June 11 Ochoco to Mitchell 41 miles 4:05 riding
Started the day with an 1800-foot dose of Dr. Hill's Elixir of Health. Mitchell is a metropolis of 170 residents. In 1904, the entire town disappeared when a 30-foot flash flood passed through. Today, there is the Oregon Hotel and the Lone Pine Cafe with the famous ice cream pancakes (they melt ice cream in the microwave, then mix it with pancake mix to batter consistency and fry 'em up. They're pretty good.) We took rooms at the hotel, a friendly place with six or eight rooms and a shared bathroom. The school advertises for foreign students to help the school keep the doors open. Half the tiny student body is foreign, living in a dorm.

I'd like to put in a plea for a national standard for pancake size. The Lone Pine Cafe pancakes are the size of manhole covers. Pancakes elsewhere have been as small as a Mrs. Fields' cookie. How do you know how much to order? A national standard is the answer.