Last night was a little chilly and my tent was soaked from dew this morning as I climbed out to embrace the day ahead of me. I had almost forgot what it felt like to be a little cold during the morning and it really motivated me to get going and start climbing.

The morning was absolutely beautiful with an amazing sunrise that really was a perfect way to start this week. On the way out of town a lady walking a couple dogs told me a big buck was down the road. If a local tells you that there is a big buck nearby, you better believe it will be a big buck. Guess what? It was indeed a big buck, especially for someone growing up on the east coast.

After spotting the large buck and the other small one with him out in a field, I would have been satisfied if that was the only encounter with the local animals today. I was actually fortunate enough to see a few more deer and numerous wild turkeys. Never gets old sharing space with these amazing creatures.

Today’s route took us north to the Lookingglass Fish Hatchery, which is used to rear Chinook for the Grande Ronde and Imnaha rivers. The single lane road leading to the hatchery was simply amazing as it had us zipping along the river with amazing views.

The route then turned back and I chose the gravel option to make my way back to Elgin. After getting a dose of inspiration from another cyclist turning 70 years old soon, off I went up some gnarly gravel and some steep climbing on said gnarly gravel. After my heart quieted down from the steep parts at the beginning, I found myself completely by myself all the way back to Elgin. It was as quiet as a mouse out there with only the sound of the crunching of gravel beneath me.

Actually, I did meet a local at a water stop in the middle of nowhere. Well, it was somewhere for him as he owned all the land currently surrounding us. This man is the quintessential Oregon rancher. He is as tough as nails.

He said after being kicked by one of his animals, he found himself in a rehab facility for many months. He told them to quit giving him all the drugs to help him sleep at night and they simply told him they would not. To add to the problem, they told him they were his only hope of ever walking again. Their mistake. He eventually calls his buddy and tells him to come visit him with a wheelchair. When the buddy shows up, he makes his great escape and never looked back and you better believe he is walking again my friends.

There is one story that he shared with me in our short time together that did not have a happy ending. Apparently, his wife enjoyed the company of one of her coworkers in town and she soon relocated to Texas. He and I had a big laugh when I started singing “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.” He said that George Strait is a great man and speaks truth, I agree.

Once back into Elgin, I made a stop at the snack stop set up by the organization and I met a power couple that I would ride with for the remainder of the day. The lollipop loop would take us into Summerville and return us to Elgin. Suzanne and Scott are from Tiburon, California. Scott is obviously a smart man because he married a lady whose father was a Huey pilot in the United States Army. Well done Scott, well done.

I throughly enjoyed sharing stories with this couple and was lucky they slowed up enough allowing me to ride with them through the beautiful countryside. It simply made my day even more pleasant and enjoyable.

First day in the books as I am sitting here digesting a cowboy sized pulled pork sandwich I devoured in record time. Life is good.