(As ever, click on image to enlarge. Slideshow omits captions.)
I went a-touring, again, with Marty Cochran. This time Tim Turk was the catalyst. He said, "I wanna tour a bunch out of Sisters!" I countered with nearly this loop, and Marty fixed little issues like the need for water and sticking to roads that exist. Whatta team!
Seven nights out, 451.6 miles, 32,689' climb.
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Day 1: Launch point. Fuelling for climb out of Prineville to first camp on Trout Creek.
Tim and Marty visible through street window. |
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Camp along SE Trout Creek Rd.
Only one wet crossing this year, at least two fewer than our Oregon Outback ride on this stretch |
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| Day 2: SE Trout Creek Rd |
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| A little dirt,... |
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| ...a little gravel |
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| Approaching Ashwood |
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| Fog lifted as the day warmed. |
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| Ashwood |
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| Start of the climb out of Ashwood on NE Gosner Rd. |
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| Gradients up to 18%, but more like 12-14%... and washboard. |
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| The sign is correct. We left Ashwood on NE Gosner, but Ashwood Rd gets there, too. |
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| Maybe King Canyon at right rear. |
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| Fog over the John Day toward Fossil |
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Likely close to where NE Divide Rd changes name to Cold Camp Rd,
downhill from the Allan Erbes banana peel incident of '14. |
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| Oh, just some cloud shadows... |
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| No services in Clarno. |
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| Tim filtering the John Day River. |
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John Day National Monument, Clarno Unit.
The Clarno formation includes, lava flows, tuff, and more! |
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| The Shankio-Fossil Hwy |
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| John Day National Monument Clarno Unit |
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| Hard to imagine better touring buddies than Tim Turk and Marty Cochran. Well... maybe I can. But they're ok. |
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| It doesn't say "ice cream"! |
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| Camp at Bear Hollow. No idea. |
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| Day 3: Note the very thin rock thingy up above. Rare for these sorts of formations. |
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| Rowe Creek Rd. |
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| Almost to the John Day River. |
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| Marty and Tim on N Twickenham Rd. |
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| Not Pilot rock. No cyclists in this one. |
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| About to cross the John Day River, from N Twickenham Rd onto S Twickenham Rd. |
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| John Day River |
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| Burnt Ranch Rd, approaching John Day National Monument Painted Hills Unit |
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| Carroll Rim, entrance to the Painted Hills Unit. |
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| Painted Ridge |
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| Guess who? |
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| On toward Mitchell. |
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| Climb out of Mitchell on the Mitchell-Service Creek Rd. |
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| The Wild West. |
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| The Mitchell-Service Creek Road is a wonderful, 26-mile paved stretch with two decent climbs and two whopping descents. |
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| Swoosh! |
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| Zoom! |
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| Marty down below. Really. On the near side of the road, count five trees from the left and then up to road: Marty. |
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| John Day River at Service Creek |
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| Services, Service Creek, OR |
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Still not a campground I like: Spray. Coated by dust storm until rain began toward 11pm. Dust at left. Note wind on river.
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| Day 4: Breakfast in Spray. |
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| Hommage à Magritte |
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| Marty, on toward Kimberly.... |
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| Monument |
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| A bridge I like. |
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| Stylish cow. |
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| Climb toward Long Creek |
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| Long Creek. Note we are eating vegetables. This is not easy, touring, at times. |
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| Silver hosted us at Allovars in Long Creek, again. Recommended, but she may be shutting down. Anyone interested? |
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| Day 5: Leaving Long Creek |
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| Well, it was bound to happen.... |
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| Back toward Long Creek. |
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| Depot Park in Prairie City |
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| Day 6: He really is a morning person. |
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| Hay! And the Strawberry Mountain Range |
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| After a stop at Trout Farm for delicious spring water! |
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| Zoom! |
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| Seneca! Good restaurant not pictured. Check for hours in advance. We did. |
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| The Ochocos await! |
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| A last look back to Hwy 395 before two nights in The Wild.... |
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| Snow Creek. Coldest night/morning of the tour to come: 28 degrees. |
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| Glad someone knows what he's doing! Note amount of clothing evening.... |
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| Day 7: ...and next morning. 28F. Brrrrrrr! |
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| Tim had long pants on. That's COLD. |
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| Izee Rd. |
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| South Fork of the John Day River |
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| South Fork of the John Day River |
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| Powell Valley, Powell Mountain |
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| SE Puett Rd |
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| Right turn off NF 58 onto NF 42 |
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| North Fork Crooked River |
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| Day 8: Morning at Scott Camp in the Ochocos. |
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| Heading to Prineville, but first a side-trip to the summit of Mt Pisgah. |
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| This is still the road to Prineville. The Mt Pisgah spur is worse. |
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| Very hazy Mt Jefferson. This was the first day visibility was poor. |
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| North from the fire lookout atop Mt Pisgah |
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| South... |
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| Mt Pisgah Fire Lookout Tower |
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| Back to the "main" road... |
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| No worries. |
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| Marty in the corner, almost to Prineville |
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| Tim Turk |
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| Marty Cochran |
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| About to sit on the back. |
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| And, finished! |
