06 August 2012 Redmond to Belknap Hot Springs OR 59 miles (TransAm 4,029) Today brings the final mountain pass climb of the trip, up and over the 5,324 foot high McKenzie Pass in Central Oregon. Gina almost didn’t make it, weighted down by the morning’s second breakfast. This would have been shameful in many ways …
05 August 2012 Mitchell to Redmond OR 69 miles (TransAm 3,970) There’s a funny tagline on the Visit Eastern Oregon website; it states “Please Don’t Tell Everyone About Eastern Oregon. Thank You.” Based on Gina’s photos, I am starting to think that this Eastern Oregon is another hidden gem, mined from the same golden vein …
04 August 2012 Prairie City to Mitchell OR 87 miles (TransAm 3,901) It’s Day 80 of the TransBallard. If Gina was Phileas Fogg, she would have rounded the globe by now. Instead, she is just a few days out from completing her crossing of the entire nation, first east by airplane and then back west …
03 August 2012 Baker City to Prairie City OR 67 miles (TransAm 3,814) I think the sum total of mountain pass elevations that Gina pedaled over today, which would be three passes at 5,082 ft (Sumpter), 5,124 ft (Tipton), and 5,277 ft (Dixie) for a total elevation of 15,483 ft, would be about equivalent to …
02 August 2012 Baker City OR 0 miles (TransAm 3,747) Time again for one of our most popular regular postings: Where in the World is Gina? Based on my current calculations, I overestimated a few weeks ago how many blue pins would be needed to complete her journey, concluding that I wouldn’t have enough unless …
01 August 2012 Halfway to Baker City OR 55 miles (TransAm 3,747) Today was 12 miles between First and Second Breakfast so I believe the day before yesterday was, indeed, a record at 5 miles. Of course the trip isn’t over yet and Gina loves to eat so this record could still fall. Or should …
31 July 2012 Cambridge ID to Halfway OR 61 miles (TransAm 3,692) Rocky made an appearance today after a rather long absence. Today I didn’t wonder, however, what he’d been up to, as it quickly became obvious: Rocky was leading a pair of young ones along the backyard fence, with another adult, who I can …
30 July 2012 New Meadows to Cambridge ID 53 miles (TransAm 3,631) There are typically two elements I can count on to be included in Gina’s daily updates: (1) the condition of the route and (2) how often and where she stopped for food. These elements are as constant as the rise of the sun …
29 July 2012 White Bird to New Meadows ID 60 miles (TransAm 3,578) Desperate times call for desperate measures. Being behind in the blog but not wanting to miss the Olympics means the time has come to take over the dining room table with one large computer and one small remote control. I can do …
28 July 2012 Syringa to White Bird ID 67 miles (TransAm 3,518) Well I’ll be damned. I am psychic and didn’t know it. And you’d think being psychic, I would have known that I was psychic. So by not knowing I was psychic does that mean I’m not psychic even though I am? (I think …