Day 3 (22 June) - Mt Hood to Kateenah Oregon (65 Miles)

Mt Hood, Oregon, Day 3 at 8:15 am.  Meet my riding buddy for day 3, Barry Lucas, from Sacramento, CA.   Barry is a very experienced cyclist and can keep up with riders half his age (he is 71).   Here he is after a 13 mile early morning climb from Welches OR up an 8% grade on the way to the ski area at Mt Hood.  Mt Hood is a beautiful snow-covered mountain that can be seen from 70 miles away on a clear day in the Columbia Valley.   We are going to pass around the South side of the mountain on our trek east.  Now I know why we got started so early in the morning.   This will be a long day.

Approaching Mt Hood.   Early in the morning....what a view!

The Back Side of Mt Hood....beautiful in morning shadows

Coming Down the Back Side of Mount Hood....what a downhill ride!!

Leaving Mt Hood in the dust.  Here's Barry and I at the 42 mile point, well past Mt Hood.  The vegetation is turning from lush pine forests on the west (and rainy) side of Mt Hood, to high desert (very dry) on the East side of Mt Hood.  This is a beautiful day in the mid-80's,  blue sky and cumulus clouds that look great thru my new polarized sunglasses.

Entering the Kahneetah Indian Reservation.  Our hotel for the night (The Kahneetah Casino) is located on the Kahneetah Indian Reservation.   The Casino is a great golfing and gambling oasis in the middle of the reservation, but to get their you have to pass over a cattle guard and ride some 30 miles on rough road.

The Kah-nee-tah Indian Reservation.  Here are some old buildings and a school no longer in use on the reservation.

Barry and Lucy at the 2nd SAG Stop.  My buddy Barry is from Australia and Lucy (22 years old) is from England.   She is taking the summer off before graduate school in Brighton and biking across country.   They are enjoying the SAG stop before the long trek to the casino.

Crossing the Oregon Desert.  So, here is what the road looks like enroute to the casino.   It is a rough MacAdam road that hasn't been repaired in some time (that's the BIA for you).   You can see the bikers moving to the right tire lane to find a smooth spot.......but the scenery made up for the rough road.

The High Desert Scenery at Kah-nee-tah.  Great high desert views with Mt Jefferson and the 3 Sisters in the distance.   This picture doesn't do the landscape justice, but just look at that sky. 

Zane Grey's purple sage in the foreground, the 3 Sisters on the Horizon

Purple wildflowers decorate the reservation

The Black Rocket taking in the view.   Isn't a bicycle a beautiful machine?  The Black Rocket is no exception and has great lines and look at those wheels.   Here my bike is taking a little break and enjoying the view.   The Black Rocket does just about everything (but doesn't always do mornings).

The Kah-Nee-Tah Hill......this was tougher than climbing Mt Hood

Wild Horses on the Kah-Nee-Tah Reservation (Mt Jefferson in the background)

The Downhill Ride to Ka-nee-tah Lodge, a thrilling s-curve (Barry riding in the distance)

Wild Mustangs on the Kah-nee-tah Range.  Just as we pulled in to the Kaneetah Lodge, we spotted these wild Mustangs than run wild on the reservation.   Each year the tribes have a round up, so these mustangs are real spooky.   They didn't seem to know what to make of our bicycles.

Kah-nee-tah Lodge.  This is a picture of the Lodge and Casino as we departed the next morning.....this was a great place to stay.   Some are planning to come back with families for a future visit (beautiful vistas, pool, casino, golf course, great food, super rooms).   At this point, most of use need a good nights sleep to prepare for Friday, our 117 Mile day crossing two mountain passes enroute to John Day Oregon.   We are now (at end of day 3) about 5% of the way to New Hampshire.    We have a long way to go.......What do they say, inch by inch, life's a cinch!

More tomorrow...