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Monday 16th August 2004

Sumpter Valley RailroadFrom Baker City (Baker City Motel Camping Site) to Prairie City, County Campground. About 69 miles on route - we are now about 500 miles from our terminus in Astoria! It was raining when we emerged from our tent. We packed up quickly and headed for a cafe to get some breakfast - as usual, pancakes with maple syrup (or lookalike substance, more like!) along with an omelette. Then we headed out to do some shopping at Safeway, since there isn't very much apart from mountains and woods on our route today. Then we got to the library - and we got a bit delayed. Left Baker City very late - c. 1pm. Seemed a bit unlikely that we'd get to Prairie City - 69 miles. Anyhow, we headed uphill along a river valley out of Baker City, up past a dam, then up through very pleasant wooded country towards the three passes that are between Baker City and Prairie City. We stopped for lunch at the Sumpter Valley Railway station that was just off our route - a railway restoration project. The line ran from the 19th Century through to the 1930s - as a passenger line, and more recently as just a freight enterprise. It's the usual history of logging and mining. Ate lunch, then just as we were leaving we saw two cyclists overtaking us! Oops, we'd been overtaken by Jake (has a 'blog') and Didi (short for Deitmar), who are going super fast (this was one of their 100+ mile days) towards the Oregon coast. They certainly energised us, because the three passes to Prairie City shot by, even though evening was coming on.

We arrived in the dark, more or less, at Prairie City. We just got into a cafe before it ceased serving, explored the idea of camping in the park (turns out this is not at all acceptable to the local community so best not do that!),and ended up in the official, paying, campsite. We shared a beer or two with Didi and Jake (exploring the options for free camping in a cooperative local citizens garden and so sitting in a gazebo when we met them, so as to avoid being soaked), until the local police officer (he must have been having a dull day!) informed us that this counted as a 'beer party' in a gazebo and must therefore cease quickly. Well, it ceased. The rain was pouring down at this point - I can't imagine a less threatening group than four soaked cyclists sharing some beers, but... Sleep was not too good, the rain kept restarting its downpour, then easing off. Prairie City is a curious place - most places welcome cyclists by saying, sleep in our park, use our local shops, you are good for us, we are good for you - but I don't think this mentality has yet percolated through to Prairie City. Just down the road at Dayville, where I used the church computer for free, the mentality is the reverse and immensely hospitable, as has been the predominant and wonderful pattern across the USA.

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