"Dynamic Tandem Duo" Dean & Barb Lee embarked upon this cycling adventure over Memorial Day weekend and Dean was kind enough to share his experiences with us. Enjoy! Note: Dean and Barb took so many good photos from their ride, you can view the entire album.
Century Ride of the Centuries (or CROC as the locals call it) is a 3 day cycling event based in Pendleton, Oregon over Memorial Day weekend. If you've never traveled to Northeastern Oregon, it's not challenging to find. Head out I-84 and just keep driving east for ~ 3 1/2 hrs! Pendleton sits in the valley or on the Columbia river plains near the foothills of the Blue mountain range. Barb and I first discovered this ride 3-4 years ago during a time our daughter Emily was attending Eastern Oregon University in La Grande.
There is a rich and rugged history in this area that dates back to the Oregon trail days. Likely the most notable event is the annual Pendleton round-up. Yee-haw! There remains a independent, pioneering nature in folks living in the small communities here. Folks are generally pretty friendly- they'll talk with you if they see you are open. What's most striking about the area is the vast, seemingly endless fields of wheat, clover and mint surrounded by the Blue and Elkhorn mountains. It's a beautiful place.
This ride is similar to a Cycle Oregon weekend- you have the option to camp or stay in a local motel. Your 3 days of cycling includes
catered meals by the main sponsor (this year, Wild Horse Resort provided breakfast and dinner). The rest stops
are well organized, supplied with plenty of good eats to help you and your pony keep moving along, and the volunteers are very friendly.
The ride
You can view maps, pictures and route descriptions here.
Day 1 is the official century. This year they headed out to Hat Rock - with a shorter option for those who decided to opt out.
Day 2 typically adds the traditional climb up Cabbage Hill (Emmigrant Pass), Meacham and the surrounding area.
Day 3 is a ride out and back to the BarM ranch. This year they added a 18 mile option with another climb, heading north to Thorn Hall/ Adams before returning to Pendleton.
There are three things that become readily apparent on this ride.
1. You quickly discover the true definition of the term "rollers".
Pendleton is surrounded by rolling hills, so it seems whatever direction you take.. you are going to hit a series of rollers like waves in the ocean. About the time you think you've finished the last roller, you ascend only to discover the "tops" of another before you descend into the next trough! I've cycled around many areas of Oregon and I've yet to discover as many "rollers" as I've encountered here.
2. You are in the open - exposed to the elements.
On the rolling plains there are few if any trees. Weather plays a big role in determining how difficult the day will be. So you want to take note and prepare accordingly. Be a good scout- be prepared!
3. It seems at times every road is straight or near straight ahead.
It's an odd thing to try and describe but it's just not like what we typically see in the valley. If I climb Skyline or Mason Hill for example, I wind my way up the hill. the hill breaks 
down into small sections. If you're in the countryside around Pendleton, you're likely on a long straight away going up or down or straight to the next series of up and down! Its part of that sense of exposure you feel, you can see for miles around!
Our weekend
In addition to just spending time with Barb, I had a purpose in the back of my mind for this trip centered on training. This would be Barb's first time climbing a hill of this caliber. This is a perfect ride for hill climbing basics - such as incorporating Doug Rennie's tried and true methods. Based on our previous CROC experience, I knew this trip would augment our physical condition for the better and prepare us for our summer cycling plans.
The weather turned out to be near perfect- sunny skies were forecast. The temps were moderate in the morning with a light breeze to help keep things cool. By afternoon the temp was in the low to mid 80's. I was prepared for catching freckles- armed with plenty of sunblock! We brought the tandem for Day 1 and our singles to choose from for the remaining days.
Day 1
We chose to ride the Dispain Gulch loop (70 mile option- 3320 ft of elevation) on our tandem. Given our previous experience, we chose to save some legs for the "real" climbing on Day 2. This turned out to be a wise choice. The first 5-8 miles were mostly downhill into downtown Pendleton from the Wildhorse resort. This was a quick descent, and the work began as we hit the far end of town taking a right turn (north) to start our "climb" out of Pendleton. Once we reached the top (2 to 3 mile climb) the temp + effort was enough to stop and strip off arm warmers and our light vests.
We began to tackle the next set of "rollers" ahead followed by what reminded me of the wave from the movie- The Perfect storm. To my surprise- the route turned left at the base of the "wave" onto Disdain Gulch road and continued along on modulating hillsides. This section was like butter to our tandem. It did not take long to pick up momentum, the B&D train was rolling- we were in the zone sailing away! All things must come to an end however and the first rest stop came up pretty quick some 25 miles out of town. We eventually made our way back around to Echo traveling through farm/ ranch lands to arrive at our "Aloha" rest stop (~ 45-50 miles into the route). This was not a lunch stop but there was protein available so we ate wisely. We continued on alongside the Umatilla river back to Pendleton. This was a great day, though the afternoon heat proved challenging. By the time we rolled into Pendleton we were feeling it - that initial quick down became the final up for the day. We were pretty quiet as we made our way back to the Wildhorse Casino. The last 5 miles seem to take forever as we opted for a straight ahead up the hill shortcut. :(. Good day.. we went looking for some real FOOD before dinner!
Day 2
We started early as possible this morning to avoid the higher temperature expected (85). This was to be an epic day. I planned on turning around at Meacham for a ride total of 49 miles- 4650 ft of elevation. As we headed down from the Casino - we turned east and immediately began to make our way up to the base of Cabbage Hill. Barb was not feeling her best and almost immediately fell into a "spot of bother" searching for her lowest gear. She had lost her legs. After some Bob Roll, Phil Liggett impersonations, I managed to get her to crack a smile. I was able to talk her into riding to the base of Cabbage Hill - about 10 miles from our start. Once there we were exchanging keys, but the gal decided to give it a go.. "maybe just a bit further" she said. It's one thing to climb when you're feeling good. Its another thing to push through when your body is whining. I married a tough gal.
Cabbage hill is not a super tough climb. It's a 5-6 % average grade that winds its way up to Emmigrant pass with some nice switchbacks. It is a long constant climb for 10-12 miles. I kept track of Barb - pulling off to wait every so often to check on her status. Sure enough.. she would show up rounding a switchback. To her surprise she had actually passed a few folks in the process. She was awesome! Phil would have been proud! I am proud of her!
We made our way to our rest stop at Deadman's pass. True to name- this is where folks on the Oregon Trail found a dead man.. so they aptly named this Deadman's pass. I chuckle thinking about that conversation. "What do we call this place again?"
"Well, ya know we found that dead man here."
"Yea that's right. Well maybe we should call it Deadman's pass. Yea.. that has a nice ring to it... "For the real story read this article. 
Having conquered the major climb of the day, Barb returned while I continued on to Meacham. The temp on the hill was about 5 degrees cooler so we were much than the valley. The Day 2 pics speak for themselves- this truly turned out to be a epic day. It was great to be able to share in her accomplishment and show her some of my favorite mountain-top views.
Day 3
Barb chose to take the day off the bike and hang out with our daughter. Though feeling tired, I pushed myself to complete the out and back to BarM ranch. This would complete another 50 miles adding 2600 ft of climbing. This ride takes you past the wheat fields into the mountains along the Umatilla river. It's a low grade climb but after the last two days I found a "comfortable" pace to enjoy the scenery. If you do this ride.. don't skip this route. It's worth the extra effort! The resort allowed CROC riders to use the showers at the end. We still managed to get home before 5PM Monday.
All in all- I recommend this event. The weather can be touchy. Apparently last year rain dampened the spirits on Day 2 according to folks who attended. Many chose not to climb Cabbage Hill. I do recommend you come with some spring prep (cycling time/ miles) or be prepared to suffer a bit. That is not to say you have to be in peak shape.. just have some miles 
under your belt so you can enjoy the ride.