A week

It has been a very busy week for me, a memorial service, fire district meetings, putting a back-up camera in my pickup, and other jobs kept me off the bike,  Today was predicted to be 70 degrees and I could stand it no longer, I had to get on my bike!  I took the carbon bike out for the first time in months.  It is my oldest bike, but after today I remember why I still like it the best!

I rode a couple of miles to breakfast, then loaded the bike up on my new Kuat rack and drove to Riverside Park in Sellwood. I thought it would be a good day to ride the Springwater Trail to Gresham.  The views of Mt Hood would be superb.

On the drive out there I noted that I was not the only one thinking that a bike ride would be a good thing.  There were bikes everywhere. The parking log at Riverside Park was full with cars equipped with bike racks, and the neighboring parking lot (reserved for business M-F) had only 3 spaces still open.  I took one of them!

I pedaled out east on the Springwater.  As I approached I-205 I made a last minute course adjustment.  I turned north along the I-205 path.  I thought that the view of Mt Hood over the Columbia River would be worth the route modification.

As I neared the Columbia River I caught my first glimpse of Mt Hood.  It happened to be across the Home Depot parking lot, the same parking lot that my 50th birthday ride started from all those years ago.  Who would have known at the time that a guy who only rode a few miles a year with his kids would end up riding 10,000 miles in a year, or finishing the Furnace Creek 508, or setting a course record at Race Across Oregon!

I was carrying my camera today, but at this stop I found out that while I had the camera, I did not have the memory card!  So all photos today would be taken with the cell phone. In a very short distance I was on the shores of the Columbia River taking a photo of Mt Hood.

I had thought I might turn upstream and ride to Troutdale, or maybe even on out to Multnomah Falls, but instead I turned downstream and set my sights on riding Portland's 40 mile Loop.  I used to ride the 40 Mile Loop often when I was training.  There is no real elevation gain but I could always try to better my time, and if I went clockwise, the last 30 miles were off street and quite safe after dark.  I could start with the sun low in the sky and still get 40 miles in.  Today I was not in that kind of hurry.
I believe it was the first time that I've done the entire route counterclockwise.

I followed the Columbia River until I accessed the Penninsula Crossing Trail.  I left the Columbia River and crossed over the Columbia Slough.

I proceeded along the Penninsula Crossing Trail until I came to the Willamette River near the University of Portland. The weather was gorgeous, and the trees and flowers were blooming.  The photo on the home page of U of P has a photo looking like it could have been taken today.

I continued around the bluff and dropped down to near river level as I approached the Memorial Coliseum. Within a few hundred yards I was at river level, pedaling along the Eastbank Esplanade.

I stopped near OMSI to take a photo and was invited by a 3rd grader and her chaperone to be interviewed as part of her school project about bridges. With Portland's newest bridge, Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People, in the background. After a brief question and answer session filmed by the chaperone (with the 3rd grade girl doing remarkably well holding a mic and asking the questions) I rode a short distance then stopped for two photos of the new bridge.

I didn't have far to go from here, and within 15 minutes I was back at Riverside Park.  I met friend Carol there and we decided to go for a post ride brew.  Carol was out test riding new bikes today.
We made a few calls to invite folks to join us. As it ended up I was surrounded by women!

After about an hour of visiting, we suddenly realized that Suzanne (wearing the black shirt..(blouse?) is something like a second cousin once removed of mine!  Small world.

Cousins! (well, distant cousins)

It was nice to be on the carbon bike. Tonight as I am typing this I realize it's been a week since I last was on my bike.  Unbelievable.


...........road bike..........rollers.........mtb..........lifecycle.......total
Today.............42...............0..............0...............0..................42 Jan...............765...............0...............0...............0...............765
Feb................248...............0...............0...............0................248
March............46.................0................0..............0.................46
Total............1059...............0...............0...............0..............1059