Day 14: To Brownlee Reservoir

July 3, 2006

I got up bright and early at 6:30 but didn't get on the road until 9. Spent too much time talking to people and looking around town. For most of the morning I followed the Powder River down to Baker City, losing 2100 feet elevation. Surprisingly, the forest lasted almost to Baker City (elevation 3449 feet).

Highway 7 is squeezed into the valley with the Powder river.

The area around Baker City has huge amounts of irrigation.

The Blue mountains loom over Baker City.

The Powder River doesn't seem like a big river but somehow the Baker City area has huge amounts of irrigated pastures. The green fields are a stark contrast to the surrounding brown hillsides.

I stopped for lunch and groceries in Baker City, then pressed on to the east on highway 86. Many more miles to go today. 5 miles east of Baker City the irrigation ends and the land becomes very brown and barren. Mostly sagebrush, widely spaced. 10 miles east of Baker City I stopped at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. The museum is 1 mile off the highway, a 300 foot climb. The museum had interesting exhibits. I appreciated the air conditioning on a hot afternoon with no natural shade.

A Prairie Schooner at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Museum east of Baker City. This is typical of the wagons that settlers took on the Oregon trail starting in the 1850's.

Passing to the south of the Wallowa mountains.

Eventually the road rejoins the Powder River and I started seeing occasional irrigated fields. I had a nice swim in the Powder river which was very warm at 3000 feet elevation. The route goes near the south flank of the Wallowa mountains.

The road follows the Powder River down to Hell's Canyon (the Snake River).

It was 7:45 PM when I arrived at the campground at Brownlee Reservoir (2100 feet elevation), 3 miles east of Richland. It was a long day but the evening biking was great. Mostly downhill with a slight tailwind. Wide open views enhanced by the sun setting behind me.

The campground is far from great, however. I was required to set up my tent on a sloping gravel pad. No tents allowed on the lush (irrigated) level grass. And there were mosquitoes. $11 for a tent site plus $2 for a shower. It was very warm in the evening. 75F at 10:30PM. Today had a high temperature of about 95F. Not a cloud in the sky all day.

Distance: 77.4 mi. (123.8 km)

Climbing: 1510 ft. (458 m)

Average Speed: 11.4 mph (18.2 km/h)

Maximum Speed: 39.0 mph (62.4 km/h)

Today's ride: 77 miles (124 km)
Total: 617 miles (993 km)

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