Bishop Bike Adventure Day 7 July 7, 2010

Hot! Hot! Hot!!! Wind Wind Wind. We left Biggs OR after having a great sleep and shower at the Nu Vu Motel where we got a good rate based on our newly-married status. We hit the road at 11am, crossed the Columbia River into Washington, and rode up some good roads with big trucks on them. I mean real big trucks--the kind that have cars around them with signs for "extra wide load", the kind with long trailers attached at the end of the first trailer. Although the trucks whizzed by, they respected our position on the road. The shoulders on the roads have also been very accommodating to cyclists.

10 miles into our ride today, 3 dogs came running out of their long driveway. Tim saw them coming but that didn’t stop the vicious attack by the first dog. Thankfully, the dog was more attracted to the pannier than Tim’s leg. The dog hitched a ride on the pannier while Tim kept riding, calm and collected. The other two dogs were just hanging out with the bad dog- they didn’t cause any ruckus. I was behind Tim and seeing the whole scene, I got my dog spray out, but a truck came by on the other side of the road and kept the dogs from coming my way. That was a heart pounding experience for sure!

As the miles increased, so did the heat, pushing well into the 90's. Being on a bike cooled things a little, but the wind was so strong- we could not go very fast at all today. It was coming from the east- something we did not expect at all!!
As indicated in this photo, there were no real services for 82 miles, but we did stop by Roosevelt WA and had a delicious lunch with some saloon sitters. We were amazed at how barren the land is in this part of the country. There was absolutely nothing to provide us with shade even upon making roadside pitstops.

Lots of lessons are learned in adversity. We had a flat tire at the end of the day as we pulled into our first camp site in Crow Butte WA. The challenges that we face remind us of how we are all tested in life. We have had to work together to get further down the road by drafting each other. We set up camp- almost in the dark- we went through all of our liquids and need to replenish our food supply soon.
It is interesting how we take the comforts of our lives for granted until forced into a situation where we do not have them. It is also interesting that we cope unexpectedly well even when we do not possess skill in needed areas--we adapt and learn when we need to rely on our own ingenuity, while of course praying that God will guide, equip, and protect us. We feel like real pioneers going east as opposed to the ones that traveled west many centuries ago looking for a better life.

In this last photo, you'll see our makeshift clothesline. Since one travels light on a long bike tour, we only have a couple of sets of biking clothes. Each day therefore requires some laundering, in most cases rinsing out the shorts and shirts and either hanging them off the bike to dry on the next day's ride or hanging them to dry in the overnight, such as was done here.
You may also notice a lock on the bikes. Security is something that is difficult to assess, but this was actually only the first time that we locked them. We usually accompany our bikes whenever possible. When staying in motels, we request a first floor room and wheel them in. When at eateries, the fact the bikes are loaded and extremely heavy is also a deterrent. Any valuables are either hidden from view thanks to the panniers or we take them with us. But it is always something that you consider when needing to leave the bikes for a time. We believe most people have a respect for long-distance bikers and therefore respect our property.