May 31: What do you call.....?

What do you call a day when you don't have to put on your rain jacket?  It's about time!

I awoke to a morning temperature of 36 degrees.  I knew I had another higher elevation pass to go over in the morning and was hoping the roads were dry.  I began to worry when I had to pass a snow plow truck.  I worried even more when I saw another snow plow truck coming from the other direction.  Thankfully, it turned out that there was no snow on the road.  As I came to the crest of the pass at 7,000 feet, the temperature was 34 degrees and there was plenty of snow (see top photo). 

As my ride continued, I headed towards Hells Canyon which is made by the Snake River - what a joy this road was.  It hugs the rocks on one side of the road and the river is directly below on the other side.  For much of the ride, there is no railing between the road and the river.  The last part of the road is 22 miles and then it dead-ends at a dam.  You drive over the dam to the visitor center.  The views are breathtaking.  And then the best part is you get to turn around and take the same 22 miles back and it looks completely different in each direction.

After Hells Canyon it was time to begin exploring Oregon.  One gem of a road I found was 245 outside of Baker City.  For any motorcycle enthusiast - this is a must do road.  The best part is the first 20 miles or so where the curves are tight and constant.  I didn’t see another vehicle while on this road!

I have camp set up tonight in Sumter Oregon at an RV park.  They have tent sites as well but not much to choose from.  I found 1 that at least had some softer sand rather than rocks to sleep on.

Tomorrow I continue with a loop through Oregon and depending on how far I make it, Washington is next.