Today I was part of the Sweep team, meaning that I pull up the rear and make sure that everybody makes it to camp. This made for a long day in a lot of heat. The temperature was between 95 and 100, unless you were in the shade. Then it registered in the upper 80's.
The ride was unique. We said that we would stop at a coffee shop and let the slower riders get ahead. There was not a single coffee shop, gas station, or restaurant between Kennewick and Pendleton. There was a major highway junction, but no place to stop-a small town, but all they had was a large grain silo.
The views were extraordinary, starting with the lake where the Columbia and Walla Walla Rivers converge. Water, water, everywhere, but not a tree in sight, OR A RESTAURANT!
Needless to say, my riding companion and I were frustrated but we pressed on.
It was surprising how quickly the land changed from desert to wheat fields. One highlight was watching three deer bound through the grain fields.
At one point in the ride I started wondering how accidents between bikers happen. It didn't seem possible for me. Then I had problems with a shift, looked down at my gears, and moved to the right at the precise moment my riding partner was passing on the right. It was close enough for me to yell, breathe a sigh of relief that we didn't collide, and renew my commitment to caution. Accidents can happen just like that. I'm grateful we haven't had any serious accidents on the ride.
One of the surprises is that my partner and I were pictured on the front page of the Eastern Oregonian newspaper. There's my partner looking fresh and demonstrating good riding posture as we labor up a hill. And there's me, visibly struggling to keep moving in a forward direction.
The ride ended with a ridiculously hard uphill ride to the school, "Sun Ridge High School."
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