John’s Ramblings

Sunday’s weather was cool in the morning, solid overcast in the sky and rain could be spotted several miles to the North of the hotel as we got out bicycles ready for our second day of riding in and around Pendleton. There were two loops available to ride today, a 50 mile loop and a 26, the two routes converging at the final rest stop before heading up to the Bar M Ranch, a dude ranch that would be our destination. Kevin and I intended to ride the 50, while Terri had decided that she was going to ride the 26 mile direct route to the ranch in order to conquer the rollers that had caused her so much grief the year before.

Breakfast at the Wildhorse Resort (a Native American casino/hotel/golf course/ cultural center) was to be slim pickings. On Saturday we had dawdled enough that we could avail ourselves of the breakfast buffet (which was actually pretty adequate, with lots of cyclist-chow), which opened at 7 a.m. We did not have that option on Sunday, however, since the buffet doesn’t open until 9 on Sundays. Your alternative is a smoky little lunch-counter affair in the casino called the “Hot Rock Cafe”. We could have feasted for free on coffee and a bagel, but we were in the middle of an endless stream of rest-stop bagels, so I had to vary the menu a bit. Terri and I ordered the Egg McWildhorse sandwich; egg, sausage patty, and cheese on a hamburger bun. In what could only be judged as an act of pure culinary prestidigitation, they managed to remove all flavor from these four ingredients just prior to serving. I fetched some ketchup and mayonnaise packets to a.) impart a bit of flavor, and b.) lubricate these little gems so that I would be able to benefit from whatever nutritional value may have remained after the flavor-extraction process. Kevin had a waffle or french toast or something griddle-like, which seemed to be a bit more serviceable than our sandwiches. This is a bit of a gaping hole in the cycling program of the weekend. We ride to eat, we like our breakfast, and prevailing opinion is that we must consume X grams of carbohydrate Y hours before a ride. There should be a healthier, better tasting, and less smoky alternative for breakfast, especially if you are reminding us to start the rides on time.

Kevin and I launched ourselves in a westerly direction, toward downtown Pendleton. This 6 mile stretch is relatively flat, but featured a 20 mile-per-hour headwind for “texture”. There seemed to be far fewer riders on this darker, windier morning, and we saw one couple turn around to get out of the wind, and head directly to the Bar M Ranch. We had a brief debate along those same lines, but stuck with it to make the turn North into the relative shelter of the hills and valleys outside of town.

We spent the next 14 miles riding through sheltered valleys and over rolling wheat and pea fields. Some folks would call the scenery monotonous, but I found the big sky and rolling fields quite scenic. Once again there was no traffic to speak of, as we were passed by maybe 2 cars all day, and those were support vehicles. It was nice not to be having to hug the shoulder, suck exhaust fumes, and dodge truck mirrors for a few days.

We had a rest stop at mile 20, a patriotic memorial-day themed stop that was windy enough that the volunteers could not put the canvas on their awning. At mile 35 we started a screaming 2 mile descent to the valley. There were lots of twists and turns, switchbacks, and vistas of the hills and valley as you fly along at 30+ mph. I was having so much fun flying down this hill, I could not slow down enough to pull out the camera and take a single picture. I rationalized that I could come back in the car to take some pictures from some of these turns, but that just wasn’t in the schedule.

The best rest stop of the entire weekend was the mile 37 (mile 12 for the short route) Southern Plantation, aka “Pootenanny Plantation”. Susan Kelley, her husband, and her brothers all dressed in old-south style, from hoop dresses to confederate soldier. As if the costumes were not enough, they made grits as a snack on this stop. Now, my grits-experience is limited to a really bad batch I had with eggs at the Jacksonville Florida Airport 22 years ago, so I was not sure what to expect. These were absolutely delicious! They mixed in cheddar cheese and salsa to a batch of quick grits, and folks just kept lining up for more. I’ve since purchased myself some quick grits, and I’ll be trying to duplicate this flavor soon.

The day’s ride ended with a 12 mile gradual climb up to the Bar M Ranch. There were wild horses on the hillside, and Scottish Highland Cattle on the roadway at one point. Once at the ranch, we changed out of our bike clothes, and lounged in the sunshine that had managed to break through the clouds. We were entertained before dinner by Billy Nichols, a 90 year old gem who sang cowboy songs and told jokes. He was accompanied by Albert “Tater” Tibbets on guitar. They were very entertaining, surprisingly so (I’m way more of a rock ‘n’ roll kinda guy). Dinner at the ranch was great. Most folks stay at the Ranch overnight, either in one of the limited number of rooms available there, or camping on the lawn. We opted to head back to town, keeping our room at the Wildhorse. 51 miles, 2,800′ of climbing.

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