July 2013 :: bike Oregon coast to Bozeman, plus Big Sky and Yellowstone by car

Yachats OR to Bozeman MT :: 16 days on a bike
July 2013

In July 2013, our intrepid Magnificent Seven rode across Oregon. We started in Yachats, on the coast, and finished across the Idaho border, in Boise. The posse: Amy, Bruce, Kiley, Myra, Reese, Richard, and Scott. En route, we visited Corvallis, Blue River, Redmond, Mitchell, John Day, Unity, and Ontario: 564 miles and around 22312 feet of elevation gain. For a bonus track, we climbed to the Bogus Basin ski resort, northeast of Boise: 26 miles and 6367 feet of elevation (and back).

Lots of pretty country on the road, and plenty of time every day to absorb the local color. Highlights included the solar system scale model in Eugene, Dee Wright Observatory at McKenzie summit, Painted Hills outside John Day, a motorcycle rally in Baker City, and Bogus Basin. Additional bonus: We celebrated Amy's birthday.

We rode a well-paced 70 miles per day, which left the afternoons for sightseeing or napping. We stayed in hotels and ate in restaurants; no sleeping bags or campfires. It was a "princess" tour. Easy and comfortable. We avoided eating pizza for the entire trip.

The ride was self-supported. Bruce volunteered his van, with six bike racks, as the transport and SAG vehicle. We took turns at the wheel of the van, which was stocked with our bags, ice water, snacks, spares, and tools.

I continued solo across Idaho through Lowman, Stanley, Hailey, Arco, Idaho Falls, Ashton, and West Yellowstone, eventually landing in Bozeman: 599 miles and 19662 feet of elevation gain. From there, I joined Helen at the family reunion in Big Sky, Montana, then took the two grandsons to Yellowstone.

FRI 2013-07-05 :: Oakland-Yachats by car

Loaded the van with six bikes, six travel cases, coolers, mini bike shop, and food. Left Oakland before 08:00 with Amy, Bruce, and Scott. Stopped for lunch at Dunsmuir Brewery Works: good pulled pork and brisket sandwiches. Arrived in Yachats at 19:15, very close to estimated transit time. Extremely tired of car travel. Enjoyed dinner at Luna Seafood: fish and chips, tuna and bacon, crab cakes, sauteed vegetables, and draft beers. Checked into Deane's Oceanfront Lodge. Refreshed and happy, eager to get on the bikes.

SAT 2013-07-06 :: Yachats-Cape Perpetua loop 29.3mi 2470ft

Amy, Bruce, Richard, and Scott rode up Yachats River Rd. Easy undulation, following the river, very pretty. Road ended at a T junction. Turned right on Mt Perpetua Rd. Up. Up a lot more. Gravel. Considered turning back. Up. 14% up, lots of it. False summit. Another. And another. More gravel patches. More 14%. Summited Cape Perpetua. Then six miles down, with more gravel patches. Everyone made it, rubber side down. Lunched at Green Salmon in Yachats. Good workout, great fun.

At lunch, met a woman who had cycled from Texas to Anchorage AK! That put our trip in perspective. In the afternoon, Myra and Reese flew from Oakland to Portland. Kiley, Myra, and Reese took Amtrak from Portland to Albany with Kiley's bike, where Bruce and Richard picked them up and drove back to Yachats.

SUN 2013-07-07 :: Yachats-Corvallis 68.9mi 2398ft

SAG: Richard.

Cool on the coast, warming as we got inland. Beautiful views and tailwinds along the Alsea River from the coast through Tidewater and Alsea to Alsea summit, then (mostly) downhill through Philomath into Corvallis. Ate lunch at Laughing Planet, shopped at Peak Cycles, washed clothes, and cleaned bikes. Ate dinner at Block 15 Brew Pub, and played at shuffleboard and darts. Excellent day.

This 1958 Ford Fairlane was parked in front of a house on the road outside Alsea. Hydraulic trunk and hardtop mechanism. There is a 1957 Fairlane in the garage. At $40000 asking for the 1958, it's likely still there. Make an offer.

MON 2013-07-08 :: Corvallis-Blue River 90.1mi 1644ft

SAG: Amy and Bruce.

Cool in Corvallis, warming inland. On the short run out of Corvallis, nearly sideswiped by a semi-trailer, but everyone made it through. Made a fast transit from Corvallis down the Peoria and Coburg roads through Peoria, Harrisburg, and Coburg, into Eugene. Tailwinds are the best. Around Peoria, saw a hawk take a large field rodent and power into the distance - magnificent. Followed the river bike trail through the 1:1000000000 scale solar system model and city parks in Eugene.

Then out of Eugene on Hwy 126 through Springfield, Leaburg, and Vida to Blue River. Dipped our feet in the icy Blue River, and ate a good dinner at Takoda's in Mill Creek. Played at boche and foosball, until the mosquitos flew in.

TUE 2013-07-09 :: Blue River-Redmond 83.3mi 5272ft

SAG: Myra and Kylie.

Climbed Hwy 126 from Blue River, added the McKenzie River Scenic Bypass, then climbed up scenic Hwy 242 over McKenzie Pass, our first HC ascent. Enjoyed the Dee Wright Observatory and the spectacular views of the mountains and lava fields from the summit, then killed the long descent into Sisters.

Stopped at Eurosports, ordered a few McKenzie Pass jerseys from Brad. Brad convinced us to take the more scenic route across the Sisters-Smith Rock Scenic Bikeway, instead of Hwy 126 - more miles, but good call. Upgraded from Jersey Boys Pizza to Brick House for dinner, with a bonus - Bruce's sister Elna and husband Otto drove over from Portland to visit with him and us.

WED 2013-07-10 :: Redmond-Mitchell 68.0mi 2989ft

SAG: Reese and Scott

Out of Redmond through Powell Butte and Prineville. Lovely tailwinds. Long, long climb to Ochoco summit. Stunning descent down the east side, then a relatively short climb into Mitchell. Dined at Little Pine, joined by Alex Alvarez from Flagstaff, making the cross-continental transit east to west (read his stories).

THU 2013-07-11 :: Mitchell-John Day 67.2mi 3028ft

SAG: Kylie and Myra.

Six miles uphill right out of the box, from Mitchell to Keyes Creek summit. Through Dayville and Mt Vernon (blink and you missed it), into John Day. Just before sunset, drove to Painted Hills, one of three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Magnificent vistas. Boardwalks are provided, like in Yellowstone, to protect the fragile environment.

Met a German family from Frankfurt, with a teenage son and preteen daughter. We saw their car at Painted Hills; they were hiking a trail up the side of a good-sized hill. Talked with them after dinner, in the hotel parlor. The parents like to travel, and wanted their children to see some of their world, including the Oregon high desert.

FRI 2013-07-12 :: John Day-Unity 49.6mi 3743ft

SAG: Amy and Bruce.

Short day from John Day through Prairie City. Longish climb to Dixie Pass summit, followed by long shallow descent. Bruce liked the huckleberry offering at Austin House, where he took over as SAG driver. Four miles against headwinds into Unity, led by Amy.

Decided against dinner in Unity and made a car trip to Baker City. Arrived along with several thousand Harleys for the first night of the annual Hell's Canyon Motorcycle Rally.

Enjoyed excellent beer and dinner at Barley Brown's Brew Pub, recommended by Alex Alvarez. Brown's had some interesting art on a wall dedicated to local bike racers, most famously Kristin Armstrong Savola (unrelated to Lance Armstrong). Plus a Chez Panisse poster in the corridor to the restrooms; Alice Waters's influence is worldwide.

SAT 2013-07-13 :: Unity-Ontario 83.1mi 1703ft

SAG: Scott and Reese.

Small climbs out of Unity, followed by a long descent into Brogan. Level second half through Jamieson and Willowcreek, then backroads into Ontario. Lunched at a Mexican restaurant in Fruitland ID - our first brief foray into Idaho. Dined and partied at Brewsky's - Amy's selection - with a very good German chocolate cake by Armida. Best toy was Sue Lyons shades, from Myra and Reese. Happy Birthday, Amy!

SUN 2013-07-14 :: Ontario-Boise 66.0mi 1535ft

SAG: Richard, taking a rest day before Idaho.

Through the backroads, mostly flat except a short, steep climb on N Can Ada Rd. Amy and Kiley thought about finding softer saddles.

Cleaned up and made dinner for Bruce's uncle Alan and aunt Judy in Boise. Very pretty house, including plastering, cabinets, and other work by Bruce. Richard grilled garlic-rosemary pork shoulder and peaches. Amy grilled asparagus with pancetta. Judy made potatoes and salad. Kiley, Myra, and Reese picked raspberries. And we finished the second half of Amy's birthday cake with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

MON 2013-07-15 :: Bogus Basin bonus track 41.6mi 3816ft

SAG: Richard, taking another rest day before Idaho.

Simple climb to Bogus ski area, and back to Boise. Fourteen miles of approximately 7%. Kiley cranked it, still strong after a week on the road. Scott was a close second.

Fitting close to a great week across Oregon, and well into Idaho.

Borrowed extra towels, so the posse could shower in my room before starting home. Ready to begin the second half, solo across Idaho to Bozeman.

TUE 2013-07-16 :: Boise-Lowman 78.1mi 5591ft

Shipped clothes for Montana via FedEx to Strong Frames in Bozeman, for safekeeping until I arrive. Touring rig was ultralight tail bag with mini panniers: 15 lbs including satellite phone, spares, tools, and Clif Mojo bars. Plus credit card.

Ate breakfast and on the road. Boise Greenbelt track wasn't very good, so changed onto roads out of town. Access to road across Lucky Peak dam ("KEEP YOUR FORESTS GREEN" is printed on the face of the dam) wasn't clear - possibly restricted or dirt - so started up Hwy 21, Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway. Climbed to Highland Valley summit, and turned north to follow Mores Creek. Encountered a fire west of Thorn Creek, and some very helpful volunteer firefighers.

Ascertained that it was safe to pass, and nothing else burning on my route. Soaked my kerchief, masked, and got through as fast as possible. Visited Idaho City, an 1850s gold mining town. Climbed to Mores Creek summit. Heat rose along with the road. Some tree shade, but often in the open at 100+F. Encountered construction south of Lowman, including three miles of chipseal being laid between Ten Mile Campground and Lowman summit. The pilot car gave me a lift to Lowman summit, so I made that climb at 25 mph with very low HR. Took the long descent into Lowman, then three miles shallow to Haven Hot Springs. Arrived at 14:30. The economy and politics are somewhat different here. Haven Hot Springs is the only cafe and motel in town. Like motels and cafes in many other small towns I encountered, it's for sale. Concealed carry is the stated preference. No one asked my opinions, and I didn't offer any.

Recovered with banana and chocolate milkshake with egg. Borrowed the laundry key, washed kit, and hung it to dry. At 16:30, there was a bold thunderclap and a 15-minute tropical deluge. Road was dry in an hour. Rack of ribs for dinner.

WED 2013-07-17 :: Lowman-Stanley 54.7mi 3839ft

Ate breakfast and on the road at 07:30. Visited the hot springs across the road; the volcanic activity there is part of the Yellowstone-Island Park multiple caldera system that extends from Wyoming to Oregon. Followed the South Fork of the Payette uphill to Banner summit.

It's a long 4-5% climb, and the river keeps it relatively cool - in the 80s. Then a short, smooth descent, and twenty miles of rollers into Stanley, often with a tailwind. I'm getting comfortable on the aerobars. Not as controlled as Bruce, but adequate to the task. Arrived before noon. Recovered with banana and chocolate milk and ham-and-cheese deli sandwich. Logged in on an iMac at the new Stanley Community Library. They are very proud of it; "funded with donations and grants, no tax dollars."

(A little internet research revealed these to be somewhat flexible facts. There is a community-approved library tax, and support from the Idaho Library Commission.) Washed kit in the guest laundry, and hung it to dry. Ate dinner at Backcountry Bistro - prix fixe menu with white tablecloths! Actually, it was more carte fixe - four choices of entree that determine the price of the meal. Chef's choice was a Texas-farmed antelope tenderloin, but I went with a Basque lobster/chorizo linguine. After dinner, I met two guides from Escape Adventures leading a trip on the same route to Ketchum, then to Mountain Home. Two guides with van and trailer, six clients. Weird juxtaposition.

THU 2013-07-18 :: Stanley-Hailey 70.3mi 2615ft

Started late, due to the usual cold temperature overnight in Stanley. By 09:00 it was 57F, good enough to ride without covers. Stunning views of the Sawtooths and the Salmon River heading south on Hyw 75, Sawtooth Scenic Byway. Passed the group from Escape Adventures after an hour; they started 30 minutes earlier, but regrouped frequently. Two of them latched on, but passed me when I stopped for pictures, so I had to chase them down. I climbed a lot faster than they did, even with 15 pounds of extra baggage and at least 35 years seniority. Made the mistake of turning off my Garmin while I waited for them at the summit of Galena Pass. Gave up waiting, but forgot to turn the Garmin on until I was at the bottom of the 6% descent, so the Garmin track makes a zip line of that segment. Followed the Big Wood River (not so big at the top) and then the Wood River into Hailey. On the aerobars a lot; felt good.

There was a 1:1000000000 scale solar system model stencil-painted on the bike path into Hailey, similar to the original Eugene model. It was an amusing way to pass the last 4.3 miles into town.

Arrived 13:30. Recovered with banana, chocolate milk, cherries, apricots, and a bran muffin. Washed the kit in the guest laundry. Ate dinner at Zou 75; sat at the sushi bar. Full sake selection. Idaho is a strange place to eat sushi - "fresh fish" takes on alternate meaning, I think. But the quality was excellent. It's the overflow from Sun Valley and Ketchum.

FRI 2013-07-19 :: Hailey-Arco, via Craters of the Moon 81.6mi 2336ft

Ate breakfast and on the road at 07:20. Took the Wood River path to Gannett, then SE on Hwy 20, Peaks to Craters Scenic Byway. Rode through Carey to Craters of the Moon. The lava flows are visible from Carey, and get more spectacular the closer one gets to the national park. Used my National Parks senior card to enter the park - there are some benefits to being old - and spun around the loop. Possibly the steepest road in Idaho is on the loop: 10% descent for 100m.

Arrived Arco around 13:30. Followed the usual routine: recovery meal, laundry. Non-descript dinner at Pickle's Place.

SAT 2013-07-20 :: Arco-Idaho Falls 89.7mi 915ft

Anticipating a flyover by Tom and Peg at 13:00, ate breakfast and on the road at 07:05. Lots of long big-ring rollers, if one can still call them "rollers" when a pitch is longer than three miles. Overall trend was shallow downhill to Blackfoot with a tailwind, then shallow uphill to Idaho Falls with variable winds. Basically, the day consisted of a series of TTs and rest periods. Passed by Idaho National Labs (INL) outside Atomic City - off limits to unauthorized traffic. More nuclear reactors have been built there than anywhere else, including various research projects and the USN nuclear submarine program. Arco was very briefly lit by nuclear power in 1955. Atomic City is a ghost town; everything is for sale, except the BLM fire station. (Many Idahoans seem to find no dissonance in the concepts "no taxes" and government being the major driver of a local economy.) Blackfoot is home to the Idaho Potato Museum in an old Oregon Short Line Railroad (OSLRR) depot, touting Idaho's Famous Potatoes®. Then north to Idaho Falls, originally named Eagle Rock. Visited Bill's Bike Shop to replenish my supply of energy bars.

Tom and Peg had to detour around turbulence and mountains, so they were too late for a flyover. Got some lunch when Tom and Peg arrived, then drove out to the civilian airport the see their Piper Cherokee D, a pretty plane. Took a walk along the river, so they could see the manmade falls that represent the city.

SUN 2013-07-21 :: Idaho Falls-Ashton 82.7mi 1096ft

Ate breakfast, said goodbye to Tom and Peg, and on the road (and them in the air) at 07:00. Followed various rivers on county roads, to avoid the freeways. Maneuvered through Ririe and Rexburg (home of BYU Idaho and an on-campus temple-on-a-hill as imposing as Idaho Falls). Out Red Road to the St Anthony dunes. The dunes were impressive, similar to Pismo Beach, California, but 700 miles from the ocean, so more like North Africa. Lots of potatoes and corn planted in huge irrigated fields. Irrigated sand = hydroponics; if not irrigated, just desert.

Through St Anthony into Ashton. Well-stocked store next to the motel, but no restaurants open on Sunday. Ate on the porch. Washed the laundry.

MON 2013-07-22 :: Ashton-West Yellowstone 41.5mi 2033ft

Ate breakfast and on the road at 07:15. Warm enough in Ashton, but finally paid for the tailwinds all week - 20 mph headwind up Hwy 47, Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. (Just about every road in Idaho is a scenic byway, a city street, or gravel. Small town side streets are often gravel.) Slow climb, following the Warm River. Followed Henry's Fork of the Snake down. Lower Fall was pretty; Upper Fall was impressive.

Joined Hwy 20, Yellowstone Hwy, just before Island Park. Just before Big Springs, hit a rock or something, and broke a front spoke. Handled the bike to a stop without crashing. Front wheel was out of true enough that I didn't want to risk riding it further, so thumbed a ride for the final 24 miles into West Yellowstone. Found a good used 1985 Campagnolo wheel at Freeheel & Wheel in West Yellowstone, adequate for the ride into Bozeman tomorrow.

TUE 2013-07-23 :: West Yellowstone-Bozeman 91.3mi 1237ft

Colder in West Yellowstone, so ate breakfast and stayed warm in my room until the outside temperature reached mid-50F. On the road at 08:10, shallow uphill into a headwind up Hwy 191, into Wyoming (briefly) and back into Montana. After a few one-mile segments at 5%, crested the pass for 70 miles shallow downhill into Bozeman, still into a soft headwind. Roadway on Hwy 191 is good quality chipseal, but the traffic is constant and close - semi trailers and large motorhomes. Met an older guy at Big Sky junction, who claimed that Hwy 191 is the worst bicycle road in America. I can think of contenders, but it wasn't easy. The best part was a traffic break with 15 minute delay, while a road crew knocked boulders off the ridge above the highway. After the backed-up motor traffic had gone through, the flagman sent me through with "you won't see another vehicle for 15 minutes." Glorious free road.

Extra credit: After the traffic break, I averaged 20 mph. The first car started 15 minutes later, and averaged 45 mph. How many miles clear did I have before the car caught me? How many minutes did I have clear? Answers down the road.

Wheeled into Bozeman, and stopped by Carl Strong's shop, and visited with Carl and Loretta. They live in a beautiful home that originally belonged to his grandmother, in the historic Bon Ton district. Last year, they built the shop and studio addition. Carl will replace the spoke and true the Ksyrium wheel, and ship it back to me. He kept the bike for a few days to evaluate the rear triangle, and make adjustments if needed.

TUE 2013-07-23 :: Bozeman-Great Falls by car

Rented a Suburu Outback for a week. Seats five with fair luggage space. It will work well for the reunion and Yellowstone segments. Took a shower and drove to Great Falls to see Helen and her aunts, Helen and Mary.

TUE 2013-07-24 :: Great Falls

Visited Helen's aunts and cousins. It was the usual family food fest.

THU 2013-07-25 :: Great Falls-Bozeman by car

On the way to the family pre-reunion in Bozeman, checked in with Carl Strong. The rear triangle was fine. Carl installed a new derailleur hanger. Packed up the bike and shipped it to Montano Velo, Oakland, for safekeeping until I get home.

FRI 2013-07-26 :: Bozeman-Big Sky by car

Drove to Big Sky and checked into the condos. Went swimming with the boys. Grilled dinner for the group: pork shoulder and peaches.

SAT 2013-07-27 :: Big Sky family reunion

Went rafting on the Gallatin River. Class 2-3 rapids. Spotted a bald eagle atop a ponderosa pine, and a mountain goat high atop a cliff (just a moving white dot, without binoculars). Lots of ducks and geese in the river. Hunter became a voluntary member of the Gallatin Swim Team.

SUN 2013-07-28 :: Big Sky family reunion

Went down the Big Sky zip lines with Hunter. Four lines, the longest 1400'. Lots of fun.

MON 2013-07-29 :: Big Sky-West Yellowstone by car

Took the grandsons to Yellowstone. On the way out of Big Sky, we saw a pair of bighorn sheep on the road, just ambling along, and we took the short hike to Ousel Falls.

Visited the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. Basically, it's a small zoo for recovered wildlife: lots of grizzly bears, a few gray wolves, three bald eagles, great horned owl.

The bears have to earn their keep. They participate in product testing on bear canisters, coolers, dumpsters, and the like. There is an impressive display of containers that have been "tested" and opened by bears. (There are no vehicles on display, even though bears can open them easily.)

TUE 2013-07-30 :: Yellowstone by car

On the way into the park, thunder and lightning to the west, behind us. Just past Madison junction on the way to Old Faithful, it hailed pea-size pellets! The boys built a hailman. Stopped at the Fountain Paint Pots, Old Faithful, West Thumb shoreline, Mud Volcano, and the falls at Artist Point. Spotted herds of bison, and elk females and calves, in Hayden Valley.

Back in West Yellowstone, stopped at the Eagle's Store for ice cream at the historic soda fountain. Richard's college buddy Eva Eagle's family owns the store. It was the first licensed concession in the park, to her grandparents, in 1908. The original store was 12'x12'. The soda fountain was added in 1910; the tiled front counter was added in 1930.

WED 2013-07-31 :: Yellowstone by car

Back into the park, to Mammoth Hot Springs. Dined with Helen at Café Madriz in West Yellowstone. Small plates and tempranillo. Based on our experience in Madrid, muy auténtico.

THU 2013-08-01 :: Bozeman

On the way home, visited with Carl and Loretta. Hunter asked Carl lots of questions about fabrication and welding (and explosive possibilities), which he graciously answered.

THU 2013-08-01 :: home

Home again. It was a great trip. I took a week off the bike, while we spent three days in Big Sky for the family reunion and three days in Yellowstone with the grandsons. But that's another story.

Extra credit solution

This exercise is similar to many word problems encountered in 6th grade.

The relationship between distance d, velocity v, and time t is described by:
d = v * t

For the two vehicles:
d_bike = v_bike * t_bike
d_car = v_car * t_car

When the car catches the bike, distance is the same for both, so:
v_bike * t_bike = v_car * t_car

The car is faster than the bike, but the bike gets more time:
v_bike = 20 mph
v_car = 45 mph
t_bike = t_car + 15 minutes

Substitute for t_bike and solve for t_car:
45 mph * t_car = 20 mph * ( t_bike )
45 * t_car = 20 * ( t_car + 15 minutes )
45 * t_car = ( 20 * t_car ) + 300 minutes
25 * t_car = 300 minutes
t_car = 12 minutes
t_bike = t_car + 15 minutes
t_bike = 27 minutes

Solve for distance:
d = v_car * t_car
d = 45 mph * 12 minutes
d = 45 mph * 0.2 hour
d = 9 miles
d = v_bike * t_bike
d = 20 mph * 27 minutes
d = 20 mph * 0.45 hour
d = 9 miles

click image for larger version >>			<< click image for larger version
	Yachats-Boise	Boise-Bozeman


the navigator	local star	Earth	Uranus


day 9 start line	almost there	Kiley nailing it	Bogus summit


Sawtooths behind Stanley	Sawtooths	Snake River valley	Galena summit


local star	Earth	Jupiter	Saturn


Yachats River and Cape Perpetua	Bruce and the Yachats River valley	gravel


day 1 start line	on the road, last need for arm warmers	Alsea Pass summit


shady Dayville regroup	bike-friendly Grant County	Painted Hills


reminder of home	vintage Schwinn Volare with DuraAce	2007 Elkhorn road race


Lucky Peak dam	Wolf-Thorn Creek VFD	Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!


welcome to Haven Hot Springs cafe	are you packing?	recruiting poster


close-up at Idaho National Lab	Idaho Potato Museum	and Gift Shop


brother Tom and the Cherokee	Eagle Rock "Protector" sculpture	Idaho Falls


Gallatin rapids Sybil, Louis, Hunter, Doug, Andrew	Gallatin rapids Cathi, Matt, Richard, Lisa, Raul


Eagle's Store	Eagle's soda fountain	ice cream for Helen, Doug, and boys


Eurosports jerseys	Hub of Oregon


dinner party	raspberries	Judy thinking maybe next year


ahi poke	sweet potato tempura sushi roll