Day 11: Chiloquin Oregon to Nachez Washington-Subconscious Realization
Oregon and Washington mean rainsuits and lush forests, right? Not this Oregon and Washington.
I route this day up US97/US197 because it looked like a good compromise between the unpleasantness of the interstate and slow travel time of more interesting backroads. I had no idea what I was getting into. And the lack of expectation may be why I was so blown away by this day’s ride.
We stop just north of La Pine Or for lunch with Broken Top, Bachelor and a couple Sisters.
Then we spend quite a few miles chasing Hood, trying not to run off the road due to all the gawking at scenery.
As we parallel the Deschutes River the scenery is breathtaking. I’ve never had too much of an urge to go kayaking/rafting but a float down the Deschutes is now on my bucket list. Funny, we take a bucket list trip and our bucket list just gets longer. As 197 descends into Maupin Or we get into sweepers and images like Virginia 16 on steroids.
It’s somewhere near Maupin that I subconsciously settle with absolute clarity upon the answer to a question yet to be asked. Later on, as friends, family, strangers at rest areas and gas stations hear of where we’ve been they ask what our favorite thing about the trip was. I should have to think. It should be difficult to decide which moment or scene at which spectacular famous attraction most stands out. The first time I’m asked this question though, it takes a millisecond to answer-THE BEAUTY CRASHES-the ride into unexpected beauty. The big attractions are awesome. They must be seen in person and each is worth its own vacation. They are worth the reservations, the admission fees, the waiting in traffic and lines. We expect them to be awesome. But my favorite moments occur on the seat of the bike as we round a curve or top a hill and slam into a surprise scene of amazing beauty. It could be many things. A straight road to the end of the horizon with nothing man made on either side. The first glimpse of snow capped peaks. Coming down from on high at looking at an entire town from one end to the other. Running alongside a river. A piece of wide open rangeland dotted with livestock, antelope and horses (there are some FINE looking horses out here) is a beautiful sight to us. Maybe there is a genetic defect at work here. One that allows a person to stand, looking at one of the most amazing sights a person can behold, and be preoccupied with what’s on the other side, just over that ridge, just around the next bend.
We get a taste of the Columbia River and and a steak in Union Gap before we set up for the night on the Naches River, just a little northwest of Naches.
The owner of Elk Ridge Campground (sorry I don’t recall his name) takes pity on the fire that we’ve built from the leftovers of the neighboring firepits and what we’ve picked up off the ground. My wallet can’t stand to see 10-20 bucks worth of campground store firewood go up in smoke EVERY night. He brings over a complementary load and throws it on the pile. We chat. I pick his brain about local roads and points of interest. He goes on at length about local agriculture, wine making and beer brewing. If you are a camping wine or beer aficionado this place may be the place for you.
There wasn’t a bad campground experience the whole trip. How were trips like this planned before the web and online reviews? We stayed at places run by the feds and the states and those privately owned. As far service and effort toward customer satisfaction goes the private places with the owners on site ranked highest.
I stay up past bedtime hoping that the moon will rise high enough over that ridge to light up the river valley. It doesn’t.
It tries to hind behind a tree.
Find me a better white noise for sleeping than a river or creek.
. And I score big in the raffle 
