Party time... Excellent!

Dee Wright Observatory

DAY 59
Sisters, OR to Coburg, OR

The last time we had seen Dirty B and Flats was 10 days earlier at our campsite outside of Lolo, Montana. Our unplanned rest day had sent them on their way while we returned to sleep. Casually, we had said goodbye to our two compadres fully expecting to meet them further up the road. Little did we know it would be the last time we'd see Dirty Bob aka Robert. You see, the real world is on hold while we play out our dreams and adventures. However, sometimes the real world invades our play world or simply can't wait for us to realize our goals. Robert chose to accept an internship and fly back home to Virginia a short 348 miles before reaching the end of the line in Astoria, Oregon. May his future be prosperous and exciting.

The Sisters

A beautiful morning to climb the last pass of the whole trail!

Flats could have continued on a full two days ahead of us at this point, but chose to put on the brakes and idle in Sisters, Oregon. He had asked us if he could ride with us the last few days in order to finish the trail along side friendly faces instead of celebrating alone. It's funny how when you meet people in a situation such as this, you never know who will pass out of your life that same day, or who will be a major character in your play. We had met Flats and Dirty B some 3,800 miles ago. They are fun, interesting people to be around and I'm glad they have played a role in our adventure. Of course we'd love to meet up with and complete our journey with Flats!

Almost there...

We had hiked over Mckenzie Pass three years earlier so I knew we were in for a treat today. 2,200 feet elevation gain in 15 miles. Flats joins us for the day a quarter of the way up. Having been two states since we'd seen him last, the trail gossip we exchange helps distract us from the physical exertion of the climb. As we approach the top of the pass, the landscape transforms from a picturesque forested mountain to a hellish desert moonscape. Razor sharp black volcanic rock threatens to spew over the roadway from every side. Unwelcoming ancient lava flows branch out in all directions. Even the weather plays the villain as dark menacing clouds circle above hurling lightning bolts and thunder in the distance.

Zero passes left! Woo woo!

Cresting over arguably one of the coolest mountain passes of the entire TransAmerica Bicycle Route, we begin our descent from just below 5,500 feet all the way down to near 500 feet. The initial descent is steep and windy. Almost instantly we're inundated by a suffocating dense forest. The air temperature drops by 10 degrees while the humidity jumps to 100 percent. The moisture in the air clings to every surface it comes in contact with. My gloved hands stick to the handlebars, while water droplets collect on my mirror, glasses and dews up on my beard hair. The sky is blocked out by the tall tree canopy while the forest floor is overcrowded with lush ferns and vegetation. Roadway signs mark our progress. 4000 feet, 3000 feet, 2000 feet, 1000 feet. We haven't been this low in elevation since crossing the Mississippi River more than 2,800 miles and seven states ago.

Excited for a long downhill

Carson, Natasha, and Becky

It's a straight shot into Eugene from here. Becky and I put on our after burners averaging close to 15 mph for the better part of the afternoon. Flats stays behind riding alongside Natasha, a single girl we'd met days earlier in Mitchell. Obsessed with the idea of "trail love", Becky speculates about the magical chemistry between these two love birds behind us. I egg her on by making up a jingle to the tune of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. "Trail love, party time, excellent..." Alas, Natasha's end destination is San Francisco and we'll be parting ways outside Eugene. After she leaves and Flats is again beside us, we jokingly razz him asking if he considered following her south. He replies that he lost interest when she started showing him pictures of her cats.

Stats:
Miles: 101.08 
Average speed: 12.9 mph
Max speed: 33.8 mph
Odometer: 4189 miles