Today was a day of incredible views and challenging climbs. The sight of the Strawberry Mountains from the covered wagon viewpoint in John Day Valley made the hard climb totally worth it. First summit of the day: Dixie Pass at 5,277 ft. After dropping about 1,500 ft of elevation, it was time to tackle Blue Mountain Pass at 5,109 ft.
On the way, I met Chris, a fellow bikepacker traveling from Boise to Astoria. We swapped route knowledge, and I headed east toward Unity. Also crossed into the Mountain Time Zone—goodbye to one hour 🙂
Next up was Eldorado Pass at 4,623 ft. The John Day Highway looks flat and wide open, but don’t be fooled—your legs will feel the relentless climb. It felt like a lonely stretch, reminiscent of the Nullarbor Plain in Australia, but with steady climbs instead of flat terrain.
The best part of the day was seeing the sign for a 6% downhill stretch for the next 5 miles—music to my ears! I rolled down to Willowcreek, where Maggie had called ahead to order some food as they closed at 9 p.m. The folks there were kind enough to leave my food on the patio. That cheeseburger and Dr Pepper were lifesavers, giving me the energy to push through the final 28 miles to Ontario, bringing today’s total to 136 miles.
Survived Day 5. New time zone and a new state. Bye-bye, Oregon—you kicked my butt! I’m sure Idaho will be just as challenging.
Not many riders on the tandem the last two days, which makes sense given how wild and remote this area is. But I did meet some interesting people and shared stories at small-town country stores. People have been incredibly generous with donations.