Day 28: To Plush - Hot-springing Idaho and Oregon 2008 - CycleBlaze

September 24, 2008

Day 28: To Plush

The temperature only got down to 40F overnight. Not bad for 6000 feet elevation. I slept late and took my time making breakfast and packing up. Yesterday was so exhausting that I'm in no hurry to start today. I was packed up at 10:15, but then had a long soak in the hot spring.

Hart mountain hot spring. The ladder is necessary because the pool is 6 feet deep.
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Finally on the road finally at 11:45, there is a small climb away from the campground, then a long downhill to the refuge headquarters. The gravel is packed in the wheel tracks but very loose on the edges.

Looking down on Hart mountain hot spring. The hot spring is in the light colored trees on the center left.
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After the headquarters is a 200 foot climb with a stiff headwind, then a long glorious descent to the Warner valley. I could only go 15 mph on the gravel.

Descent to the Warner valley.
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I've been in "basin and range" country since Burns. This part of Oregon is the northwest most part of North America's "Great Basin". The ranges mostly run north to south, with a basin separating each range. I'm traveling west, so I cross multiple ranges and basins. Hart Mountain is the biggest range I cross on this tour and now I'm in another basin - Warner valley.

North end of Hart mountain.
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A 30 mph headwind developed when I got into the Warner Valley. The road goes south along the west side of Hart mountain for 20 miles. Wide open spaces with nothing to block the wind. The first 4 miles in the valley is still gravel with huge washboards. I could only go 6 mph. Then pavement resumes and after pumping the tires up to 80 psi my speed increased to 8 mph. Fortunately the howling wind didn't kick up much dust.

Lovely washboards.
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I was still tired from yesterday and progress was painfully slow into the headwind. But at least the scenery is good. I had a continuous view of Hart mountain to my left, with the sun angle improving as the afternoon progressed.

Stitched panorama of Hart Mountain and county road 3-10.
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Geological potpourri near the middle of Hart mountain.
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Hart Lake is at the south end of Hart mountain. It's a typical basin lake. Kind of silvery because of the high mineral content. Water flows into the lake, evaporates, and leaves the minerals behind. Apparently the water is still usable for some irrigated crops. But much of the land north of Hart lake has been converted from irrigated fields back to wetlands to improve habitat for migrating birds.

Hart lake and the south end of Hart mountain.
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Stitched panorama of Hart mountain and Hart lake.
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Just south of Hart lake is the town of Plush, population 69. I arrived at 4:45 and went into the store to get a cold drink and inquired where is a good place to camp. A bar patron suggested that I camp in the city park a block from the store. The park is posted no camping but Plush is very remote. I doubt anybody would care. The park has water faucets, tables, and a brand-new vault toilet building.

In the evening I went back to the bar to get a beer. They have a round table where all the regulars sit and buy rounds. A ranch hand arrived and joined the table. He looked straight out of a western movie. Huge mustache, filthy jeans, big hat, big belt buckle, Skoal can in the pocket of his western shirt. And most amazing...spurs jingling on his tattered boots. This is ranch country, with REAL working cowboys who ride horses, not ATVs.

I went to bed early because I was so tired. Today's distance isn't huge, but I had a strong headwind and half was on gravel. The weather was sunny with a high temperature of 75F. Ideal for bike touring. The evening was warm, still in the 60's when I went to bed at 9 PM. Unusually warm for 4500 feet elevation. One of the warmest nights of the tour.

Distance: 29.9 miles (47.9 km), 15 miles unpaved

Climbing: 979 feet (297 m)

Average speed: 7.8 mph (12.5 km/h)

Maximum speed: 26.5 mph (42.4 km/h)

Today's ride: 30 miles (48 km)
Total: 1,234 miles (1,986 km)

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