people in my book. My phone read 4:45pm, so I was glad to be getting off the road soon. This was one of those days where an overnight in a hotel/motel was due. Getting a break from the heat and having a cold shower were both very necessary. The Bates Motel (I kid you not) was, I believe, the only option in Vale for a motel. When I was paying for my room, I noticed that the clock in the motel office was ahead of my cellphone clock by one hour (keep this in mind, too). Why I hadn't thought much of that observation, I'm not exactly sure; my best guess is that my brain was just fried after the day's long ride. I grabbed a quick dinner at a local cafe, made a stop at a gas station, and returned to the motel to rest in the comfort of air conditioning. Next up tomorrow was a new state: Idaho.
