Oregon Outback Day 4 — Prineville Reservoir
I woke up early once again, my internal clock beating any alarm. The morning wasn’t as chilly as previous ones. Joseph was still asleep, so I took the opportunity to rekindle the fire and spend some time journaling. While I was engrossed in my writing, one of our neighboring campers passed by on their ATVs.
I had always intended to ask them for water since we had 38 miles to go before the next water source. I waved him down, made the request, and to my delight, he returned with four bottles of water! I offered our unopened PB & J as a token of gratitude, but he politely declined, saying they had enough. We chatted briefly about our adventure, and like others we had encountered, they were curious about our journey and what brought us out here.
The water was greatly appreciated, and since there were no towns or convenience stores for breakfast this time, we opted for the dehydrated sausage egg meal that Jen had given us. It certainly needed a dash of salt, pepper, and hot sauce. I made a note to carry these condiments initially but dismissed it later to save space. In the comparison between bikepacking and backpacking, I found that space was often a greater concern than weight.
After enjoying our meal and refueling, we packed up our camp and got back on our bikes. We began descending toward the small section of highway that we would need to cross. It was then that I experienced the most comfortable fall I’ve ever had on a bike. As I went over a ridge, I encountered a patch of sand that was deeper than the combined profile of my tire and rim. It was like landing on a pillow.
I applied the brakes gently, feeling a sense of panic, and unclipped my feet. However, in the process of unclipping, I lost my balance and ended up hitting the ground. In hindsight, I believe that if I had remained clipped in, my front wheel might have held its traction and eventually come to a slow stop. I checked myself over several times, relieved to find no scrapes, no damage to my helmet, and no signs of head injury.
After taking a few moments to gather myself, I continued riding for another 20 minutes to ensure everything was alright. Thankfully, all seemed fine. I experienced a slight chest pain initially, but it subsided as we progressed.
As we approached the highway section, we encountered two cyclists heading in the opposite direction. They were taking advantage of the long weekend to embark on a loop or part of the Oregon Outback Trail (OOT). We shared information about the trail conditions with them and, more importantly, told them about the Cowboy Dinner Tree. It’s worth noting that they take reservations, but sometimes they can accommodate additional guests, and the cost is $45 for the four-course meal (😱 amazing price IMO).
After a few more climbs, we reached the top of a hill, ready to embark on a 10+ mile dirt descent. It turned out to be an exhilarating and speedy descent! Still feeling a bit shaken from my earlier fall, I lagged behind Joseph initially. However, as I regained my confidence, I began descending with more ease. I took my time and eventually regrouped with Joseph at the bottom. We enjoyed some tortillas with jelly. Taking out the peanut butter would be too messy.
The next section of the route consisted of dirt rollers, which slowed us down a bit. However, before long, the dirt gave way to pavement, which was a welcome change. We then encountered a climb that quickly became one of my favorites. It was a winding and gentle ascent, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying it as I pushed hard. During the climb, we even crossed paths with a cowboy who was herding animals on the hillside. His quick tip of the hat as he passed was one of the highlights of my day.
The reward for our efforts came in the form of an epic downhill. The descent into Prineville Reservoir was truly remarkable. Words alone cannot do justice to its beauty, and photos would have captured it better, but unfortunately, I couldn’t take my hands off the handlebars on the -9% gradient. As we continued pedaling a bit further, we reached the dam that formed the reservoir. The gorge in this area was absolutely breathtaking.
The rock formations I witnessed there were reminiscent of those found in video games. It felt like stepping onto another planet. The descent became even more awe-inspiring the further down we went. Along the way, we noticed numerous campsites, one of which would have been our chosen spot for camping on the previous day.
We took a break by the river, where self-serve camping was available with a drop box for payment and camping slips. The area was bustling with people fishing and camping. If I were to do this ride again, staying at this campsite would be a must.
After enjoying the sights, we decided to make our way to Prineville. Joseph’s rear tire still needed fixing, and he had already booked a motel while we had access to service earlier at the RV campsite. It was surprising to find five bars of signal in the middle of nowhere.
We had only about 16 miles left to cover, but they proved to be quite challenging. A storm was passing through the region, and although we weren’t directly in it, we were battling strong headwinds. The winds were sustained at around 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. On one downhill section, I decided to coast, but the headwinds were so powerful that they slowed me down to a crawl.
I arrived at the Good Bike Co. bike shop, but unfortunately, we were 15 minutes past their closing time. However, the store owner was still bringing his bike fleet inside. I explained Joseph’s situation, and he kindly spent the next ~30 minutes fixing it. Thankfully, it turned out that the issue was with the tire and not the rim and needed to be replaced.
We also received some great recommendations for food in the area. The Sandwich Factory next door was highly recommended, especially their French Dip sandwich. Joseph went to his motel while I went around town to resupply. The staff at the 7–11 convenience store were really helpful and saved me some money by advising against buying overpriced items.
The motel experience was quite interesting. It was one of those motels that you often see in movies or TV shows where people live long-term. As I walked in, I found Joseph naked, which was bound to happen at some point during the trip. He waved at the people outside, even though we were in a conservative area. Luckily, we weren’t killed for being mistaken as a couple.
After taking showers and washing our clothes using the “shower in your bike clothes” technique, we headed out to the next recommended spot: Wild Ride Brewing and food carts. I enjoyed a peanut butter beer along with some tots and fried wings. I had so much food that night.
A bed after a few days of camping was nice.
Metrics for the day:
Distance: 55 miles
Elevation: 1,486 feet
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/9217300049
