Bicycling Oregon's Grande Tour - 3 Day Version

Sean, Carol, Christy & I are preparing for cross country bike ride next year, and in preparation, we thought we should try a mini tour.  We were glad to be joined by Amy & Paul, friends of Christy's from Portland who can't join us for next year's tour, but who would make great additions. We had planned on riding The Old West Scenic Bikeway, but a week or so ago  decided its elevation gain may be too much for the group's training at this time.

Christy gets credit for all reservations and planning.  The 4 of us  going on the tour met at Eagle Hot Lake RV Park (it's clean, spacious, nice grass on which to set up tents, pleasant staff, but be forewarned if you're planning to ride the Grand Tour- they have a mosquito problem).  We'd planned to ride the 10 miles into La Grande for dinner but with a late arrival, we drove into La Grande for a Mexican dinner which did not sit well for 3 of the 4 of us.  Before that problem settled in we celebrated our arrivals with excellent cherry pie from Carol & Sean's orchard and oven.  Amy & Paul arrived at 0900 the next morning as scheduled.  Carol had made us save pie for a 2nd breakfast, but luckily there was enough for everyone to have breakfast pie!  I'd like to blame Amy & Paul for the 0930 departure, but we took that long to repack from our car camping.

Celebrating the start with Carol's home made cherry pie- cherries fresh from Carol & Sean's orchard

Day 1   48.7 miles  Riding Time 3:36  La Grande to Baker, OR  elevation gain 1,644 ft
 

The group departing for the 3 day tour: Sean, Paul, Amy, Carol, and Christy (missing- Steve the photographer)

We rode the 10 miles to Union in a pack carefully maintaining 15 MPH through the slight ups or downs like a racing team pack but with this slower speed.  I was thinking, this isn't going to work for me, touring is more social with little emphasis on speed, but when we reached Union, the hills began; we picked up a sweet tailwind that nearly blew us up the hill, and the group broke into small conversational groups and paid little attention to speed- my idea of touring. However,  I can handle just fine a 15 MPH warm up get my body into bicycling mode.

investors in wind power apparently don't believe the tail wind we were enjoying is unusual

Sean arrives at the top of the first hill

Amy arrives at the top of the first hill

Doug's rule:  We'd taken a break just before the top of the hill to watch a train come under the overpass we were standing on, and I rushed to the nearby top thinking it was a good place to photo everyone passing by.  They all came crawling to a stop in front of me - just when I wanted the photo.  I taught them Doug's rule:  If I'm pointing the camera at you, don't stop until you've passed me by at least 10'.  It's Doug rule, that I learned by violating it once, but it's now in place for our future rides!

We passed through North Powder where we had a lunch break at a pic-nic table provided by the laundromat/motel.  We were soon enjoying a close up view of the Elkhorn Mountains.

riding toward the Elkhorn Mountains

a little closer to the Elkhorns

just about to turn toward Baker

We enjoyed close up views of the Elkhorns most of the way into Baker blown by that sweet tailwind.  3:36 seems like a short touring day, but with the lack of sleep after the Mexican dinner, it actually felt like the right amount of miles.  We headed to the Mountain View RV Park (clean, pleasant staff, NO mosquitoes).  There was some celebration in Baker, so we caught what was supposed to be the free shuttle (actual cost $1 each way) downtown for dinner at Barley Brown's Brew Pub; it gets our recommendation.  Because of the lack of sleep associated with the intestinal issues of the night before, Carol, Christy, and I were ready to go back to the tents.  Paul and Amy learned a lesson: when touring, do your own thing and stay out enjoying the town late- even until 10:00 at night-  if you're with an early to bed group or a team that's recovering from intestinal issues!

Day 2   Baker to Catherine Creek State Park  39. miles  Cycling time: 3:41  elevation gain 2,100

 day 2 departure from camp in Baker, OR  Christy, Paul, Carol, Amy,. Steve, and  Sean - taken by the helpful staff

 To our relief the winds calmed down during the night, and we started in ideal weather conditions. We were soon to the "smooth unpaved 1.5 mile" section the maps warned of.  It's decomposed granite and presented no problems even on Carol's non-touring 28mm tires.

Sean finishing up the unpaved section just out of Baker

 
This is the day with the most climbing with four climbs followed by four descents.

the riders enjoying the view while contemplating the descent and climbs that lie ahead of them

riding thru a small herd of escaped cattle adds to the rural experience, and adds greatly to Amy's memory since she is afraid of not just cattle-  but cows!

At the top of the next climb, we took a break and decided we'd do lunch at the next "town" which the map shows as Pondosa although the written instructions show as Medical Springs.  It's hot,  and so is my water, so when I see the last of the group ride by the turn of the century Pondosa Store, with its large shade trees overhanging the store and its outdoor pic-nic tables, I was torn between staying with the group and taking the promised break.  The break won out, and I enjoyed the store's cool air, my cold Squirt and ice cream as well as a tour of the store which was a bachelor's boarding house until the mid 1950's when Podosa's sawmill closed. All the houses in town (I think they said 85 houses)  had been moved  elsewhere after the mill closed.  As I wrestled with myself about the stop and what my fellow travelers would do, I imagined them eating their PB&J sandwiches on a hot dry hilltop.  One mile farther on is a large private swimming pool in Medical Springs (which currently offers no services) where a family reunion was being held.  I imagined my group talking their way into the party, snacking, and drinking cold punch,  but I could find no sign of touring bikes about, so I continued on, but on the hot dry hill I imagined them parked in the back with my cohorts hidden in the shade somewhere enjoying that ice cold punch.  However, I soon found my cohorts They were waiting for me in a small corral on a hot, dry, shadeless hilltop.  I wanted to feel bad, but I was still thrown that my group skipped such a pleasant and interesting stop.

Pondosa Store as it appeared for Cycle Oregon Aug 2015 - photo by Jonathan Maus

inside the Pondosa store- a possible overnight stop for future riders of the Grande Tour. The store has only recently reopened, and management would like to eventually rent out the upstairs rooms, but they aren't ready at this time, and I didn't swing an invite to check them out.  The lobby (like an old hotel)  is very nice in a rustic sense.  Meals are not currently available

The group waited for me on this hot, shadeless knoll.  Is it my imagination, or does Christy look like a wildwoman? Perhaps she's thinking of clubbing me as I enjoy an ice cold Sprite and ice cream while she waits for me here in the sun?

Meanwhile... Paul finds shade in the corral, and makes the most of it.  I thought only a cat could conform its body to a spec of shade - photo by Christy

Most of the climbing on The Grande Tour happens this day between Podosa and a 4,178 summit which Carol had convinced herself was 4,678.  However, she was not disappointed to reach the summit at 4,178 ft.

Carol reaches the 4,178 ft summit

We had a quick lunch near the summit, and coasted down to Catherine Creek State Park where we set up camp.  Having a good night's sleep and no intestinal issues the night before, this day seemed a little short, but the state park offered a bit of hiking, good shade, and a poor swimming hole - maybe 18" deep after Paul dug it out- where all soaked and cooled off a bit.

Paul, Christy, Carol, & Amy cooling off in Catherine Creek

Dinner was excellent - some oriental noodles with chicken in a peanut sauce with a few of Amy, and Paul's cashews sprinkled on top.   It was another early night as we seemed accustomed to the touring schedule of going to bed and getting up with the sun.  No mosquito problem at Catherine Creek State Park.

Day 3  60 miles   3:49 riding time   elevation gain 653 ft

Another good night's sleep and early rising.  We'd decided to have a snack for breakfast and ride the 20 miles downhill to Union for a breakfast out.  A convenience store clerk suggested the Union Hotel with what he called 4 star prices was our only option in this sleepy town (I was expecting a working man's town with 0600 breakfasts) but  the wait for an 0800 opening wasn't long.  Food was excellent and the price not too bad.  We sped through Cove, a small town in a beautiful location, but without a central business district.  It looked like we missed nothing - which is sad to say of a clean little town in such a beautiful spot.  The only activity in town seemed to be the 7th Day Adventists gathering on Sunday morning! - maybe they lend their building to another denomination on Sundays? The rest of the day was rolling through beautiful farm country.

not far out of Cove, Oregon

Sean, Carol, & Christy pass a couple of local cyclists outside of La Grande

Grande Tour is generally well signed, but don't count on a sign at every turn

Paul and Carol appear to be wishing we finished at Riverside Park where the route officially starts, but we had started 10 miles into the ride at Eagle Hot Lake RV Park, and have another 10 miles to go!

The route never crosses the freeway in the La Grande area remaining on the northeast side where not much of La Grande lies, and we didn't want to ride the frontage road, so we didn't find an ice cream place to celebrate finishing.  Riverside Park is a nice city park on that side of the freeway though which likely works well to leave a car in when riding The Grande Tour.  Showers back at the Eagle Hot Lake RV Park were $5. 

We had a great time and are considering trying The Old West Scenic Bikeway in September when we hope Marilyn, Bert, & Linda will join us! If considering Grande Tour, do it in the published direction.  The tailwinds we enjoyed on day 1 would have been a killer in reverse.  We had irksome headwinds on day 2, but they weren't killer headwinds.

If you're interested, here are the rest of the photos: 

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, & transportation



Steve