Thursday, July 5, 2007

June 30 - July 2: Sweet Home to Bend

On this leg Doug and Donna truly began their adventure - and it started on the up side, literally. The ride out of Sweet Home went up the minute they left town and didn't stop until they summited Tombstone Pass. And then it went up a little more. Talk about trial by fire. They left home, they left town, they left work. But despite all that they still managed to run into a few old friends along the way. Not only that, but they made some new ones as well.


Leaving home Sweet Home on June 30 after a delicious breakfast fixed by Cameron, who brought all the food too!

Leaving the office.


Leaving Foster Lake behind. This was part of our training route so it wasn't until now that we really felt like we had started THE JOURNEY.

Short Bridge in Cascadia

The Short Bridge fake ghost town

I had to read the signs.

More about the Santiam Wagon Road

Iron Mountain in the background

Iron Mountain is one flank of Tombstone Pass and is famous for its wildflowers.

Ben Miller and his puppy, Mitchell, which he picked up in Mitchell, Oregon on his way from Nebraska. He left 30 days ago and gave us some good info on the roads.

We made it!!!! We were soooooo happy to be here.

Our little campsite at Lost Prairie Campground. Tom and Joanne Albert stopped by on their way back from Bend to visit, which was very nice.

July 1 - Leaving the really tall trees behind and Sweet Home Ranger District.

Looking towards Santiam Pass

We are headed towards that big rock in the background as we ride through the western part of the B and B Fire Complex, which burned in 2004. It closed Highway 20 for a couple of days.

Doug with Hoodoo Ski Area in the background. It looks a lot better with snow on it!

A better picture of the burn

Santiam Pass ... hurray ... it really is mostly downhill for the rest of the day from here.

Mt. Washington overlook.

July 2 - Sisters Bakery, one of our favorite stops whenever we are headed east. It was a great place for breakfast after camping overnight in the Sister City Park campground just a few blocks away.

One our our favorite views of the Three Sisters Mountains.

The Deschutes River with Mt. Bachelor in the background.

We spent the rest of the day in Bend doing laundry, posting pictures and eating ice cream.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Doug and Donna: I wrote once before but have not seen it posted. Probably lost in cyber space. Anyway just wanted to wish you a fun and safe trip and look forward to watching your progress in this blog. What I sent before was a saying one of my college forestry profs passed on to us . It goes like this: In Desperadum Non Bastatorum Non Carborundum, which means, When the going get tough don't let the bastards wear you down. Keep that in mind when going up a steep grade. Take care of yourselves..........Lou

Anonymous said...

Hello Donna and Doug . . . my heroes! What a fabulous adventure. May you meet new friends, remember great stories, and have your sense of accomplishment carry you through each of those "why am I doing this?" moments. A microcosm of life in one summer's journey. I'll follow in your tire tracks some day. Take good notes! Don Rose