September 9: Having a Blast on the way to Bend
It’s so great to be back! Today’s ride took me over the pass to Bend to visit my best friend, Michelle, for the first time since I returned from my summer trip. Even though temperatures hovered near 90 and smoke filled the air most of the way, I couldn’t help grinning from ear to ear as I swooped up and down the mountains and alongside one beautiful body of water after another.
I left home this morning, giddy with anticipation about seeing Michelle after months apart. Although we’ve spoken by phone regularly during my travels as well as the short time I’ve been back, there’s nothing quite like catching up in person. Michelle and I have stuck together through thick and thin since the first time we met in ninth grade, and I feel so blessed to have her in my life.
Heading south, I turned off on the Santiam Highway and followed the Santiam River as it curved and wound its way through the foothills of the Santiam State Forest. With temperatures high through much of summer and little in the way of recent rainfall, the tall grass lining the banks was a brilliant shade of yellow, standing in stark contrast to the blue water topped with frothy white rapids.
Continuing east, I passed Detroit Lake on my right, reveling in the peaceful green, blue-grey waters surrounded by evergreen trees, still striking despite the thick layer of smoke hovering overhead. Traffic was minimal, allowing me to charge up the inclines and buzz around the corners, enjoying every bit of my Milwaukie Eight engine, a far cry from the 471-cc twin engine in my Honda.
Near Suttle Lake, I pulled over to take in the view of Mount Washington, its snow-covered volcanic peaks still visible though the smoke and rising above the blue and grey hillside dotted with older burnt trees and newer green growth.
After a wonderful lunch with Michelle, I headed north on highway 97 through Redmond and then highway 26 west through the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and then the Mount Hood National Forest. The thick evergreen trees on both sides of the road provided comforting shade in the intensely hot afternoon, making for a restful ride home.
