Up early and riding at 5:46 am. My route, US Hwy 20, ran north a few blocks east of the hostel. Soon I left Bend and rode on flat terrain clad mostly with ponderosa pines with pastures here and there. The 16 miles to Sisters featured views of the Three Sisters and Mt. Washington, all extinct volcanos. In Sisters, none of the cafes were open. Thus, I rode to Ray’s and bought food for two days and a quart of chocolate milk for immediate consumption. Onward on US 20 toward Santiam Pass (4,817 ft.), a 1,600-foot climb. The 13 miles to Suttle Lake were relatively flat. The 9-mile steeper climb to the pass went smoothly in the cool morning air. I crossed the PCT just after the pass and headed downhill. I soon met south-bound bike tourer Klaus from Canada waiting for his son who was pushing his bike up the hill. Six miles after the pass, I took Hwy 22 toward Detroit. After a few miles of ups and downs, the highway followed Santiam Creek downhill. Easy riding often with a tail wind. About 10 miles from Detroit, I encountered large areas burned during last year’s catastrophic fires. Close to town, piles of cut logs along the highway attested to the wide fire breaks crews created to contain the blazes. I could hardly believe what happened to Detroit - all gone. The All Seasons Motel where I stayed on the PCT - gone. In a new convenience store, I learned that County Road 46, my route north, was closed. Now what? The owner of the C-store told me to continue west of Hwy 22 for 38 miles to Slayton then go north on Hwy 214 toward Portland. Wearily, I got on my bike not knowing how far I’d have to go to find a place to stay. To my immense relief, Detroit State Park two miles north of town escaped the fire and was open. Yes! At 2 pm, I got a somewhat shady site and a shower for $19. My camp neighbor Jim told me the temperature was 111 degrees. Yikes! What will tomorrow bring?
