Very much a mixed day. Started off from Portland in mist/rain and followed an empty, well-maintained bike path up Rte 205 and across the Columbia River to Washington (fighting some fierce headwinds). We then headed east, did some serious climbs, but, more to the point, did some serious testing of our rain gear. Rain. Put it on. Sun. Take it off. Repeat. Lather. Seriously, everything worked pretty much as it is supposed to. Bob and I both had good rain jackets, rain proof panniers, and when the rain really came down hard, we had rain booties to keep our shoes (which take forever to dry) reasonably protected. Neither of us bothered with rain pants.
And, yet, even with the rain it was a really good day in all. The scenery of the Columbia River, and the mountains on the Oregon side, all as viewed from the Washington side, was breathtaking at times. One highlight was detouring into Beacon Rock Park near the end of the day, which took us right down to the river for some stunning vistas all around. And, equally important, our bodies (and our various large leg muscle groups) all felt pretty good, even when trucking up from river level to over 800 feet in the course of a couple of miles.
We were intending to stay in Cascade Locks, OR, about 50 miles from our start, but Bob's brother-in-law, Mark, said we really had to go about 4 miles further, to Stevenson, on the Washington side, to go to the Walking Man Brewery. Not much salesmanship was required to convince us of the wisdom of this advice. Unfortunately, we found out the hard way that the Walking Man Brewery is closed on Mondays and Tuesday. Fortunately, the nearby Big River Grill in Stevenson was open, with a full selection of microbrews, including Walking Man IPA. Mark's advice was spot on. And, if you're ever in Stevenson, WA, we can definitely recommend the Big River Grill for food and atmosphere (in addition to beer).
Here's today's route and metrics (thanks to the "Business Center" (a single computer by reception) at the Rodeway Inn at which we're staying:
And, yet, even with the rain it was a really good day in all. The scenery of the Columbia River, and the mountains on the Oregon side, all as viewed from the Washington side, was breathtaking at times. One highlight was detouring into Beacon Rock Park near the end of the day, which took us right down to the river for some stunning vistas all around. And, equally important, our bodies (and our various large leg muscle groups) all felt pretty good, even when trucking up from river level to over 800 feet in the course of a couple of miles.
We were intending to stay in Cascade Locks, OR, about 50 miles from our start, but Bob's brother-in-law, Mark, said we really had to go about 4 miles further, to Stevenson, on the Washington side, to go to the Walking Man Brewery. Not much salesmanship was required to convince us of the wisdom of this advice. Unfortunately, we found out the hard way that the Walking Man Brewery is closed on Mondays and Tuesday. Fortunately, the nearby Big River Grill in Stevenson was open, with a full selection of microbrews, including Walking Man IPA. Mark's advice was spot on. And, if you're ever in Stevenson, WA, we can definitely recommend the Big River Grill for food and atmosphere (in addition to beer).
Here's today's route and metrics (thanks to the "Business Center" (a single computer by reception) at the Rodeway Inn at which we're staying:
I continue to be dazzled -- not just by your and Bob's amazing grit and stamina, but by your ability to put together a witty, interesting post at the end of a grueling day. The photos are great too.
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