<-- previous day next day -->
* Day 16, Sisters - Blue River (8/16/00)
Map: Day 16
Day 16
Day: 84.2 km | Trip: 1181 km

This morning it was freezing cold. Well not literally but it must have been in the lower 40 Fs. I decided to stay in bed an hour longer and left the campground at 9:15 AM. For the first seven miles the road goes just a little uphill. Then after the sign that 35' long trucks are not allowed anymore it becomes quite steep till the view point of the lava fields.

The views are very amazing. The most recent lava flow was 1500 (?) years ago. If you want to climb around in the lava flow be very careful, the rocks are loose, have very deep gaps between them and have very sharp ridges. It makes more sense to wait till the summit of the pass, because there are nicely paved walkways into the sea of lava.

Now the road goes in a gentle slope along the sea of lava for a few miles until it goes right into the lava. Then it gets steep again and suddenly there is the summit. On the summit is an observatory which offers great views of the lava and the mountains around it. It also has labels on the windows identifying the mountains in sight.

The descent is slow at first but after a few miles it becomes spectacular. The road has many very narrow switch backs. It is tough to break down the loaded, heavy bicycle and to stay within the speed limit of sometimes only 20 miles per hour and sometimes only 15 miles per hour and to stay on the road in those hairpin turns. The forest on this side of the Cascades is very green, there are more plants and a wider variety. The air is also more humid.

There is no shoulder on Rt 242 (except for the first 7 miles) and the road is very narrow. But at least there is not much traffic. Well during the week at least, I guess only people on vacation take this road. On the uphill part they did not mind waiting behind me until they could safely pass. On the downhill part I was about as fast as they were, so no problem. Once back on Rt 126 the traffic increases. The cars are going fast and the trucks are back, but Rt 126 has a nice wide shoulder to ride in.

My original plan was to go to McKenzie Bridge but the USFS campground there has only a water pump and no showers. After that ugly bathroom yesterday I wanted something better and I needed a shower. So I biked till Blue River. The town is a little off Rt 126 and has no restaurant but it has a small shop. The campground charges $10 plus 80 cent tax and has a very nice and clean bathroom with a hot shower! This is one of the few evenings when I had to cook food. Lipton's Noodle & Sauce added one Onion, green pepper and a big tomato. Great Food.

*
<-- previous day next day -->