Day 10: Redmond, OR to Ochoco Lake State Park, OR

Miles: 29

Elevation (ft): 950

Total trip mileage: 319

The temperature at Chads morning bathroom break was around 37 degrees, so we decided to sleep in until 8 when the sun was beginning to heat things up. In Oregon’s High Desert, it gets warm very quickly once the sun is up and the temperature drops just as quickly once the sun sets. We ate our breakfast of instant oatmeal while enjoying our last views of the snow-capped mountains.

Our ride today took us down highway 126 towards Prineville. We passed through more of the high desert and then into some prairies. We continue to be fascinated with how diverse the terrain of Oregon is. Just a couple of days ago we were in the mountains and surrounded by forests, now we are cycling through desert and farmlands. Always, the mountains loom behind us.

After a crazy descent, we arrived in Prineville and decided to get lunch at the Sandwich Factory. As we were trying to figure out where to lock our bikes, we noticed a bike shop, Good Bike Co, was right next door. The guy told us to park our bikes there and eat lunch at their picnic tables. We liked everything about this place. They cater to touring cyclists and even have a map where you can pin your home city (we were the first from Western PA). While there, we also picked up a couple of tail lights that will allow us to be more visible during the day and headed on our way.

Our campground at Lake Ochoco was another 7 miles outside of town, and we set up our tent right next to the lake. We met another cyclist, Stephen from the UK, who is also doing the TransAmerica route. We shared stories until the sun set and it was time to turn in.

P.S. Chelsea got another flat. Why?