Location: Richland, OR (City Park) I didn’t sleep well at the RV Park. A security light shined on my tent, illuminating it through the entire night. Also, the interstate traffic kept me awake. Since I was restless through the night, I tried to get an extra hour of sleep this morning. It didn’t take. RVs […]
Bike tire flats and a road angel in the desert – Bike Across America Day 12
Location: Baker City, Oregon (Oregon West Trails Park) We didn’t get hassled last night, though a few times I thought a truck was slowing at the road. The thought of animal or person encountering us kept me awake last night, which is strange considering the number of nights I’ve slept in the open. I left […]
Cycling over Dixie Pass – Bike Across America Day 10
Location: Austin Junction, OR (Camped by Clear Creek) I slept in an hour or so this morning at the church. I ended up sleeping in the sanctuary so I could put a wall between Brian and me. My hacking cough and violent throat clearings would have woken a hibernating bear. I fell asleep quickly on […]
Cycling through abandoned towns in Oregon – Bike Across America Day 9
Location: Dayville, OR (Dayville Community Presbyterian Church) I’m much too tired to write tonight, but I’ll jot down the facts of the day. We lucked out last night and didn’t get besieged by thunderstorms. I could hear them in the distance as I lay awake, and occasionally flashes of lightning woke me up in the […]
Biking through thunderstorms – Bike Across America Day 8
Location: Prineville, OR (Ochoco Lake) I woke early this morning with only the slightest scratching in my throat. Today was the first day I beat Brian out of the tent. Mark, Kim, and Dave had already packed up their tents and were just preparing to leave. Mark and Kim wore matching yellow rain jackets, and […]
Cycling to the top of Santiam Pass in the Cascades – Bike Across America Day 7
Location: Sisters, OR (Sisters City Park) I woke this morning with a sore throat. It hurt yesterday but I didn’t think much of it, attributing it to dehydration and acid reflux. This morning, though, I could tell that I was sick. I couldn’t feel a fever, but my throat was dry and scratchy. Since I […]
Biking into the Cascade Mountains – Bike Across America Day 6
Location: East of Blue River, OR (Cougar Reservoir) I woke early this morning to find Dave watering his vegetable garden in his boxers. Dawn was just breaking, and we had a lot to get done today. Despite our workload and Dave’s nine A.M. deadline for a blackboard submission, he insisted we eat a hearty breakfast. […]
The friendliest bike town – Bike across America Day 5
Location: Eugene, OR (Dave Moss’ house at U of O) First thing this morning, I had an interview with a reporter with the Jacksonville Daily News in North Carolina, and then we went down to the public library in Corvallis. It didn’t open until ten o’clock, so we waited outside for thirty minutes or so. […]
Cycling into arid Central Oregon – Bike Across America Day 4
I woke this cold morning to the sound of Harley-Davidson exhaust pipes rumbling past my campsite. The downside of camping in an RV park is the noise of engines and boisterous children. The other downside is the light. Street lights and family campfires made my tent walls glow in the night, so much so I […]
Breaking in the cycling legs on Oregon coast – Bike Across America Day 3
Location: Otis, Oregon We left Tillamook early this morning after a brief shower, some bike maintenance, and a couple slices of cold pizza, leftovers from last night. We left the campground around nine o’clock, disappointed that our first few hours of energy and time would be spent backtracking. As it turned out, we only had […]