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.