Return to Oregon's Old West Scenic Bikeway

18-21 Sep 2015

All the fun we'd had on this year's Grande Tour made Christy, Sean, Carol, Amy, Paul, and I want to do it again with a little tougher route before the cold weather hit.  Unfortunately, other commitments kept Amy and Paul away.  The weather was ideal unlike Doug's and my 2012 October experience in the cold on this route.  A pleasant rain ended early Friday morning before our start, so we began just as the clouds and smoke were gone.  We were more fortunate than the nearby Cycle Oregon's riders who were diverted off their planned route by the Richland, OR fire making them do some day rides out of Baker disappointing those we met on their ways home.

Day 1:  John Day to Bates State Park  31.4 miles  Riding time 3:16 Elevation Gain: 2,297 ft

We planned a half day cycling after our drives to John Day, but  our start was about an hour late at 1:00 PDT, but with the short day planned that created no real problems.  From the official start in John Day it's about 15 miles to Prairie City where begins the climb up the Dixie Pass, elevation 5,277. We stopped for photos about 1/3rd the way up at the oversized prairie schooner where I realized why my camera had been beeping at me; my memory card was still in my computer at home.  I'd have been more than willing to ride back to Prairie City for a new SD card, but would they have one?  John Day was a little too far away and would put me out of sync with the group, so I decided to rely on the cell phone photos of the others.

Sean, Carol, Christy, and Steve at the prairie schooner about 1/3 up the Dixie Pass- photo by Christy

The climb is mostly under 6% which I suppose makes it a little easier than the Old Lewiston or Old Winchester grades.  Christy and I took a break near the top where we waited for Sean and Carol and where we were surprised to see Carol show up 15 minutes later without Sean or panniers.  Sean was riding back to John Day to get the car.  Now, we dropped down to Austin Junction for 6 miles which were steep enough Carol was soon missing her panniers which contained her wind breaker. At Austin Junction, I realized, maybe Sean can get me a SD memory card in John Day, so Carol sent him a text msg.

Camping and showers are available at the Austin Inn, but the camping is superior at Bates State Park (but no showers), so Christy and I headed down the road the 1.5 miles to the park where we set up camp and met Wayne and Ken, two cyclists on the same route (though they'd started in Mitchell, OR a day earlier).  We didn't wait long for Carol and Sean to arrive - with my new 16GB SD card; thanks, Sean!  We had a good dinner at the Austin Inn.

A Ukiah Moment for Some
It was cool enough at bedtime that I left my sweat shirt on for sleeping, and cold enough I awoke in the night to curl up in a ball thinking "it isn't worth the trouble of putting my sweat pants on" as I fell back asleep.  I was protected by my Ukiah moment which happened during the1999 Cycle Oregon when I lay curled up in my sleeping bag wearing as many clothes as possible and stacking stuff on top of the sleeping bag as I lay wishing I could sleep or stop shivering while my TRC friends simply awoke, put on more clothes, and fell back asleep.  Immediately on completion of that Cycle Oregon I bought a warmer sleeping bag which has only been tested by the coldness of Bates- and it twice passed!  Christy and perhaps Ken had their Ukiah moment this night- lying in their sleeping bags shivering, wishing they had more clothes to put on and wishing they could fall asleep.  It was 24° when the park ranger arrived the next morning.  With some questioning we learned Bates is in a bowl; the cold air flows down into it each evening off the surrounding mountains.  The ranger said it had been 50° as he drove across Dixie Pass on his way to work this morning and the temps fell to 24° as he descended to Bates.  So, if you plan on camping here anytime of the year, be prepared for cold nights!

Christy's frozen bike in Bates SP - photo by Christy

Day 2: Bates State Park to Long Creek, OR  53.7 miles 3:57 Riding Time  Elevation Gain:  1,824 ft
We hung around camp until the sun was up and the tents mostly dry.  We were enjoying Wayne & Ken and they us, so we decided to ride together. The best section of The Old West Scenic Bikeway  is Bates down to the junction with Hwy 395.

The combined group: Wayne, Carol, Sean, Ken, Steve, and Christy- photo by Christy

Between Christy and Sean is a color or geometric shape missing?

Ken, Sean, Christy, and Ken enjoying the downhill to Hwy 395

Christy, Sean, Wayne, and  Ken still enjoying the downhill

Wayne and Ken are from the Willamette Valley where they live in blissful ignorance of puncture weed (goat heads), but between Mitchell and Dayville they met with some puncture weed issues leaving Ken particularly paranoid about puncture weed.  That paranoia may have been the reason he skipped our lunch spot just before the junction of Hwy 395 where the climbing begins again, and where there was some puncture weed.

Sean and Christy begin the climb up 395, the photographer has the wrong angle, so Sean is mostly hidden by Christy

Christy nearing the top of the main climb up 395

We'd had some discussion on what the toughest day would be.  Experience told me it was day two, climbing up Hwy 395 and then through many ravines before reaching Long Creek, but the knowledge of feet climbed still made an impression for everyone else. After reaching Long Creek, I think we generally agreed day two was tougher.

Ken fixes a flat at the top of 395 while Wayne supervises and while Sean and Christy take a break in the nearby shade!

 Once reaching the top, it seems like it should be smooth sailing into Long Creek, but there seems to always be another ravine to cross before reaching town.  Crossing those ravines makes this the toughest day- in my opinion.  (They can't be called rollers; there's no way to get the momentum of the down to push you up the next hill).  Some thought they'd ridden enough on reaching Long Creek, and others wanted to ride on the 20 miles of "mostly downhill"  to Monument which is also a cleaner nicer town much lower in elevation where nights wouldn't be so cold, but we were all enjoying each other, and we all ended up spending the night in Long Creek.

Long Creek lies in the high desert just before the trees start.  It's not a particularly attractive town with many abandoned houses and dead overgrown grass everywhere, but the "convenience store", must be under new management since 2012.  Unlike 3 years ago, it has hours posted and enough groceries for a touring cyclist.  It also has a grill and tables where we had our post ride snacks and where we remained for at least an hour as we escaped the afternoon heat..

Our camp in Long Creek's RV Park

On the positive side the RV park's bathrooms were very clean, and they provide towels for each of us for $10 per tent. On the negative side, there is no shade (the trees you see in the above photo are in the adjoining trailer park and didn't cast their shadows our way) and no picnic tables. We escaped most of hottest part of the afternoon sitting in the convenience store. There was an old crusty bench which we used to hold our cooking stoves, and the camp had about 3 plastic chase lounges we used. Some found the night still a bit too cold, but having my post Ukiah sleeping bag, I was just fine!

Day 3:  Long Creek to Dayville 62.3 miles, 4:37 riding time   Elevation Gain: 2,677
If the morning was a bit cool, the ridge we had to cross before dropping into Monument gave everyone ample time to warm up. The ridge was a little more significant than I remembered, and I think everyone was glad we had stayed in Long Creek.

Sean, Wayne, Ken, and Christy nearing the top of the ridge out of Long Creek

Wayne on the ridge between Long Creek and Monument

Ken, Wayne, Sean, and Christy enjoy the downhill to Monument

Ken, Wayne, Christy, and Sean still enjoying the downhill outside of Monument

The downhill to Monument is great on a loaded touring bike with banked corners and open vistas, but not so steep that we were forced to brake more than a couple times briefly.  Ken had a 2nd breakfast in Monument at a small stand opened just for him.  The Monument grocery store is closed on Sundays. Ken had a sinus infection that hadn't told on his riding until about this point where he fell behind the group, and that's my belief as to why. He's a strong rider. We followed the John Day River and just before Kimberly where we met 3 credit card tourists from the suburbs of Portland while one was changing a flat. (They had driven to Dayville, rode to Prairie City, Long Creek and were almost back to their cars at the 1st nights motel that makes a tough day 2 but doable without gear to carry).  Since 2012 the Kimberly Store has been reopened.  We had lunch there and enjoyed their outside benches and talked to the credit card tourists who later joined us for a brief time on the ride to Dayville.  Kimberly is a convenience store only, but in a good location for lunch for those starting in Long Creek.  It also sells prepackaged sandwiches should future tourists need them.

Ken, Wayne, Steve, Christy, and Sean enjoy lunch outside the reopened and remodeled Kimberly Store - photo by Christy

 When we stopped at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Ken caught us and rode on without us since he wasn't feeling good and probably didn't want to be dropped again!  We regrouped at Dayville's interesting general store. Afternoon temps were high enough to let us really enjoy their ice cream!

Sean, Steve, Wayne, and Christy leaving the Fossil Beds National Monument - photo by Christy

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument has the best bike rack for cycling tourists I've ever seen. The bottom cross bars keep the wheels from rolling and the spacing allows for loaded bikes!

Where to stay in Dayville, the Community Church (formerly the Presbyterian Church) or the RV park?  My memory of the church was pretty good, but I didn't want to dominate the group's decisions.  The church gave a feeling of connection to other cycle tourists (it's on AC's Trans Am route and has been providing a place for us to sleep since '76).  It lets you escape the tent for a night, and with the growing length of nights lets you stay up a little later with electric lights though we still went to bed about 8:00.  The church treats catering to cycle tourists as a ministry, and they made us all feel welcome  The woman who is the designated host came down, greeted us, showed us the facilities which included a shower and kitchen, and since I was there in 2012, they've added a washer (with detergent provided), a dryer, and a computer as well as internet for cycle tourists' use.

Carol and Sean preparing dinner in the church's kitchen- Christy in the background

Sitting around the church's tables enjoying the coolness after a post ride snack- Wayne, Christy, Sean, and Carol

Day 4 Dayville to John Day 31.8 miles  Riding time 2:35  Elevation gain: 997 ft
We were sorry to say farewell to Wayne & Ken that morning as they headed back to their car in Mitchell, but we were glad to have Carol rejoin the riding group.

Wayne and Ken say "goodbye"!  It was great touring with you two!

Carol and Sean depart the Dayville Community Church

We weren't 150 feet down the road when Christy suffered her first flat of the day (and of the trip)

Sean changes Christy's first flat of the day while Carol supervises- about 150 ft from the church

Carol, Sean, and Christy on the road from Dayville to John Day

Christy suffered her 2nd flat outside Mt. Vernon and now plans on bringing a patch kit in addition to two tubes on the cross country ride.

Hot link to:  All my photos

This is a great loop that we did in two half days and two full days which allowed for our motorized transport to and from John Day.