I saw a sign yesterday as I came to town for a Lutheran church service at 10 am. I thought that the service would be something I could feel at home with, having been a Lutheran for most of my life. I tried to get up at 6, but it was too cold. I bundled up and slept in until 7:30. There was the "The Outpost," on the main street, that was serving breakfast until 11. I had plenty of time to spare before church so I took my time with breakfast. When I arrived at Redeemer Lutheran Church I was instantly greeted by a nice gentlemen at the door. We exchanged greetings and then it happened. He found out what I was doing and insisted that I bring my bike inside so that it would be safe. It was only a town of 2,000 people, but this was my home on wheels. I was able to chat with a few great folks before the service, including Roger, the pastor. I handed him a flyer before the service and explained what it was all about. He seemed delighted to help and in no time, the service had begun. It was a great service that just brought a great sense of peace to my break before I was back on the road. The hymns tied in very nicely with the sermon, which had to do with being humble and not proud. It's also nice to see them both hand in hand because, I think, it really helps the message sink in. Following the service I was able to say a few words to the congregation about my trip and we were also able to pray for my grandma. She had just entered the hospital and was due for surgery. She had been diagnosed with with colon cancer and I could only hope and pray for the best, since I was now half-way across the country. When I was about to head off out of the church, I was stopped. I was stunned to see that during the service the congregation had copied my one flyer into multiple copies. Each person was taking one as they left and I was speechless. The Lord was obviously making himself present in this area and it took me a little while to come back to the ground because I felt as if I were floating. As if that wasn't enough, the congregation had also grouped together to send me with a gift and an Oregon map. I was able to pointed towards all of the attractions and roads that I should see as I was in the state as well as receiving a detailed description of what to expect ahead. I didn't have the internet with me, but I had truly been blessed with a more detailed map of the country than what the internet could have ever offered me. I thanked everyone for being so supportive and for going out of their way to help a simple cyclist who was passing through. Thank you Redeemer Lutheran Church of John Day and God bless! I left the church and was about to start the journey, but I decided it might be best to eat first. I pulled into a nice little restaurant on my right. I was instantly asked to join a family of three out back for lunch. It was John Fenton and his two boys that I was privileged to eat with. We chatted and just had a great lunch together. They had a dog that they had brought with that was a Malamute. The dog was only two years old and weighed about 110lbs of solid muscle. If you don't know anything about these dogs they are truly amazing. I had heard stories but never actually been privileged to see one. They are Alaskan dogs that are extremely smart, friendly, and incredibly strong. I was able to hear stories about a friend of Johns who sounded even crazier than me. One story he told me was that his friend had biked across New Zealand. On his journey he had to use the restroom, but their wasn't anything on the side of the ride to hide behind. It sounded like an incredible open area with nothing higher than 6 inches. He figured since he had been riding all morning and not seen a single car he might as well give it a shot. So he assumed the position and at that instant about 40 cars came zooming by all honking their horns and laughing hysterically. I can only imagine it would have been a sight to see on an afternoon drive. He entered the next town in shame as everyone looked at him and said, "Hey, aren't you the bloak that was on the side of the road." This was a situation that I could relate to. I have not yet been there, but I have a long ways to go and it is certainly possible. I was able to find out from John Fenton that he had just invented an extremely useful invention. The company, Safe Flow, was designed for the pipes that run through your house. With the press of a button all of your water could be turned on or off to prevent any catastrophe. The water would also be turned off if it were to sense a leak in the system. I figure sense he let me dine with his family and eventually paid for my meal, the least I can do is put the good word out for his new invention that was on its' way. If this interests anyone feel free to call him at 541-379-4654 or e-mail at john_fenton@safeflow.us. I left the restaurant and I just couldn't start riding yet so I stopped at a park for a couple of hours to enjoy the afternoon. I was now looking forward to a good ride. I spent the next 72 miles pedalling and didn't stop. I was able to see so many great things through the afternoon. I started riding and had some nice climbs. The wind was against me so nothing was too easy. As I was about 30 miles into the ride I rode through a gorge. It was absolutely incredible. Through the gorge I was able to wrap around some mountains and was able to climb all the way to 4,369 feet. I must have been about 13 miles away from my destination, Mitchell, and all I could see was smoke. I felt as if I was riding in a thick fog. I had been warned about fires in this direction and now I was a beginning to see the effects of the fire. It was only about 7:30, but almost dark. I think a combination between fall coming soon, the fire, and the fact that I had just crossed time zones led me into the most thrilling 7 mile ride of my life. It was about 8 now and pitch black. If you know me, then you know that i should have probably brought some glasses or contacts with me because at night I'm as blind as they come. It was straight downhill into Mitchell and I had to decide to use my left hand to hold the light or my front brake. I figured since the light wouldn't do much good going so fast I would use the left hand for my brake. To make this sound as not such a dumb decision that I was about to take part in, the road was newly remodeled and was as good as they come. So here I was, flying down a mountain going about 30 mph and I couldn't see a thing, I've probably made smarter decisions in my life. I saw the middle lines every now and again and I could see the right edge of the road. When a car was going up the mountain, at me, I was practically blinded because they would have their brights on. To my right and left were drop offs on the edge of the mountain and it was the most incredible feeling making it alive to Mitchell. When I walked into the restaurant in town I was greeted by a family of four. They were from Sisters, OR and were very surprised to see my. They said they had seen me on the side of the road riding and almost picked me up, but it was before dark and didn't think I was headed for Mitchell. But here I was alive and able to tell the story, thank God. The family told me to call them if I needed anything in Sisters, and I told them to get ready because that is the direction I was headed. I ordered a feast for a meal and was able to fill all of my water bottles because I probably wouldn't be able to stop anywhere for about 50 miles tomorrow. It was a great way to end the day, but it got better. Across the street was a park that I was able to stay at, and just next to the park was a 600-700 lb bear caged up and owned by a local in the area. the one thing that blew me away was that the sign said the bear had been raised on a farm in Iowa. I had no idea that Iowa even did such a thing. I laid my tent down and knew I would be kept safe for the night.
Daily mileage: 71.4 miles
Average Speed: 12.7 mph
Total mileage: 1844.8 miles
1 comment:
You write very well.
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