Day 76: MMMM, taste those miles

Day 76

Prineville to Sisters 40miles

Simultaneously a small but big today. Small, because I only rode 40miles and it was pretty easy going. But big because I achieved a very important milestone. The title of this entry should give you a clue if you know your Roman numerals.

Yep, today I passed 4,000miles for the trip. This does feel like a pretty important milestone. There wont be a 5,000. There wont even be a 4,500 (unless I get lost somewhere!), so it very much feels like this is now the beginning of the home stretch.

Took the obligatory photo of my odometer. Decided to let my little travelling companion pose with it today!

With less than 100miles to Eugene, and then around 220 from Eugene to Astoria, it really isnt that far now. Realistically, I could probably do that in 5 days (I did 400miles in 5 days back in Kentucky and Illinois), but I have 13 days left, so I can enjoy myself a bit and take it nice and easy.

Today was one of those nice and easy days actually! After all the previous big climbs, I had planned that today would be a shorter, flatter day. It was only 40miles to Sisters, and it was generally very easy going. I didnt even leave Prineville until gone 9.30am as I knew it wouldnt take too long.

For pretty much all of today I was heading towards some very imposing looking, snow covered mountains. I think (if I've understood what people have told me) these mountains are in The Cascades, a mountain range which runs down the country, inland from the Pacific. And they will be the last mountain range I will go over on the entire trip! They certainly made a nice view to be riding towards today. Im just hoping tomorrow's pass doesnt go right over the top of one of them!

It was nice to not really have any hills today. There was one small bit at the very start of the day, and then near the end I had to go down into and back up out of a deep canyon called, erm, Deep Canyon! What an original name. I fully expect to see Wet Lake, Tall Mountain and Dry Desert at some point before I finish! Oh and I saw some reindeer too – obviously doing a bit of warm weather training before their busy period in the winter!