13 August Bike Notes

I woke up at about 7:00 and began packing while I talked to my friend Aaron Shiels. He had to go to a brunch at 10:00 so I loaded my bike and got him because he wanted to see what it was like.

I headed out for Biggs Junction. I wnet out of Hood River to the Historic Columbia River Highway which quickly becomes a hiking/biking trail. Pretty nice. Steady climbs folowed by a fast downhill through a couple of tunnels. I then continued on Highway 30 up to the Roweena Crest. Hard climbing. Once there, a prettty view of the gorge. You then get ot the Roweena Loops, a series of steep switchbacks going down to the interstate (luckily going down). Scary fast.

Then it was relatively flat to Biggs Junction. I headed across the way to Maryhill State Park where I had a nice night. I face a 500 foot climb tomorrow that I can see from my tent. Trucks and cars are struggling up it. 82 miles of nothing to Umatilla is what I have before me tomorrow.