McKenzie Bridge, Oregon to Sisters, Oregon -- 40 miles

We broke camp and started biking at 8:30 am. Noticed a ticking sound on Lorraine’s bike and stopped to check, but couldn't find anything - we are overly cautious now! Our starting elevation was approximately 1300 ft. It took 4.5 hours to climb the 28 miles over McKenzie Pass - elevation 5,325 feet - and 1/2 hour to descend! The average grade was 3%, and as high as 5% in some places. We rode past rocky lava fields - the last volcanic eruption from Belknap Crater was 2700 years ago.

At the top of pass, we enjoyed the view and took photos of the mountains from Dee Wright Observatory, a fort-like structure built from lava rock in 1933. In the town of Sisters, Jane Green offered to let us camp in her yard. She used to cycle tour, and was crossing the U.S. one section at a time before she hurt her knee. We talked to Jane, her carpenter Fred, and her friends Joanne and Ron about vertebral subluxation. We had barbecue ribs and chicken for dinner at Bronco Billy's (formerly the Sisters Hotel).