It’s all big roads now on this run through Utah and Idaho.
All our red roads have merged into I 84 and I 86. Resting for the evening in
Mountain Home we discover that the pool is better than most hotel pools, and I have
it all to myself. We both enjoy the hot tub while our dirty cloths dance
in the hotel’s washer and dryer. Just insert quarters, soap, and spin….
You see a lot of road signs riding a motor bike across the country,
and some of them make you wonder. “Sanitary Land Fill” Is it cleaner than just
the dumps? “Heavy Pedestrian Crossing” is there a crossing for svelte pedestrians?
“Detour” we have seen that one a lot and gone on some extended grid roads trips
because of it. “Watch for Rock” Falling Rock” pretty simple, but todays sign
that I keep seeing in this part of the high desert is “Game Crossing” and the
only thing I can think of is…
I never saw Clue or a wild animal but I’m liking highway 20
through Oregon, in spite of the sky being obscured by smoke from fires that I understand
are to the south of us in the Klamath National Forest.
Brothers turns out to be a place to make a couple of
interesting photos, and as we near Bend we are discovering that the weather
report that reported rain in Bend is indeed true.
Having suited up in rain gear so many times on this trip, it
is no longer a struggle to gear up, and
soon we are west bound in a steady rain, enjoying the smells of the wet high
desert.
The motor company outpost in Bend proves elusive to find,
but it eventually appears on the right exactly where the GPS said it was,
hidden down a alley, and with all signage removed for building painting.
Since we have made service appointment over at Timber Town our
stay at the outpost is brief and soon enough we are back westbound in the rain,
that lets up not to far out of town.
Highway 20 turns into 122, and then 22 as we journey up
Santiam Pass, and once again encounter the effects of a major fire from last
year, that destroyed over 1,500 structures including the entire city of
Detroit.
Clean up from the fire is ongoing. Something like 150,000
hazard trees need to be removed, and soon we meet up with a long line of traffic
flagged to a stop as work is being done right along the road. At another stop
we wait for quite a while as heavy equipment reduce damaged trees to wood chips,
and stack useable logs in roadside landings. I wonder if these chips will be hauled to the
pulp mills and be utilized for pulp?
Nothing much is left of the town of Detroit, but business
have set up in tents and travel trailers. We should have stopped and used one
of the outhouses, but they looked non to desirable. Finally at a turnout for Detroit dam there is
a outhouse structure, parking, and a parked car, with all the windows and
sunroof open, and crows have discovered
a bag of Cheetos sitting on the front seat.
Crow is not shy about entering the car, getting a beak full of Cheeto, and flying off to show the vultures and other crows its trophy.
As we near Salem we finally run out of the burn, and our two lane road turns into a freeway that isn’t to crowded. We find our way to our lodging that is located by a Costco's and car lots. We have to ride to find something to eat, and discover the local chain Mc Grath's Fish House
We enjoy a nice dinner then go look for the motor company
outpost where we will be paying the electric bill tomorrow.
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