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Mon, 08 Jun 2009 Today was a long grind. About 96 total. There was a very moderate (5MPH) head wind, and a very moderate slope (up 1300 feet over 30 miles) and together they made for a very moderate speed on the bike and a moderately annoying ride.
No longer following the Columbia gorge, we have finally entered the agricultural region that fills the plateaus alongside. This is dry country. Nothing grows unless irrigated, but water is nearby and mile-long irrigation booms transform what would otherwise be brown range dotted by occasional sagebrush into lush green fields of sprouting wheat. We pulled out of the CoE camp and rode 20 miles to what we thought would be our breakfast stop, but found only an overpriced convenience store. Six bucks for juice and a breakfast sandwich. We didn't eat anything substantial till we reached our only real city today, Walla Walla. We spent an enjoyable hour or two there having second breakfast in a trendy downtown cafe. Then, onward into a seemingly endless grind. Gary and I had talked about attempting to reach Lewiston today, but our hearts weren't into it. Given the wind and slope, we were really hoping to find something nice in Pomeroy, about 30 miles shy. At first we were a bit crestfallen when we reached Pomeroy to see that the sidewalks had rolled up and the town seemed more like a movie set than an occupied village. There was a fleabag hotel in town that we had been warned to stay away from, and an RV park at the county fargrounds a few miles East of town. What to do. One of the few establishments open was the Up and Up, a sports bar of sorts. When we went inside to ask about what might be open and what the conditions were at the county fair campground, we got confusing, sarcastic answers. At least I thought they were confusing. Maybe I was the one confused, but I think it was more my impatience to get essential facts cleared up. Communicating with new people sometimes requires a an elaborate getting-to-know-you phase, especially with two guys that talk like easterners and smell a little ripe. With a few Gin and Tonics to clear my head and warm up the talk, I was eventually able to make out that there was a nice town park we could camp at, the bar had showers upstairs that we could use, and the bartender had really never made a ruben sandwich but his wife would help him if I wanted one. I did. It was great. The shower was awesome. And the park was the nicest campsite of the trip so far, lush grass near the soothing sounds of the creek. |
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© 2009 C.T. Nadovich |