Umpqua’s Last Resort, Dry Creek, OR – Wolf Creek Park Campground near Glendale, OR
Miles Ridden – 118
Total Miles – 4,677
It was our second to last day of the Trans America Trail.
You know the feeling when you are working towards something, and it feels like it might never be over, you wonder if you’re ever gonna get there. Be it finishing a project, graduating, or completing a journey. And then, it seems like all of a sudden, you’re almost there! You’ve got one more paragraph to write, its two weeks until graduation, you are so close to your final terminus.
Well I woke up on this day kinda feeling like that. After riding over 4,500 miles I could hardly believe we had less than 300 to go. How in the world did that happen?! The world of ‘after’ the TAT had been somewhat unfathomable, because the journey itself had been all consuming. It made me want to slow down, to savor the sights, to breathe the forest air deeply into my lungs.
It was so amazing to wake up in this quaint cabin in the woods, I didn’t want to get out of the nice comfy bed! I have always wanted to live in a cabin in the woods, but for now I would have to settle for just the one night. We had riding to do!
It was to be a magical day of riding through the enchanting Umpqua Forest. I breathed in the pungent aroma of the sage bundles I had made last night, from sage collected from all along the TAT, and was filled once again with gratitude for this opportunity of a lifetime.
Before we hit the trail however, my dad had to replace his clutch (he had had a new one shipped to the Dry Creek Store). Stefan wanted to try out some of the more challenging routes coming up that day, so he rode on ahead.
Meanwhile I enjoyed a hot shower at the bathhouse, a little exploring, and a few moments of being in normal clothes instead of my riding gear.
My dad and I stocked up on snacks and snickers at The Dry Creek Store and were about to hit the trail, when we started chatting with a Christian riding group who were passing through. After telling them of our journey they invited us into a prayer circle, blessing us and blessing our bikes. It was truly serendipitous, and confirmation that Spirit was present with us, supporting our journey.
After an already eventful morning, we were back on the TAT. It wasn’t long before we found the first beauty spot. It was a day filled with scenic vistas of mountains, woods, and water spots – streams, rivers and lakes. It was one of those days I wish we had more time to stop and smell the pine trees, or jump in the water!
Moving from the streams into the mountains, we began to climb an interesting one lane paved road and came across a note left by Stefan at the side of the trail.
Climbing further and higher, the air was slightly cooler and the views continued to be amazing.
We came across this picturesque lake, and stopped to enjoy our lunch by the water.
There were many adorable pups there!
We finally caught up with Stefan a little ways down the trail at this super fun looking water spot. He was drying off after jumping in to try out the natural water slide!
We took a little exploring break and soaked in the beauty of the water, rocks, trees, and flowers. This spot and the Umpqua Forest has definitely made my short list of places along the TAT I would love to return to!
Utilizing Log for stretching and scratching 
After our stop we hi-tailed it down the trail, making good time for a while. We were coming close to our destination when we came across this interesting sight and weren’t sure what to make of it.
Soon enough we stopped to gas up at the tiny Cow Creek Station near Glendale, OR, and then found a delicious Mexican Restaurant for dinner.
Yay Mexican food! This was a great find with delicious food (tacos are my favorite!!) as well as super nice staff. Our server was also a huge motorcycle fan and had ridden extensively in South and Central America. It was fun to swap adventure stories with him!
We headed to the outskirts of town as the sun was going down. Arriving at our final campsite, we tucked in for the last night of the TAT. Tomorrow we would reach the Pacific Ocean!
TAT Rider ~ Adventures of a Motorcycling Yogini 