Eugene to Nimrod Oregon

Yes, Nimrod is the actual name of the town :)

I got started about 8:30 this morning. The weather had cleared and was in the mid 50s...perfect! 
My riding companion, Ryan was going to be getting started later as he was waiting for the local T-Mobile store to get his phone replacement in. I headed out on to the Mckenzie Scenic Highway and boy was it ever scenic! Beautiful...

I met a gentleman named Rob. As he passed me he asked where I was headed and I told him Yorktown, Virginia. We stopped a 1/2 mile or so down the down and chatted a bit. He is a local resident that has been riding throughout the region for many years. He told me about a friend that was doing a coast to coast ride and going through the Santiam Pass area about a week and a half ago but had to discontinue his ride after he got extreme frostbite. I'll be going through that same area in just a couple days. I hope it's warmed up! Rob also shared some tips on routes with me. Great to meet you Rob!

As I rolled into Walterville, Oregon just under 28 miles into my ride, I was needing a break so when I noticed this old church I just knew it was the perfect place to take a little rest and maybe even get a little divine intervention.

I had set out to do 40 miles and was already at 28 so I felt really good about how the day was going so far. I got back on the roadway and almost immediately I could tell the rest of the day was going to be a bit of a challenge. Unlike the previous 28 miles there wasn't much of a path on the right hand side for cyclists and I was back on Highway 126 so there many more cars and trucks and they were going fast!

As the miles rolled on, I met up with yet another cyclist that was riding cross country to Boston. Mitchell had just graduated from college, got some money as graduation gifts and decided he wanted to take the summer off and tour America by bike! He told me that he had test ridden the bike he was riding in his hometown, like it and arranged to purchase it from a bike shop in Portland, Oregon. Mitchell and I chatted for a few, exhanged facebook info. each snapped a selfie and he headed on down the road.

Several miles later I came around and saw a local pizza place, Ike's Pizza and my tummy wasn't going to let me pass this by! As I pulled up I saw another bike leaning up against the wall and it was Mitchell's! We talked some more while enjoying lunch and it was so awesome learning more about Mitchell and his plans for the future!

As I pulled into "Nimrod" I noticed a sign for a Bed & Breakfast any my throat was feeling scratchy so I called the number on the sign and asked if they had any openings and they said they did and to come down to the lobby. The manager, Ellie was a sweetheart and gave me a great rate! The river is out the back door and I can't wait to sit on the deck in the morning to enjoy my coffee...but wait there's more

As I was sitting down writing this blog post, I look up and Ryan is standing at the door! He got into town and saw the same place I did. When he stopped at the office Ellie told him that another cyclist had checked in earlier. Ryan asked if his name was Dan, she couldn't remember so she went back to look at the register and said "yes it is". Ellie was standing out in the yard when Ryan came to the door and when Ryan asked if I wanted to split the costs of the room with him, I looked out to Ellie and asked if it was okay for Ryan to stay and she said "fine with me". Ellie was a sweetheart and I'll be sharing more about the Bed & Breakfast later.

What an amazing day! I set out to ride 40 miles and ended up at 48.6 bringing my cumulative total to 112.8. Total elevation gain today was 1,292.

The next major goal is Bend, Oregon which is 96 miles away and is going to be the most challenging terrain yet.