NWLoop Day 21 - lava.

Mckenzie Pass. Is just about all we've talked about the last few days. It will be the most challenging ride with some spectacular and surprising scenery. So it was with some trepidation we attended the briefing after breakfast this morning. All headed out in warmer gear than we have worn to date as not only is the morning the coolest we have had, but we are climbing to over 5000 ft with a lengthy descent on the other side.
I thought the landscape was odd in the blue basin, but nothing prepared me for today. The climb was not as bad as we thought (they never are), but it was a decent effort nonetheless. After a few miles, quite a few miles, we turned a corner and were confronted with the most amazing view I think I have ever seen. It was an extraordinary expanse of rock ... of lava rock. It seemed to go as far as the eyes could see, but probably didn't as we could see mountains behind it. We rode through a cutting in it and alongside it for quite a long time. I am not sure anything I say would describe it well so .....

The view from the summit was great, in the observatory the were a series of little windows each of which have the viewer a look at an individual peak - very cool. Then we came down, and down, and down some more. It was cool coming down so at the bottom we congregated in a large patch of sun to remove a couple of layers ready for the last few miles.

On arrival a handful of us extended our ride a couple of miles and I saw my first covered bridge which was great. 

We found a beautiful road alongside the river to the bridge, which was rebuilt in the 60s and restored about 20 years ago. A small thing, but I was very excited to see it. We are in a tiny place, Rainbow, with virtually no Wi-Fi, no phone coverage so there will be a rush of entries when we get back into a more technologically advanced civilization.
Something is making me sneeze. Goodbye