Early start again (5:30 am) with the benefit of not striking camp. Sun just coming up rolling out of Antelope. Road turns to gravel, dirt backcountry road after a few miles. Temperatures start to rise early and I know there won’t be any resupply until I get to the 1st checkpoint of the TransAm in Mitchell at the Spoke N Hostel which is at least 60 miles or so. It had also been reported that along the route there was a creek out that would require a hike a bike through knee deep water. But a fantastic day to ride on some pretty rough roads through rugged country. So amazing. Wow! I was shooting for Prairie City which was a big push for sure but I had made a hotel reservation at the Historic Prairie City Hotel as an incentive to push on to my goal for today.
Some days when you ride, you pedal and work and pedal and work and the conditions are stacked up against you. Time just slows to a crawl. By 8:45 am after 3 hours of riding I had only gone 26 miles and climbed 3010 feet. Nuts. At around 35 miles I reached the creek to cross. I took off my riding shoes and socks and put on my camp slippers and rolled my bib shorts up over my knees and started wading across. The creek was actually over my knees so stopped to roll my bibs up further. My tool bag was submerged as was my drivetrain. Coming out on the other side, I dried off and changed back and stuck my wet shoes into my overflow bag (it would take them a few days to dry out).
Back on the dirty dusty road and still just under 30 miles to Mitchell. I was really struggling around 45 miles and already almost 11:30. I had stopped to hydrate, a few calories and figure out how much further to Mitchell. I knew it was all uphill but needed to dial in what I was up against and how long. At that moment a truck with a camper was coming towards me and pulled right up next to me and handed me a big slice of just in time Watermelon. He said he had been following me and other TransAm riders on the tracker app and thought I could use some refreshment. Amazing. He informed me that the gravel turned to pavement in less than a mile and I was about 12 miles out from Mitchell.
Totally a game changer. With that watermelon refuel and the knowledge I was only an hour or so away from Mitchell (climbing all the way) I was good to go. I got into Mitchell just before 1:00 pm to the ringing off cowbells and cheers. The owners sponsor spaghetti dinner, showers, and a place to rest during the first few days of the TransAm. It took no time to consume a large plate of spaghetti with marinara. I filled up my water bottles and asked if I could use a hose to clean up my drivetrain that was a mess from the creek crossing and all the dust. It was 1:30 when I left and the temps were now in the 80’s and full sun.
Out of Mitchell I would climb 2,200 feet over about 7 miles up to Keyes Creek Summit. By 3:30 pm I had only ridden 80 miles and climbed 6892 feet. My next goal was to get to John Day (everything is named after John Day in this area including the John Day Highway I was riding on). I still had another 40 ish miles to get to John Day and then Prairie City was only about 15 miles past John Day. There was a great local mini mart gas station in Dayville where the whole town was coming and going. The internet was down so cash or charge accounts only. Lots of great local characters. Janet Dailey Books in the window for bookshare. Coke, chips and a klondike bar for refuel. Love it.
I got to John Day about 7:00 pm and 124 miles of riding. Lori had found me a Subway and I took the long way (don’t leave Google Maps on BIKING to get somewhere in a town). I ordered a 6 inch tuna for now and a foot long for my food back tomorrow. Really tired but feeling like I was turning my day around and going to get to Prairie City before Dark if not just after.
At 8:45, 137 miles and 8726 feet of climbing, I rolled into Prairie City just as it was getting dark and found the hotel – one main street and there it was. They had left me a key to the front door of the hotel and my room #1, in a box outside. I got inside and found my room on the first floor. Not sure If I was the only guest or not. What a perfect room in a historic hotel. They had left me one of their famous Cinnamon rolls, an orange and a banana. I was definitely exhausted but I had promised to keep up with email so I dragged out my tablet and keyboard (should have never taken it – the extra weight was murder) and caught up on email and work stuff after a hot shower.
What a day. Rinse and repeat tomorrow.
