Day 5 - July 5 -Wallowing in Walla Walla WA

Day 5 - July 5 - Hermiston OR to Walla Walla Start time: 9:30am; total so far 369.7 miles (594.7 kms)

Distance: 56.04 miles (90.2kms)

Total time: 4hrs20mins (including a stop for a chat with other riders at their lunch spot)

Average Moving Speed: 17.9mph (28.1 kph)

Maximum Speed: 30.9mph (49.7 kph) 

Calories burned: 2924

Powered by: 2 fried egg sandwiches,3 pancakes, 1 protein bar, 2 bananas, about 2 liters of water, 2 liters of Gatorade, and a Subway footlong Veggies with double cheese when I got to Walla Walla.

Elevation gained: 1348 feet (410 meters)

Weather: Very sunny with light SW wind; temperatures rose from 68F (20C) to 84F (29C).

I've always wished to visit Walla Walla WA since the name sounds both funny and intriguing.  It means something about 'rye grass' but there seems to be some doubt about that translation.  I notice that some locals call it "Wally Wally Land" which has a very different meaning in British slang.  The town stands out from its neighbors as it has the feel of a New England small college town transported to the arid West. The neighbors are farm service centers and many of them without tourist draws nearby are quite run-down with lots of empty storefronts redolent of better days.

The first 20 miles or so from Hermiston followed the Columbia river but the busy highway with lots of  trucks made it hard to enjoy the scenery. 

I left Hermiston at 11am as I knew it would be an easy day with a short distance (56 miles = 90 mms), a tail wind, and not much climbing.  The first half was fast with the speedometer on the GPS consistent at about 23mph = 36kph.  I met a group of 6 riders going from Portland OR to Missoula MT following the same route as me. We have a common acquaintance at the University of California, Berkeley where they are based.  Another example of the "Small World" of academia that David Lodge has portrayed in his books.  They stopped about halfway on the day's run to Walla Walla for a delicious lunch to which they invited me.  I nibbled a little as I was not very hungry after the large breakfast about 90 minutes earlier.  They have a large van and take turns driving and riding, each according to his/her wishes.   I also saw 3 other bike-tourers going west and as is the custom, loud greetings, encouragements, and big waves were exchanged. Since I'm now on the "Lewis and Clark" route of the Adventure Cycling group in Missoula, I expect to see more riders using their guides and mapped route.

Still not green

After the turnoff onto rte 12, the route leaves the river and climbs very gradually to the town of Walla Walla.  Without irrigation, the landscape would look like that behind the state welcome sign but the valley is very lush with many wineries, lots of onion and wheat fields, and even some lavender fields that are very fragrant.

Lots of historical markers coming into Walla Walla about the Whitman family and their relations with the indigenes; lots of historical sites too. 

The farmer was ploughing this onion field (I assume after it was harvested) and the air reeked of onions. Note the irrigation in the background - lots of different types of systems in operation and it's cooling to ride through the spray that the wind whips onto the roadway

Downtown Walla Walla was a very nice surprise after the empty spaces and decrepit stores of other towns in the area.  It felt like a small New England college town. Whitman College is beside the center.

One of the older buildings on the Whitman College campus.  The campus was completely empty as I toured it on my bike after dinner.

I know many "odd fellows' (mostly academics) who might be advised to move here since the accommodations looked very nice, at least from the outside.

For sale - adjoining the campus

Well worth a visit if you go to Main Street in Walla Walla

DInner was 4 large pizza slices and a pint of Torpedo IPA, and dessert was a huge sundae from Brights (est. 1934).  Jody and Mara are concerned that I'm not eating enough and calculate that I need to consume about 7000 calories and 100 grams of protein a day if I continue to ride these kinds of miles.  So I promised to eat more and get more protein into my diet.  I procured protein bars and powder from the supermarket; I noticed that these supplements share a shelf with testosterone boosters and I won't comment further on this locational juxtaposition.

This sundae must have had over 1000 calories; I'll need them all tomorrow on the long distance to Lewiston ID with some sizable climbs.

Day 4 - July 4 - The hard way to get from Goldendale WA to Hermiston OR

 Day 4 - July 4 -  Goldendale, WA to Hermiston OR 96.4 miles (155.2kms); Total so far; 313.6miles (504.7kms)

Start time: 9:30am

Total time: 9hrs40mins (stopping for directions, a lot of pictures, and plenty of fluids)

Distance: 96.4miles (kms)

Average Moving Speed: 14.9mph (24 kph)

Maximum Speed: 36.8mph (59.2 kph) - could have gone faster but bike not stable in gusty winds

Calories burned: 5189

Powered by: 2 hardboiled eggs, bagel, yogurt, 4 Fig Newtons (fig rolls),Klondike bar, 1 Cliff bar, banana, 1 Coke, about 8 liters of water, 2 liters of Gatorade, and a McFlurry treat when got to Hermiston. 

Elevation gained: 4134 feet (1279 meters)

Weather: Very sunny with moderate W wind; temperatures rose from 66F (19C) to 92F (35C).

After talking to the local cyclist yesterday, I decided to change my plans to go to the Tri-Cities and instead head back down to the Columbia river and go  to Hermiston, on the way to Walla Walla.  I thought that I would take a shortcut across the "windy flats' plateau but this proved to be a big mistake. Plotting the route on Google maps bicycle option took me onto loose gravel roads for about 5 miles (8kms).  With the extra weight on the bike of a large water container (the bladder from a Camelbak), and 3 liters of Gatorade, it was hard to get a lot of traction on the climbs which were a lot steeper than I expected.Going both up and down hill, the rear of the bike tended to fishtail on the loose gravel.  The tires are wide for roads - but narrow on gravel and dirt.  It was a bone shaking ride on the gravel and I was completely lost at one point.  There was no one around to ask for directions  - nor any animals as the area is given over to wind farms

Mt Adams on the Washington side of the river. This scrub was typical of the vegetation on the plateau.

Mt. Hood is more visible earlier in the day before the haze builds

These turbines make a sound like a plane overhead.

Old and new turbines; this was one of many abandoned buildings I passed

Some of the climbs were steep enough; this one was over 13% grade.

A few miles on these roads on a loaded bike can shake you up 

Finally, after about 37 miles (60 kms) and some fast downhills, I joined the main road on the Washington side of the river, highway 14.  After a refueling stop at the only mini-mart that I saw all day, I profited from a good tailwind and rode about 22mph (35kph) for the next 40 miles (64kms).  Since it was the 4th July holiday, the road was a lot quieter than yesterday. I saw one touring cyclist riding  west with 4 panniers and a trailer, and he was really battling the wind.  He wished me such a fair wind all the way to Montana.

A scary moment occurred when I missed a turn onto a bike track on the Interstate 82 bridge over the Columbia.  It was either poorly marked or I was riding too fast but I realized that something was wrong when the highway over the bridge was just the 2 travel lanes with no shoulder (margin) or walkway.  I stopped quickly, hopped over the concrete wall, hauled the bike and panniers after me and went exploring. Sure enough, there was a bike way underneath the interstate so I carried the lot down the embankment to the tunnel under the highway.

The bridge without any shoulders or path. I bailed off it over the concrete barrier

I unpacked the panniers looking for a map to try to find a way across the river.

I scrambled down the embankment, found the tunnel and then brought the bike and panniers down

Some more climbing to Hermiston where the first place I saw was a McDonalds which provided a delightfully cold McFlurry (a mix of ice-cream and cookies) and lots of ice cold water.  I was tempted to ride around town to drive the day's total to 100 miles but I'll have plenty more opportunities to clock that total.  I chatted with a cyclist who started off cross-country in Yorktown VA about 10 weeks ago but gave up today within 400 miles of the end due to knee problems. He said that he has faced headwinds for weeks, which can certainly be mentally and physically debilitating.  He thinks that the winds will help me a lot if they stay the same direction and speed.

Dinner options in Hermiston were severely limited because of the holiday but the Chinese restaurant provided me with a fortune cookie that reads: "Listen these next few days to your friends to get answers you seek". I wonder what that means.

Tomorrow should be an easier day to Walla Walla, only about 54 miles.  I'm looking forward to sweet onion rings, the local specialty.

Day 3 - A hot and windy ride from the forests into the river valley and up onto the dry plateau

 Day 3 - July 3 - Hood River, OR to Goldendale, WA 63.6 miles (102.4kms); Total so far; 217.2miles (349.6 kms)


Start time: 10:30am
Total time: 7hrs45mins (stopping for chats, lunch, a lot of pictures, and fluids)
Distance: 63.6miles (102.4 kms)
Average Moving Speed: 13.1 mph ( 21.1 kph)
Maximum Speed: 33.6mph (54.1 kph)
Calories burned: 3797
Powered by: a large 3 egg asparagus-cheese breakfast scramble, potatoes and toast, a Subway 12" Veggie sandwich, an Eskimo pie (an ice cream sandwich), about 6 liters of water, 1 Coke, and 1 liter of Gatorade.
Elevation gained: 4590 feet (1399 meters)
Weather: Very sunny with strong NW wind; temperatures rose from 70F (21C) to 102F (39C).

Another late start due to some overdue emailing, small bike repairs (a water cage came off suddenly yesterday, luckily causing no damage) and chain cleaning and lubricating.   I went back to the Historic Columbia highway, now a bike only trail out of Hood River for about 5 miles before joining the empty road later on.  The views above the Columbia are spectacular, as is the preservation of the original highway structures (see the tunnels) and the signposting of the historic and  scenic spots.

View of the Columbia from above on the bike trail; Interstate 84 is below

 One of the original highway tunnels with the other in the background, beautifully preserved.

From the Rowena lookout point onto the original highway. It was fun to speed down these curves

I met a couple of bicyclists from Hood River and we rode fast to the lookout, where they turned back into the wind. I knew it would be windy when I saw the white caps on the Columbia when I awoke.  After chatting for a while, I headed down to The Dalles on a switchbacked highway that reminded me of the corniches above Monte Carlo on the French Riviera, but without the crowds and traffic there.

Bank thermometer in The Dalles; my GPS registered 102F (39C) later as I climbed out of the Gorge

Farm track when the bike trail ended east of the The Dalles

 After a lunch at Subway, and lots of water, I tried to take the riverfront bike trail to the bridge over the Columbia to Washington.  Google maps strikes again, as the trail degenerated to this farm track. I could ride for a while but this became impossible when the trail further deteriorated to a beaten path through the tall grass.  I bushwhacked for about 500 meters to a subdivision of homes and got back onto a street.

I felt like Lewis or Clark at this point bushwhacking through the reeds.

 The blackberries though provided some compensation for the erroneous mapping and my naiveté.

Crossing into Washington state suggests that this sign about the character of the state is highly misleading, given the landscape here.  One of the many local fireworks stands is visible on the left. Since the fire danger is so high, it's puzzling that the fireworks are so readily available.

Lewis and Clark took the easy route here by canoeing on the Columbia river below.  But they missed the views.

 Climbing up from the river bridge to highway 14 (about 300 feet, 100 meters) was quite tough due to the extreme heat, mostly a headwind, and the busy road. I was sweating profusely and with rivulets of sweat running off me with the bike shirt open to my navel, I must have resembled a Tour de France rider riding up L'Alpe d'Huez.

Highway 14 has some spectacular buttes and great views of Mt Hood across the river behind me.Unfortunately, the heat haze hindered the view and photo.  I was quite surprised by the number of wineries along this road.

The wind turbines were whirring - there are hundreds of them on this plateau overlooking the Gorge.

A longish stop at a convenience store for a Coke and ice cream before I tackled the last 10 miles (16kms) uphill to Goldendale into a headwind. A local doctor who is an avid bicyclist stopped to chat and to advise me about roads, traffic, grades, and sights of the region. He warned me about the climb to Goldendale and he was correct. The grades kicked up to 10% and the wind was strongly in my face.  I was passed by lots of trucks with flashing emergency lights as they grinded their way slowly uphill through the gears.  I just put my head down and pedalled away, not bothering to check the speed which was in the single digits - probably 8mph (13 kph). I'm glad that I stopped for the Coke and ice cream as the last climb was 900 feet (300 meters).

Day 2 -July 2 - another late start but another good end

Beaverton, OR to Hood River, OR -79.3 miles (127.6 kms); total so far 153.6miles (248.8kms)


Start time: 11:15am
Total time: 8hrs45mins (a long time in the saddle, even with many stops, enforced by red lights or unenforced for photos)
Distance: 79.3 miles (127.6 kms)
Average Speed: 13.2 mph (21.2 kph)
Maximum Speed: 32.41mph (52.1kph)
Calories burned: 4338
Powered by: a large breakfast, 3 bananas, about 3 liters of Gatorade, 1 Clif bar, 2 bottles of water and a huge blueberry muffin.
Elevation gained: 4373 feet (1333 meters)
Weather: Very sunny with light NW wind - but the wind helped me in the last 13 miles on the Interstate shoulder; temperatures rose from 73F (24C) to 90F (33C).

GPS tracked route for July 2

Elevation gain and loss on July 2

Jody and I finally got back to the Beaverton transit center and I rode off into the midday sun about 11:15am while she headed back to Boulder.  I used Google maps bike routing to take me to Troutdale on the eastern edge of the Portland metro area and I got a magical mystery tour of hills and parks in SW Portland, downtown, and a long ride along busy city streets, both commercial and residential, to (finally) Troutdale.  This took almost 2.5 hours as I stopped a few times for pictures and dozens of times for red lights, stop signs and crossing traffic.  I'm not sure that there is an easier way to cross a big city but midday is probably not the time to do it.  The route passed through a diversity of neighborhoods, all of which deserve exploration at some point. I had not been in Portland since 1987 and it seems to have prospered in the meantime.  As is evident from the elevation plot, there are a lot of sizable hills in the city, especially in the Washington Park area.

The start of the Historic Columbia road in Troutdale, OR

Beginning the ride on the Historic Columbia highway about 2:15pm was the start of a fun up/down and relatively quiet few hours.  The road is a national treasure and lucky are the people who live close to it for biking.  There were quite a few car tourists out but surprisingly, I saw no bike tourists.  I chatted for a while with a local cyclist who asked a lot of questions about my route and gear, and wistfully remarked that he toured once, wanted to tour again, but 'life got in the way'.

 

Trucks are prohibited as are long vehicles but I saw some that violate that rule

 Columbia River view from the Historic road - Interstate 84 is down below

Another way to cross the US and I bet it's easier on the touchas. I saw this rental camper at least four times at various sightseeing stops. 

 One of the many falls that tumble down to the Columbia from the Cascades

 Part of the old road (built in the 1920s) is bicycles only - it was completely empty. I saw no one.

 Steep stairs from the old road down into the gorge - it has a wheel ramp for bicycles but one needs to take the panniers off on one side to make it work

 The last 13 miles of the route today was on the shoulder (margin) of Interstate 84; I averaged over 20mph (32kph) on this stretch due to the tail wind, the gentle grades, and my wish to get off it as quickly as I could with trucks speeding by at 65+ mph (100kph).

I rode two stretches of the expressway (motorway) Interstate 84 as the old historic road peters out at a few points.  This is not as hair-raising as it sounds except at a few points when the wide shoulder (margin) separating me from the highway by a rumble strip disappeared in places where rock slides are controlled and on bridges.   The biggest problem is the debris on the shoulder especially tire bits from exploded tires (rubber, metal strips, nuts, bolts, etc) and the gravel.  It sounded as if I was riding on a gravel path with the snap, crackle and pop of the gravel under the tires.  My biggest fear was that I would get a flat along here and so, I slalomed around the debris as best I could.  That's not so easy when you have a weight of two panniers on the rear rack - about 25-30lbs (10-12kgs) in my estimate.

One last surprise before Hood River - a very steep forest road - again completely empty.

The route leaves the interstate for a detour through the forest with another steep climb with grades up to 8%.  And then back onto the interstate for the last 10 miles into Hood River.  A large pasta dinner and a cold Full Sail amber ale pint were quickly dispatched.

My experience with the weighted panniers is that initially it felt like the back brake was rubbing or someone was tugging on the rear rack, but after a few hours, it felt fine though it slows any fast getaway from a traffic light or a stop.  While it was hot again, the wind made it tolerable.

Day 1 - July 1 - Starting not with a bang, but with a (technical) hiccup

Day 1- Netarts, OR to Beaverton OR - 74.6 miles (119.4kms)

Starting time: 2:15pm
Total time: 5hrs 26mins
Riding time: 4hrs 31mins  (lots of red lights and a few photo stops - and one road repair stop)
Average speed: 16.4 mph (26.23 kph)
Maximum speed: 35.9mph (57.44kph)
Total distance: 74.6miles (119.4kms)
Total elevation gained: 2599 ft (792 meters)
Calories burned: 3950
Weather: Northerly wind, but quite light.Neither helped nor hindered me.  Temperatures went from 70F  (21C) in Netarts to 90F (about 34C) In Beaverton.

Powered by: those enormous pancakes (pictured below), 1 Cliff Bar, 2 bottles of Gatorade, and 2 bottles of water


I'm beginning to understand the GPS nuances, I think, so here is the route and the elevation profile for July 1.

The plan was to get to Netarts on the Oregon coast about 5 miles west of Tillamook and start riding about noon for a point south of Portland where Jody would meet me.  The best-laid plans of mice and men ganged aft agley once again  (apologies to R Burns).  I had a ginormous plate of blueberries and granola pancakes at the Busick Court restaurant in Salem - so large, that I could not finish the lot.  See the photo -

Enough for a family of four - and their dog

We finally reached Netarts harbor about 12:30 just in time to see a family on touring bikes with four  panniers each collide at the bottom of the hill near the restaurant.  The mom got a nice road rash/gash on her calf while the dad was hobbling badly from what looked like an ankle injury. The girls were unscathed and after a lunch, they all got back on the bikes and rode gingerly off south.

The reason I know that they had a leisurely lunch is because we were sitting waiting for the GPS to charge in the car. I forgot to turn it off after a practice ride on the Oregon coast road on Sunday. That road is designated a bicycle route but it's very dangerous. The shoulders (margins) are almost non-existent and there are a lot of camper vans, motor homes and large cars towing stuff that render it even more dangerous on a busy Sunday afternoon.  It seems as if the July 4 holiday was off to an early start in Oregon over the weekend with plenty of California and Washington licence plates to the fore.  Still, despite the traffic, the sights along the coast are magnificent.

Lighthouse on the Oregon coast

Finally, about 2:30, the GPS was charged sufficiently to allow me to charge uphill towards Tillamook.

It was cool on the beach, windy and temperatures about 70 (21 C). But it got hot quickly as I rode east towards Portland.


Since it was getting late, I left the panniers with Jody to bring to Beaverton, about 75  miles away.  The road from the beach is quite steep but levels off to gentle rollers after a few miles.  Either from unbridled enthusiasm (like the start of a marathon) or pent-up energy from 3 days off the bike with the exception of a 20 mile ride on Sunday, I set off at a good pace towards Portland.  The road (Oregon route 6) is very busy with unpredictable shoulders (margins) that ranged from zero feet to about 3 feet wide.   There is a very gradual, almost imperceptible rise, to about 900 feet but then the road kicks up  quickly to the summit of the Coast range at about 1600 feet.  From there, it's mostly downhill towards Portland.

The shoulder is relatively good at this point -  a lot of truck traffic on this road.

Still full of energy and vim, I turned off route 6 onto route 8 towards Forest Grove and the western suburbs of Portland.  Things were fine till Forest Grove through a nice valley with vineyards and an almost empty road.  Unfortunately, from Forest Grove to the planned meeting point in central Beaverton, the bike lane is cluttered with the detritus of suburban America.  While drivers observe the white lines and don't generally crowd the lane, the marked bike path is littered with broken glass, small stones, gravel, bits of tires from blow-outs, and throwaways of fast food and drink.  It's great that communities designate bike routes; too bad many of them are not cleaned, though it's obvious that this effort varies from one suburban community to another.  One has to be on guard because there are lots of drive-ins/drive-outs  and other entrances to shopping and strip malls and rush hour is probably not the time to be riding.  Overall speed is severely compromised in suburban and city traffic.

Who knew that Beaverton has multiple transit centers and stations?  It took Jody and I almost an hour to meet up but the day ended well with a huge cold pale ale from a local brewery and two orders of fries (chips) to go with the veggie burger.

I'm beginning to understand the GPS nuances, I think, so here is the route and the elevation profile for July 1.