Prineville, OR to Sisters, OR

Miles: 47.8
Total miles: 1024.6
Climbing: 1064’

Because our day was forecast to be near 100, we got an early start this morning, 6:31 am! It was tough to get the air in Kathie's tire today.

What is WRONG with this pump?

It was cool and I started with arm warmers but did not need the tights. The ride West out of Prineville was on the valley floor and we had basalt towers on both sides of us. The terrain was rolling today with only one or two climbs which were small and short compared to some of our other days.

Valley between Prineville and Redmond

Our first faint view of the Cascades, with Mt. Jefferson on the far left just visible

On the Southern Tier, we gauged our progress by the interstates we crossed riding east. Today we crossed I-97 riding west near Redmond, OR. We had numerous railroad tracks to cross and they are always a bit nerve wracking and VERY rough. Today was no exception and as we entered Redmond we had 3 sets of tracks to cross. My rear light was so jarred that it fell off but several other riders saw it and I stopped to get it. I saw a truck coming and pointed to the light and he actually veered over to run smack over it even though it was right on the yellow line in the middle of the road! One truck + one light on the road = one flat light. I think our arrival in Redmond (even on the outskirts) was not appreciated at 7:30 this morning! Someone else had something bounce out of a rear pack, too, but we got that safely.

We looked for a bakery for a little snack in Redmond but were not successful! So, on to Sisters, OR, “Gateway to the Cascades” where we rode on a wonderful, wide bike lane with little or no debris on it. What a welcome change! We began to see the mountains with Broken Top, the Three Sisters, Black Crater, Mt. Washington, Three Fingered Jack, Black Butte, and Mt. Jefferson all coming into view. Ponderosa Pines were also back in the landscape as we have not seen them in several days.

First view of the Three Sisters

Mt. Washington, 7.794'

Broken Top, 9,175'

Three Sisters-South, 10,358', Middle, 10,047, and North, 10,085'

As I came into town, I immediately went to the bike shop to get my brakes fixed and my light replaced. We will soon be out on the coast and will definitely need the lights if it is foggy. Ben has also sent me the helmet light for the front of the bike. Ben’s assumption that the volcanic dust which we have been riding in for weeks is partially responsible for the brake pads wearing out was definitely confirmed by the shop. Of course, I have been braking to take pictures for three weeks, too! With that job finished, Kathie and I rode through the picturesque town of Sisters, Or where we will spend our layover day tomorrow.


The town was formerly a small, short-lived military camp in the 1860's. Taking advantage of its location, Sisters quickly became a bustling town. In the late 1800’s it was a resupply point for sheep herders who passed through on their way to pasturing in the Cascade Mountains. The town was formally established in 1901. Lumber was also a very big industry during the early 1900’s but the last mill closed in 1963 and the population began to decline. However, as highways improved, so did tourist related traffic. The town adopted an 1880’s storefront style and over the years, it has become a unique place to shop and visit. The town is full of art galleries, local craft stores, jewelry, and clothing stores. It is also home to The Stitchin’ Post, a fantastic quilt store which I have heard of for years. Indeed, Sisters hosts a quilt show each year in July which brings thousands of quilters from around the world to see the town totally decked out in quilts. This show started in 1975.

After a wonderful lunch at Seasons Café, (highly recommended by the bike shop and several others) Kathie and I visited several stores with the quilt shop at the top of my list. There were many tourists in town visiting the various shops. We walked around for a while toting our bikes but the 100° heat brought us to the motel as soon as we could check in and we soon headed for the pool for a swim. Many of our cyclists were already there!

My friend, Nola, who lives here, picked me up in the late afternoon for a lovely dinner at her home here in Sisters. She has been here for ten years and seen the many changes and growing pains of the town. We met in 2001 on the internet when I was finishing a quilt and found myself short by a very small amount of fabric. I posted a photo of the fabric on a website called missingfabrics.com and she saw it and emailed that she might have a match. It was a match and she sent me the fabric I needed. For the price of postage, I was able to finish the quilt. Later, she was in Nashville with her husband for a meeting and she drove to Bristol to meet me. We have been emailing since then, and she has tried to get me to come to the Sister’s Quilt show each year but it has just not worked out. When I realized last year that I would be here for a layover day on my cycling trip, I emailed her immediately! We picked up right where we left off….ah the glory of quilting friends. They are wonderful!!

Nola on her front porch

It was a lovely cycling day and a wonderful reunion with Nola. What more could a person ask for?! Tomorrow, she will pick me up and we will go to a museum in Bend, OR and several of the ladies here said they had been and it was really great so I am looking forward to it. What a great location for our second to last rest day of this tour!