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Ochoco Divide campout, Friday 13th of August 2010
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The past weekend on Friday, 13th of August the BMW Riders of Oregon held their Ochoco Divide campout a few miles from Prineville. It worked out that by Thursday afternoon I was feet up and would travel over Mt. Hood into the northern grass lands of Oregon. I never know exactly where I am going and the campout didn't start until the next day so that left me with some time and space. I had invited Bernie to come along but he wouldn't be able to leave until after work on Friday, we would meet at the campout.
a crescent moon and Mt Hood in the distance...
Near Tygh Valley I followed the Deschutes River then crossed at Sherars Bridge where I turned north to Grass Valley. The sun was going down as I passed thru town, I would need a place to camp soon. There was an empty field of grass that looked promising, I kept going. In Morrow I was still looking, as usual I couldn't make up my mind where I wanted to camp, so kept going. Turning off on the Barlow Road the sun was setting, somewhere I would find a place. This was a beautiful evening cruise on top of the world with a stiff breeze but not one that bowelled you over. Although now twilight the temperature was still in the mid eighty's. There was a crimson sky over Mt Hood in the distance and a crescent moon low in the sky. I stopped to take some photos and was thinking about the possible places I had seen on other rides here. I knew just where to camp!...
fancy campground? this is an empty rock pit along the highway...
There was a mostly empty rock pit along the highway across from some wind towers. I could hear their whoosh whoosh as the hugh blades turned, occasionally there were creaks and groans as the suns heat dissipated from the metal structures. Kind of eerie if you didn't know where it was coming from. I pitched my tent next to a mound of rock which provided a bit of shelter from the breeze. In the far distance there were the howls of coyotes, and the stars... Fantastic!
there are hundreds of these towers, always turning and turning...
On top of the world the sun rises early, I was up. There had been only a few vehicles traveling the highway over night and no other distractions, still I could have felt better rested. Some breakfast would help as there hadn't been any lunch or dinner the day before, too many things to do getting ready. A swim in the river wouldn't hurt either as it is going to heat up. Does it get any better?...
I stopped in at the campsite mid afternoon, only Greg Cudek was there. I pitched my tent and had a nap, nice! Later we talked a bit and wondered if anyone else was going to show up. Bernie had said he was going to try and get off work early as he had almost two hundred miles to travel. Thinking of dinner I went to Prineville some thirty miles away. On my return I stopped along the reservoir for a swim, most welcome as the temperature was still in the mid eighty's. About eleven thirty I got a message saying Bernie would be here in the morning.
Bernie, somewhere along the John Day River...
We left camp early, breakfast the first order. Having nowhere in particular to be we picked out a loop that was almost three hundred miles, it would take all day. We stopped for lunch in Long Creek and a swim in Monument as it was hot. Back at camp several more riders had showed, twelve total I think.
rock formations along our ride route...
riders at the campout...
next morning, riders packing up...
Debbie looking fine, showing off her art work...
sunrise at the Painted Hills...
I was up early for sunrise at the Painted Hills, wasn't disappointed either. Bernie would go home thru Prineville and I would go east thru Service Creek. After breakfast a swim was in order, today was heating up. Usually I stop at the Palisades near Clarino and visit John (park ranger) but his truck wasn't there so I passed by. I did stop in Shaniko for some ice cream and a rest in the shade, did I mention it was hot? When I dropped down along the Deschutes at Maupin it was ninety eight degrees, arriving home some five hours later it was forty one degrees less, the fog so think it ran off my face shield. This weekend I covered twelve hundred miles and some of the best roads Oregon has to offer.
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Thanks for riding along...
Bruce & Bernie
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