October 6, Monday - Out Front

I am getting close to being able to count on my fingers how many more times that I can say that I weighed anchor and headed down the road. My journey around the perimeter of the United States of America is approaching the end. I can feel the sadness hanging back off stage preparing to let itself known. The “now what’s” are beginning to form a line. Just take one day at a time
Leaving the Wallowas and working again west toward family and Portland was the goal of today’s travels. The country road skirted along the Wallowa Range then followed down through the river’s cut into the mountains to merge with the Minam River to only climb back out onto Cricket Flats heading cross country to Grande Ronda Valley. As I got closer to Le Grande the population began to be denser. I was again among the masses. Speeding up the on ramp of Interstate 84 West put me out front of the backcountry that I had enjoyed so much. After ten days of wheat fields, cattle herds and canyon byways of rural America, I was back on the fast track. My last freeway driving was coming across eastern Montana to reach Missoula. Gaining the summit pass on the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon marked my last mountain climb. The only obstacle that stood in my way of reaching home were the Cascades and I would be knifing through them via the Columbia River Gorge which meant no more long pulls for Snee-Oosh. She has been a workhorse of a land boat.
I wanted to break the 350 mile trip to Portland from Joseph into two days so looking at my road atlas I thought that Deschutes River State Park on the Columbia would be a nice place to spend the night. I love doing my campground walk to see what states folks are from and what types of setups they had. Every small state park has its own character; some are geared for families others for ATV enthusiasts; Deschutes was a fish camp. Manville of the likes that I hadn’t seen since surf fishing in the Carolinas. Chest waders and beer. The added homey touch was the two railroad tracks, which sandwiched the small camping area on both sides. Peaceful sleep in spite of it all.