My campsite by the road. I didn’t bring my Ursack, so I just put my food bags back on Billy, and moved him further away. Nothing was disturbed.
Makaela emerged from her hike back up from the lake at about 8:30. I had finished packing and was sitting in my chair in the sun.
I had calculated it would be 20 miles to Knebel Springs CG where we had planned to stay. There would be some climbing, but a lot more downhill, then it would be almost entirely downhill back to The Dalles. It would be about 44 miles if we did the whole thing. We decided to give it a go.
I couldn’t do the whole distance on the water I had. I wanted to stop at Fifteenmile CG and get water. It was on an out and back (about a mile in) that we weren’t planning to do. Makaela would get her water down at the lake. So we decided I would go ahead and get going. Makaela still had another trip back to the lake to get the rest of her stuff (and filter water). We would meet at the turnoff to Fifteenmile after I had gone to the campground and gotten water.
There was still nearly a mile of yesterday’s climb to go. I managed to ride all of it, even though it was still pretty rocky.
Jean Lake down below.
Then there was an equally rocky descent before starting another long climb. There were some great views.
Looking east.
After awhile, I had to get off and push. It was too steep and big rocks…I just run out of steam.
A nice clear view of Mt. Hood
And Mt. Jefferson too!
For awhile it seemed like the mountain was moving with me (Makaela and I noticed this yesterday as well). Eventually, I seemed to get past it.
As I was climbing, I came to a few creeks/waterfalls that were coming off the hillside. I had 1.3 miles to go on the climb. The out and back to Fifteenmile would be 2 miles (1 mile downhill and 1 mile back uphill). If I got water now, I wouldn’t have to do the extra two miles. I would only have to carry more water for .3 of the rest of the climb. I decided to do it. I also drank a bunch (“camel up” as they say).
When I got to the turn for Fifteenmile, I took a break, hoping Makaela would catch up to me. After awhile, she still hadn’t arrived, so I sent her a message via our inReaches. I also left her a note scratched out in the dirt…”NO NEED H2O WENT (then I drew an arrow) COLLEEN”.
She got the message, saying maybe she would catch me at lunch. She usually seemed to like to eat lunch around 1:00 or 1:30, so I stopped at 12:45. Well, I waited and waited…for about an hour and a half. I texted Makaela to tell her I was moving on, assuming she had stopped someplace else for lunch.
From my lunch spot it was mostly downhill with just a few more short climbs. Later, I got a cryptic message from Makaela saying she wouldn’t catch me, and she had had a “Bonus Adventure” That she would tell me about when she found me.
I went past Knebel Springs CG (where we had planned to stay). I eventually made it to Skyline Rd. Now I was gradually moving out of the fir tree forest, and back into Ponderosa pine.
Forest is changing!
Getting drier again.
There was a lot of down with the occasional slight up. Soon I could see the Gorge and the Columbia River off in the distance.
The top of the last climb.
But still some rollers.
The Columbia!
Maybe I’ll ride this right down to the river!
Down down down I came on Skyline. Finally hitting the pavement.
The Dalles!
Still a lot of down to go.
We had been over there somewhere four days ago.
End of the gravel.
The Dalles Dam, and still a lot of elevation to lose.
I made it back to the car at 4:20. I got changed, and sent Makaela a message. She said she wasn’t far, but not sure how far. At about 5:00, she rolled in.
Finished!
If we were to do this route again (or recommend it to others), we would make a couple of suggestions. Stay on FR 27. Don’t do the ridiculous singletrack/crappily graded section. Don’t do the singletrack after Little Badger Creek Trailhead. Stay on the gravel road that avoids it. Also, we didn’t do the Historic Barlow Rd section. To do it, allow for plenty of time as it is probably more difficult with a lot of elevation gain. Someone said not to underestimate Barlow Rd.
And now, the part you’ve been waiting for…
Makaela’s Bonus Adventure
So, why, when Makaela is so much faster than me…why did she not catch me? Three reasons, but the first two don’t really count. As in, had only those two things happened, she would have likely caught up to me. First, what were those two things? Remember how Makaela had camped down at the lake? Well, she ended up not leaving until a little after 10:00 (I left about 8:50). So that was one thing. Then, the second thing that happened was she crashed. Fortunately, not too bad, a scrape on her arm, and general soreness (more bruises will show up, I’m sure). She says it was at a section that wasn’t too sketchy, but that whole part was not easy. No, neither of those things were the reason she didn’t catch up to me. It was the third thing that did it. She had her fanny pack attached to her sleeping quilt bag. At some point after she had started moving again after the crash, she noticed it was gone. Thinking it was back at the crash site, and she hadn’t gone that far, she left her bike, and started walking back. It wasn’t at the crash site. She continued walking, and walking, and walking some more. Finally, after almost getting back to where she had started the day, she found it laying in the middle of the road. Then she had to walk all the way back. She said it was about 6 miles! That was the clincher. That was why she would not catch up to me.
She was smart as she came back into town to not do the final short, but steep climb, plus a few rollers, and instead came back in similar to how we had gone out of town. Curiously, we still had the same mileage. So, in the end, it all worked out, and she survived her bonus adventure.
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