Coast-to-Coast Adventure

And so it begins… a quest to cycle across America.  Every Fantastic Inch.  From Oregon to New Hampshire.

2018 will feature a 950 mile run from Astoria, Oregon to Pocatello, Idaho.  Two weeks of riding, averaging about 80 miles a day.  More segments to be tackled in future years.

Today was a warm-up ride of sorts, a 26 mile out-and-back from the Columbia river town of Astoria to the Pacific beach sands of Fort Stevens State Park.  Beautiful weather, and a beautiful ride.

I’m with a touring group called America By Bicycle, along with about 40 other riders from across the country and around the world –  Tampa, San Diego, Boston, Phoenix, Chicago.  Australia, Holland, Italy, Canada.  I’ve met several already, and look forward to meeting more as we bond as a traveling family.

A great start on ‘Day 0’.  Tomorrow features an 81 mile ride through the lush Oregon coastal forests to the town of St. Helens.  Talk to you then.

~Dan

 

 

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Biketown

Portland Oregon’s city bike program features bright orange 8-speed cruisers emblazoned with Nike logos.  Stations and bikes are plentiful, at least on the beautiful June Saturday when I paid a visit to the Rose city.  I’ve had the distinct pleasure to enjoy city bike share programs in several North American cities, including New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Nashville, Chicago, Washington DC, and Denver.  All are somewhat similar, yet unique.  Portland’s 8-speed bikes are a bit lighter then most, and better able to climb the steep hills around the city, with both front and rear brakes for those rapid and sometimes slick descents.

Portland is on my way to the start of a Coast-to-Coast journey, and I’ll be back through the city in a couple days.  But that will be a story for another blog…

Have a great ride.

~Dan

 

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Greetings from Montana City

Sunny and 60s makes for a great biking day in February, albeit a bit windy with a pending snowstorm (which dutifully arrived Monday). 22 mile loop to downtown on Saturday. 42 Mile loop through Highlands Ranch on Sunday. And 2 inches of snow on Monday.

This pic is from a newly and nicely reconstructed park along the South Platte river commemorating an early gold rush settlement named Montana City:

Montana City was the first settlement in what was later to become Denver, Colorado. It was established during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush on the east bank of the South Platte River, just north of the confluence with Little Dry Creek, in 1858. At the time, the site was in the Kansas Territory.

The site selected because it was adjacent to placer gold diggings along the South Platte River. However, the gold diggings at Montana City proved disappointing, and the site was soon abandoned in favor of the settlement of Auraria, a few miles downstream.

Interesting bit of history, and a nice rest stop.

~Dan

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