Thursday, April 09, 2009

Down (and Up) By the River(s)

Okay, so I just spent the last four days composing in longhand a very long blog post about my ride last Saturday and realized that (1) I really don't feel like transcribing the damn thing and (2) most of it has meaning only to me anyway. So, instead, here are some pictures and fleeting impressions.

The ride was a "workers' ride" for the Oregon Randonneurs' "Three Capes" 300K. 186+ miles, in 20 hours or fewer. The actual event is this coming Saturday; I am one of the organizers and in that capacity I pre-rode the course to check for road hazards, detours, etc. I was joined by my friends Lesli, Tom, Greg and, briefly, Lynne.

The forecast was for warmth and sun, but when we started at 6 AM it was 26 degrees. My water bottles froze. It was so cold that for the first 63 miles of the ride I could not use my fingers well enough to shift and brake properly, let alone take photographs. So from Forest Grove up and over the Coast Range on the Wilson River Highway I took no pictures. You'll just have to take my word for it that the river was lovely in all its David James Duncan-ness.

I warmed up in Tillamook, where Lesli, Tom and I spent way too much time faffing and taking each other's pictures.

Safeway Litmus Test

Shingles Shots Available

From Tillamook , we skirted the coast on the Three Capes Scenic Route, which was, well, scenic.

The View from Bayocean Road

Greg O. on Bayocean Road

Looking North from Cape Meares

The View from Anderson's View Point

In Pacific City we stopped for lunch at the Grateful Bread bakery, home of the world's finest cinnamon roll.

Best Cinnamon Roll Ever

Lunch at the Grateful Bread

We then turned back inland and followed the Little Nestucca River and Highway 22 up, into and over the Coast Range at Sourgrass Summit.

That's Got to Be Wrong

Down the other side, we rolled through gambling towns (Grand Ronde),

Lost: Intact Male Miniature Pinscher

timber towns (Willamina),

Sometimes A Great Notion

prison towns (Sheridan),

The Wild Ones

not-much-there towns (Ballston),

The Sun (and the Wind) At Our Backs

and small towns dominated by wineries and Kwiki-Marts (Amity, Dayton, Lafayette),

Caption Coming Soon

back to where we started in Forest Grove.

17 hours and 8 minutes

3 Capes

2 Rivers

1 Gigantic Cinnamon Roll

What more could anyone want?

5 comments:

Donald Boothby said...

You had a lot more blue sky for the pre-ride than we had for the "real deal". A huge THANKS to you and Lynne for your work organizing this event. It is one of my favorite rides. Next time, I might have to try the Grateful Bread, but not until I've downed a cheeseburger (hold the cheese).

OREGON RANDONNEURS ROCK!!!! BIG TIME!!!!

mike said...

where oh where did one of your riding pals get an old spokes home wool cap?

osh is my local shop... here in burlington, vt.

-mike

Cecil Anne said...

Mike,

Tom (the one sporting the cap) went to school in VT (I can't remember if it was UVM or Middlebury, though . . )

mike said...

thanks...! that would explain it. lovely scenery. the company i work with has facilities in mcminnville and portland. been out a few times for work and play and really enjoy your fair state. and i'm glad i found your blog... nice to read well done rando reports!

mike

Cecil Anne said...

MIke, you are welcome - I've spent quite a bit of time in Vermont myself - my mother lives in Bethel and I went to law school in South Royalton . . .