Day 6
McKenzie Bridge, OR to
Prineville, OR
Distance: 81 miles
Total ascent: 5,080 ft
Writing these blogs in
the evening is sometimes tough. Not because I don’t enjoy doing it or because I
don’t have 1001 things I want to share, but because I seem to spend most of my
time when I’m not cycling either desperate to eat or sleep. Mostly sleep. In
fact there are many times when I am cycling that I could happily curl up by the
side of the road for a quick nap.
Today, the alarm went
off at 5.30am so I could ship on out and up the McKenzie Pass before it got too
hot or too busy. All went to plan and wheels were rolling just before 7am.
Given the length and height of the climb, and my lack of fitness, I decided to
take it steady. And as climbs to 5,325 ft go, I could imagine much less
pleasant ways to do it. Yet again, roads were baby’s bottom smooth, I was
nicely shielded from the sun by the majestic pines, and there were a whole host
of birdies and chipmunks fluttering and scuttling around the woods. It was
straight out of a scene from Snow White.
But it still hurt.
The scenes at the top
were bizarre to say the least. Huge chunks of solidified black lava surround
the pass and stretch for as far as the eye can see, while dying silver trees
poke out as if in some kind of sci-fi landscape. And all of a sudden, a lone
cyclist is fully and completely exposed to the sun.
Having started in
temperatures of just below 50 this morning, my afternoon saw heat hazes burning
up from the concrete and a hi-score of somewhere in the low 90s. With around 20
miles to go, I was fit to drop and sizzling like a Turkey at Xmas. Pulling into
a Subway on the edge of the next town, I sat and sipped a 2pt cup of iced tea,
and took full advantage of the air conditioning.
Then, instead of slathering
on further 50+ sun-cream, I decided to try out my new scientifically designed white
sun protection top. Despite being long-sleeved and apparently slightly thicker
than my cycling vest top, getting back out in the sun again I felt infinitely
more comfortable, and the smell of burning skin also seemed to reduce. Tomorrow,
I might even have to dust off the neck and head protection in Florence of
Arabia style… watch this space.
This evening, after a
long cold shower, I decided to put on the glad rags and celebrate a Saturday
night in Prineville with a meal out at a nearby restaurant. Well, I put on the
sparkly flip flops with one of my lightweight roll-down small dresses rather
than my regular flip flops. Club
Pioneer claims to be a Prineville Tradition, and it was pretty good. More fish
and vegetables, although tonight I treated myself to a baked potato instead of
rice… living dangerously.
I swung by Rite-Aid on
the way back to buy some 100+ sun block…
A shorter day
tomorrow. Phew.
Me x
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