Miles: 49.38
Total Elevation Gain (ft): 1457
Weather: Sunny, Warm
Hillbilly Insults: 0
Roadkill: 2 (Skunk, Fox)
Bugs Swallowed: 0
"Prevailing winds" can kiss my chafed bum!
I used to think that all rivers ran North to South because im an idiot. They go "down," right? When I found I was mistaken, I was dumbfounded. Of course, now I know better. The Columbia runs East to West.
Similarly dumb, I believed that the prevailing winds out of the Great White North swoop down over America in a Southeasterly fashion. See the pic above. My theory for going West to East was that the winds would carry me like a dainty leaf to the Great Lakes. I had a reality check today.
After a climb and dreamy descent down to The Dalles, the mercury rose and I was hit by a windy blast furnace coming off the river through the Indian reservations on my way to Biggs Junction, OR. It slowed me down considerably. so did my gawking at all the salmon I could have scooped up by hand along random spillover ponds along I-84.
Total Elevation Gain (ft): 1457
Weather: Sunny, Warm
Hillbilly Insults: 0
Roadkill: 2 (Skunk, Fox)
Bugs Swallowed: 0
"Prevailing winds" can kiss my chafed bum!
I used to think that all rivers ran North to South because im an idiot. They go "down," right? When I found I was mistaken, I was dumbfounded. Of course, now I know better. The Columbia runs East to West.
Similarly dumb, I believed that the prevailing winds out of the Great White North swoop down over America in a Southeasterly fashion. See the pic above. My theory for going West to East was that the winds would carry me like a dainty leaf to the Great Lakes. I had a reality check today.
After a climb and dreamy descent down to The Dalles, the mercury rose and I was hit by a windy blast furnace coming off the river through the Indian reservations on my way to Biggs Junction, OR. It slowed me down considerably. so did my gawking at all the salmon I could have scooped up by hand along random spillover ponds along I-84.
I took a look at the map and didn't feel like climbing Hwy 14 up the mountain this evening, so I stopped to camp, shower and hand wash some seriously foul bike clothing. There ere limited services for the next 84 miles in the high desert. I'm hoping to make it that far, but I've got to be realistic upon my heaviest jealous mistress, the fully loaded, Reubenesque Salsa Fargo. I'll stealth camp somewhere if I must.
It's quite extraordinary to see the massive forests abruptly turn barren as soon as the river bends into the Dalles. Verdant to arid, lickety-split.
It's quite extraordinary to see the massive forests abruptly turn barren as soon as the river bends into the Dalles. Verdant to arid, lickety-split.
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