Mt. Vernon to Ochoco Pass, OR, OR 80 miles

We saw our first coyotes this morning and then rode within 3 feet of a coiled rattlesnake warming itself on the edge of the road at 9 in the morning. Bill was in front and I was drafting off him. He was in the zone and didn't even notice it. Since I was so close to him, I never saw it either, but heard it as we passed, then looked in my rear view mirror to see what had made the noise. We were doing about 17 mph, and so didn't stop, but at its widest, it was about the diameter of a soda can.
A couple with BF Air Glides in their car turned around to come back to talk to me about my BF New World Tourist. The BF generates more conversation the further West we go, which I find interesting because it is less of a novelty in the West. Maybe it is because people are considering buying one and want info, whereas in the East it is their first exposure to any folder.
McKee Creek was an agonizing pass with about a 2,000 foot gain, very hot and dry.



In Mitchell the grocery is closed, but at the cafe I drank at least 5 large Arnold Palmers (half tea, half lemonade), had a veggie burger (welcome to Oregon), potato salad and a chocolate brownie, then had stomach cramps. I was probably dehydrated, which explain the difficulty of an otherwise not outrageous pass.
Bill made an executive decision to yet again move on and climb the next pass, Ochono, and camp on its summit as a mark of dominance.
We were both quite tired but made the pass, slowly but surely.
Ochoco Divide CG was pretty with tall pines, but shockingly, no water. You could buy some from the CG hosts, but no spigots. This is only the second time in my experience I have found a USFS CG without water.
No insects!