We’ve had so many great rides during our stay in John Day, but our ride north up US 395 from Mount Vernon to Fox Valley ranks high on the list. With abandoned and weathered log cabins, grazing cattle, rusting implements, split rail fences, and a near ghost town, it’s really a slice of the old … Continue reading "Fox Valley"

Coloradans will laugh at its insignificance compared to their gallery of fourteeners, but Strawberry Mountain is plenty impressive for us.  Topping 9,000’, its the highest Oregon peak east of the Cascades other than Steens Mountain and the Wallowas. Today anyway, when it’s covered in snow, I might argue that it’s the most impressive because of … Continue reading "Strawberry Mountain"

No bicycling today – it’s too cold and windy here in John Day for that to sound appealing.  Instead we drove back to Picture Gorge for a second look, this time on foot.  No bike, but I’m posting it here anyway, in honor of our intrepid Navigator and our wishes for her quick recovery.  Get … Continue reading "Who let the dogs out?"

Three days ago, we rode about twenty miles up the Silvies River, to its source near the base of the Aldrich Mountains – at least, as near to its source as you can get from the road.  Yesterday, we started from the same spot and biked about twenty miles down the Silvies, south toward Burns. … Continue reading "Up and down a lazy river"

My apologies for submitting a post without even a single photo of a bike in it.  I appealed to the Cycle365 Rules Committee and explained my situation, and they granted me an exception this once but cautioned me not to make a practice of it. so, no bike; but let’s take a hike: to the … Continue reading "Ain’t no mountain high enough"

We’re not biking yet of course, but we’re starting to stir.  Rachael’s been keeping fit by burning up the miles on her cycle trainer and dancing to Zumba videos; and I’m staying trim by – Er – typing and scrolling.  Today though, we both got out for a walk and started exploring the neighborhood on … Continue reading "Get up, get up, get up!"

So the mile through Dayville was special too, but not quite in the same way as the previous 44 miles of our Picture Gorge ride were.  It’s definitely one we won’t forget.  Sorry about the featured image, but the hospital wouldn’t let Rocky bring her Straggler to accompany her as a comfort bike.  Randy Newman … Continue reading "In Dayville"

For the third straight day we have decent cycling weather.  Still chilly though, so we stay with the low elevation and continue west from Dayville, the town we ended at yesterday.  This stretch of Highway 26, still a part of the TransAmerica Trail, features non-stop dramatic scenery, highlighted by the two mile ride through Picture … Continue reading "Picture Gorge"

It feels like we’re in Dreamland, here in our idyllic little vacation cottage in John Day.  Or living in a different century for awhile.  John Day: population 1,700, one stoplight, a reasonably well stocked grocery store, a gas station, a hospital, snow-capped mountains only a few miles away. If you ignore the numerous very conservative, … Continue reading "In Dreamland"