Day 5: Big Appetites, Crossing the Line, & The Columbian Corridor

Day 5:  Tuesday June 10th, 2014
Deschutes River Recreation Area, OR (near Biggs) to Crow Butte Park, WA.  63.3 miles.

Waking up in the campground was my first opportunity to see the beauty of the surroundings. Canadian geese were foraging in the grass, and swimming in the River.

I woke up with a vicious appetite, and had to resort to protein bars until I could dismantle the camping gear, pack up the bags, and then secure everything to the bike. My destination was the small town of (ok, that's exaggerating a bit. It was more like a truck stop; pop. 22) Biggs, OR, about 4 miles down the road.  As I approached town, I passed by a small church with a bell tower that said a lot about Biggs. 

My options for breakfast were a McDonalds attached to a Pilot truck stop, or a restaurant attached to a Shell station. I opted for the restaurant. Glad I did. It was just what I needed. Pulling my bike up to the front, I leaned it against the window so that I could keep an eye on it while eating, with the "Portland OR to Portland ME" sign facing outward. Little did I know, the bike would become the source of entertainment during my breakfast.

People noticed here. It was a very different suite of reactions than those I experienced elsewhere. Some were dumbfounded, looking at their friends or family members for reassurance that what they were seeing was real. Others had to meet the person behind it all, and came into the restaurant searching for the guy that stood out with the bike jersey. One man, who rode up on a Harley, was fascinated with the gear, looking over the hardware and accessories. A young boy, probably in his teens, happened to look over his shoulder to catch a glimps as he was walking out.  What he saw killed his forward momentum, as he then stood in the middle of the parking lot staring, wondering, possibly inspired. 

Speaking of breakfast, I startled the gruff, yet sweet, waitress when a skinny guy like me ordered the country breakfast, and then ordered a stack of pancakes.  "Hungry, are you?", she rhetorically asked.  I was doubting my ability, but my mind was telling me I needed it.  Here's the before...

And, yes, the aftermath...

There's no question that I need a LOT of calories. Eating is a constant activity. 

From Biggs, my route guided me to "cross the line", the state line that is, by taking the bridge across the Columbia River, up a steep grade to highway 14, and then continue East on the Washington side. The map indicated limited services for the next 83 miles, so I bought some snacks at the adjacent convenience store and headed out. By this time, it was a late start, around 1pm. I figured I would go as far as my legs would move me, then camp. 

Crossing the River, and partway up the grade, I stopped to snap a photo (looking West) and catch my breath. Mt. Hood, refusing to let go, can be seen in the right side of the image. Biggs is at the base of the bridge I crossed on the left side. 

Much of this ride was dominated by grasslands, and the overly-impressive Columbia River. The River, and the gorge it formed, are a conduit of activity; dams and power generation, ships navigating the waterway transporting goods and raw materials, trains on both sides of the River running all day and night carrying cars, oil, coal, lumber, and other goods, and trucks on the highway moving their goods too. It is an impressive sight. 

The grasslands became intermixed with sagebrush scrub, with some familiar species I have seen elsewhere including the fragrant Great Basin Sage (Artemesia tridentata). 

I found a small roadside cafe serving a community of workers in the West Roosevelt are that served up a hearty lunch. Then proceeded all the way to Crow Butte Park, an Army Corps operated park, reserve, and campground. The campground was a well-irrigated oasis amongst the sagebrush with lush grass and a canopy of shade trees. Only a few campers were there. I rolled right up to a site that had it's own beach on the shore of the Columbia. 

The sunset was awesome here, and a great way to end the day.