CROC: Century Ride of the Centuries

I spent the weekend with cyclists taking part in the Century Ride of the Centuries - a series of rides through Umatilla County covering land from the wheat fields to the Columbia River to the Blue Mountains.

In the photo above, Herb Bitting, my unofficial guide to the event, holds up one of the patches cyclists can earn. This one, conquering the Blues, is for riding all the way from Pendleton to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center past Cabbage Hill. There's another one for conquering Cabbage Hill, and a third one that says, "I'm a weenie, I drove Cabbage Hill." That one is for riders who drive up to Deadman Pass, then bike to the interpretive center.

Below are a couple riders getting their start on Saturday at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute — the starting point for all the rides.