Another epic day. Mt. Hood was in full glory today, showing off her glistening snow-capped peak.  The day started with a 14 mile, 2,500 ft. climb to Summit Ski Area and a small village called Government Camp.  According to wikipedia, the town was named in 1849 when U.S. Cavalry troops were forced to abandon wagons and supplies here.  Fortunately, our tour group had a full supply of water and energy food to re-fuel after our ascent over Barlow Pass (Elev. 3995 ft.).  We continued on past Mt. Hood into the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and the welcoming resort of Kah-Nee-Ta.

Every good cyclist has a great support team – before, during, and after rides.  And our tour support team (America By Bicycle) has been fabulous (for more on today’s ride, click here: https://blog.americabybicycle.com/aan/2018/6/20/day-3-welches-to-kah-nee-ta-or).  But my best support team is at home – Travis, Evan, A.J., and my beautiful wife Jackie.  Today (June 20) marks our 26th wedding anniversary.  Happy Anniversary Babes!  Thanks for encouraging me to take on this coast to coast challenge – and providing constant support and encouragement.

Here’s a flashback to last year (2017) and our 25th wedding anniversary, celebrated with our own personal bike tour of Niagara Falls and the nearby wine country of Canada:

That was an epic ride, for sure!

Tomorrow we head 65 miles from our high desert oasis of Kah-Nee-Ta to the farming valley of Prineville.

Till then,  ~Dan

Today was a spiritual ride, in many ways.  I rolled through the city of my birth, Portland Oregon, and through the suburb of Gresham, where I spent the first two years of my life.  My Mom may have imagined I would return some day – but probably never imagined it would be on a bike.  As I cycled through town, I could picture a loving family with a wandering toddler taking his first steps here about 50 years ago.  I felt the spirit of my Dad smiling down on me with a sense of pride.

Along the way, after crossing St. John’s bridge and riding along the mighty Columbia river, the spectacle of Mt. Hood made a grand appearance.  Often shrouded in clouds or fog, Mt. Hood only shines when she wants to, and she was gracious enough to show off her splendor today.  Majestic and mystic.  A very spiritual and moving ride for me.

Tomorrow we climb over the shoulder of Mt. Hood into the Native American town of Kah-Nee-Ta… let’s hope the mountain continues to be a gracious host to this Oregon-born kid who is still wandering.

For more photos and a ride journal from the touring company I’m with, check out https://blog.americabybicycle.com/aan

~Dan

A spectacular day and a spectacular ride through Northwest Oregon.  What a way to start a coast-to-coast adventure.  An 81 mile meander through the forested hills and fern-laden river valleys between Astoria and St. Helens.  Sure, Highway 30 might be a more direct route – but cyclists seek the alternate, less trodden paths… and this one was a backroads gem.  About the only traffic was from logging trucks – and those trucks move along pretty fast, but they shared the road with us, mostly.

I had the unique experience of being passed by a highway striping crew that was re-painting the white shoulder line.  The sad thing is those striping trucks only go about 12 mph.  But I was climbing a very long and steep hill – at least that’s my excuse!  I was able to overtake the crew on the downhill, although I missed the golden opportunity to temporarily change my tire tread from black to white.

One of the best parts of a tour like this is building camaraderie and kinship with fellow crazed cyclists.  I had the pleasure of cycling alongside Brad from North Carolina,  Herman from the Netherlands, Garry and John from Australia, and Arlene from New Jersey (and I had a hard time keeping up with Arlene!).  Always great to hear other riders’ stories and experiences.

Tomorrow’s ride:  75 miles from St. Helens to Welches, OR.  3,000 feet of elevation gain.