2022 Adventure - Day 8 - to Bates State Park

September 18, 2022

All good visits need to come to an end and it’s time to get back on the road.  Kay made a nice breakfast while I got the bike packed up.  We said our goodbyes and I pulled out just before 9am.

The route I took out of town was along the Clackamas River Road which was nice and curvy.  It wound its way east and then connected to an equally twisty road that eventually took me out of the Portland Metro Area.  After a bit I connected to Hwy 26 which is going to take me all the way today.

While I usually take lots of photos during the day, today was different.  Between the weather and the lack of solid places to pull over, I really didn’t get many chances.  For example, the road took me past Mount Hood which was spectacular but by the time I had a chance to pull over, clouds had settled in and I could no longer see it.  Take my word for it, it’s quite the mountain.

I made a gas stop in Mount Hood Village and continued on Hwy 26.  I need to mention something about the local driving culture.  This is a fairly curvy, 2-lane road and the speed limit is 55 mph.  I kept my speed at about 60-62 and I kept having to pull over to let a speeder pass me.  They were usually driving a pickup and would ride one second behind me around all those curves.  If there was a passing lane they’d blow past me doing over 80.  For me, the speed limit is just time.  I’m on a pleasure drive and I want to enjoy it plus, I don’t need a speeding ticket.  Oh, about that, I’ve got many miles behind me on this trek and I have only seen two law enforcement officers on these roads.  I guess that’s why people drive the way they do.

And the weather.  I hit lots of rain coming through the mountains.  Since it wasn’t heavy and was on and off, I decided I didn’t need to put on my rain pants. While it was clear at times, the road today was consistently wet as if I was chasing the storm ahead of me.

After a big downhill, I crossed into a reservation and pulled over because my Cardo (the thing on my helmet that lets me interact with my phone) beeped that it was low on battery.  I connected up a charging cable from it to the USB port in my tank bag and got back on the road.

I pulled over in Ochoco Creek County Park to use the facilities and grabbed a photo.  There used to be a lake down there but it looked pretty dried up.

I pulled over later to let some cars go by and took some photos.  These are called The Painted Hills.  Beautiful stuff.

I was near Mitchell and I pulled off Hwy 26 to take the 2-block ride through the village.  The place has a brewery and there were 3 motorcycles parked in front of it that I had seen earlier.  I was REALLY tempted but I kept going.

I was getting close to John Day and was near the Fossil Beds National Monument.  Time for a photo.  That gorge/canyon in the background is what I just road out of.

I stopped in John Day for gas and a snack.  I was eating a granola bar and looking at the map on my phone and guy came out of the convenience store and struck up a conversation.  Interesting guy.  He’s from John Day but moved to Portland after getting his engineering degree and worked for design firms that did work for Intel and other tech giants.  He got burned out and he and and wife moved here for a slower life.  She’s in healthcare and he works at the Napa parts store.  He loves it.  He told me lots about things to do in the area and I put a return visit on the bucket list.

My target is the Bates State Park, about 30 mile ahead.  Once passed Prairie City, there are quite a few campgrounds along Hwy 26.  I chose this one because it comes up first and, from the aerial photos, it looks like the road to it and into it is paved.

I arrived right at 5pm.  It’s a really nice place, more like a park than forested grounds but there are only two other people here, both in big RVs.  I took a lap around the park, picked site at the far end, parked, and walked back up to register.  $11 is a good deal.  

I got the tent set up and got out of my riding gear and went for a hike on the trail system they have here.
I hiked to the Boulder Overlook.

This hiking route brought me back to the campground where I set up my stove and got my dinner started.  It’s AlpineAire Mexican Style Veggie Bowl.  It’s quite good.

There is zero cell service here so I am writing this offline and will post it tomorrow when I get back to civilization.  It’s turning chilly and a heavy fog is settling in.  Time to escape to the tent and try to stay warm.

It was a 300.4 mile day.