Jacob Usher

We treated ourselves this morning by sleeping in until 7. I think I’m still on EST deep down because I seem to wake up at 5:30 no matter what.

The day started off cold and damp, but luckily all the rain came and went while we were asleep. Once on the road again, we began our first and longest climb of the day. The arid shrubs and grasses gradually turned into green trees and colder air. We passed an old covered wagon and I couldn’t help but think about how the Oregon Trail makes our trip look easy by comparison.

Covered wagon near Prairie City, OR

After crossing the first pass, we arrived at a cute cafe called Austin House. We chatted with the owners while trying to warm up by the fire. Eventually we came to the conclusion that the second climb was probably the only way to get warm.

Brian, 1 mile above sea level after 5.5 days of biking and a few extra steps uphill

Blue skies started to peak out a little as we went up and over the second climb and the day got a little warmer. We stopped for lunch in a nice grassy patch before completing the final climb of the day.

Michael fuels up during a lunch break on Sumpter Pass

We passed Phillips Lake and followed the Powder River down into a canyon almost all the way to Baker City. I think this was my favorite section of riding so far. We made it to Baker City in no time with a tailwind and plenty of motivation.

Usher rides through Baker City, OR as the sun sets over the Elkhorn Mountains