Day 7: Dayville, OR

The warm weather continues, so we got an early start this morning.  Add in the fact that we were following the John Day River downstream the whole way AND we had a tailwind, and you can guess that we had a pretty easy day today.  Alea again rode first, covering the first 20 miles to Clyde Holliday State Park, then I rode the final 25 to Dayville.

Strawberry Mountain.

We are camped at Southern Fork RV ($25, power, community water, showers, wifi) along the banks of the swollen South Fork of the John Day River.  It has turned into a hot day (currently 86 degrees), but we certainly aren't complaining.  This is a very small campground, with just a dozen or so sites, but there is a lot of space between campsites.  Plus there is a free book exchange that actually has some decent book titles.

Today was the first day that we could try out our new Shimano cycling sandals, which we bought on close-out in January.  We love 'em, and I suspect we will be wearing them most of the time, except when it is cold out or when rain is likely.  They are even comfortable to walk around in, which isn't something I have come to expect in a cycling shoe.

Lana's den behind the seats of our van.

This end of the John Day River valley is drier than at Prairie City, and while scenic, it isn't as spectacular.  But there is a lot of interesting geology around here, and it gets more interesting just a bit farther down the road.