Day 63, Sunday, June 22
We did not have any cell signal at the campground, so we could not check the weather. It looked dark and gloomy to the west, and we had to climb toward the clouds. The temperature was in the low 40s again.
For the second morning in a row we had oatmeal in camp. Typically we do not because we are too lazy for the cleanup, but this morning we needed something hot. We said goodbye to Rhonda and John and were on our way.
Our third day in the Blue Mountains started with a climb. My core warmed up quickly with the climbing, but my hands and toes were cold. There was nothing I could do about it since I have only a light pair of full-fingered gloves and mid-weight wool socks.
As we approached the top we started to get a little rain. It was not much more than a mist so we did not get very wet. John brought only shorts on the trip, but he bought a pair of tights in Casper. He finally donned them today and I believe he was thankful for them.
We took a very short break at the top of the pass and began the descent to Prairie City.
On the west side of the pass the rain was heavier. That made the descent quite cold. We descended slowly out of caution on the wet road, but also because descending quickly just makes you colder.
We were cold and wet when we reached the bottom of the descent in Prairie City. I though the most we would find there was a general store. We were extremely happy to find a restaurant in a hotel on Main Street.
The rain had mostly stopped when we left Prairie City. Our route from there would follow the John Day River. After four big climbs in a day and a half I was happy for the gentle downhill gradient the rest of the day.
Fifteen miles or so from Prairie City we went through the town of John Day. We thought there was a coffee shop on the west side of town, and I had been dreaming of sitting down with a coffee and pastry. Unfortunately, it was drive-through only. We were so desperate we actually backtracked over half a mile to a diner that had the best cinnamon roll I have ever had. And it should have been because it cost $6.
The rest of the ride was a pleasant jaunt to Dayville. Rhonda and John had told us the Dayville Community Church there runs a bicycle ministry, helping out the large number of bicyclists that come through. The John Day River valley is on a number of trans-continental routes, and it is on Oregon's Old West Scenic Bikeway, so the church helps out cyclists by opening their building. They have a shower, washer and dryer, and a kitchen, and of course they let you sleep there.
When we arrived a neighbor happened to see us wandering around the outside of the church. She told us it was open and that we could just go in. On the door was a note asking us to call Skip and Cindy Inscore, which of course we did. They came by to show us the ropes and were very helpful with information about Dayville and the surrounding area, all without caring who we were, what we believed, or how we voted. I do not think they even mentioned their religion once. They were just showing us the hospitality one would expect from a follower of the New Testament.
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