Day 5: Prineville to Mitchell, Oregon - 42 miles, 2,123 feet of ascent at ~5% grade

Early to bed, early to rise is key when trying to beat the extreme heat of the day here, which begins searing down upon us as soon as 8:30 am. With Lesli, our confident sag wagon driver, singer / song writer and chef extraordinaire, at the wheel, we took off promptly at 6:30 am from Barnes Butte Bungalow, a funky cool Airbnb house in Prineville, OR. The group decided the previous evening it would be prudent to drive the 5-ish miles to Ochoco Lake at the eastern base of Ochoco National Forest to avoid riding on the no-shoulder, heavy truck-trafficked road those first few miles. Good decision!

A crescent moon nestled against a stunning bluebird sky above made for a dramatic backdrop as we began pedaling at 7 am sharp bundled up against the cool morning air. Today would be a long climbing day, which most of the riding group embraced with a twisted sense of glee. Having trained at sea level for this epic adventure, let’s just say that I’m a wee bit less enthusiastic when it comes to unrelenting hill climbs. But I’m hopeful my hamstrings and quads will rise to the challenge with ease in another week or two. 

The 2,123-foot elevation climb up to Ochoco Pass held steady for a long 25 miles. But there were several decent plateaus that made for a less grueling overall climb than the one up to McKenzie Pass two days prior. I was beyond grateful for those short breaks in the continuous climb.

Along the route, strident pines gave way to colorful wildflowers, aspens and the famed painted hills. The art of slow travel combined with the stunning scenery around each bend made for a memorable day in the saddle.

While others in the group stopped for a lunch break at Ochoco Pass to replenish their energy stores around 10:30 am, I wasn’t hungry and chose to continue onward. An exhilarating 7-mile descent lay in wait before another slight climb the last 5 or so miles.

Once on the west side of the pass, the terrain changed noticeably from a lush green to arid and rocky.

The majority of the group arrived in rapid succession in the thriving metropolis of Mitchell, Oregon.  Okay, admittedly, Mitchell is neither thriving nor a metropolis.

Given our early arrival in town, we had to while away some time before we could get into the rustic Little Pine Lodge Airbnb on Main Street just above the Little Pine Cafe. Some in the group chose to cool off in the John Day River along side Mitchell Park and hang out in the RV park across from our Airbnb. Others ambled over to Tiger Town Brewing Co. for a wee bit of nosh and liquid libations. 

We invited Wim, a cyclist from The Netherlands we’d met earlier in the day on our route, to join us for a delicious chicken enchiladas dinner prepared by Lesli accompanied by a hearty salad Suzanne threw together. Conversation and the musical stylings of Suzanne, Lesli and Pete capped off the evening.