Hood River to The Dalles

Hood River to The Dalles: Cycling from Rick Dancer on Vimeo.

This is one of the greatest, most scenic bike rides you will find. We started at our hotel on the West side of Hood River near the Columbia Gorge Hotel.

When you get to the East side of town, you cross the bridge as if heading back to the highway or if you go left you head to Mount Hood. For this ride just go straight onto the old Columbia Gorge Highway.

After a few miles you will spot a parking lot where you can also begin your journey however you must pay to park there. For the next four to five miles traffic is not allowed on the roadway. It’s such a beautiful mix of slight hills and downhill’s. You can tell by the white wooden post guardrails that you are on the old scenic highway. You will even go into an old tunnel.

You come out at Mosier and then the ride starts to get a bit more difficult. There are big hills and some really fun downhill runs.

Just stay on that road all the way to The Dalles. When you get into The Dalles you take one of the first rights at a big Home Depot Store. At the end of that street take another right, you go up a slight hill for a mile or two and take a right on Seven Mile High Road. There’s a sign there that says 12 miles to Mosier. The next four miles are steep and high and some of the most scenic road you will find in Oregon.

Once you come back down into Mosier, stop at the Ten Speed Restaurant for a sandwich and something to drink. It’s an earthy place, good sandwiches and they have drinks even beer if you’d like.

You climb back up the hill to the scenic highway and head back into Hood River. Total mileage is about 45.

This really is a ride you need to take. If you don’t like the hills, go to the scenic mountain before you get to The Dalles and head back.

Take plenty of water, a snack and if it’s a nice day you can always hike into a small water fall right as you come back into Mosier. It’s a crowded place on a hot day but a nice way to cool off.

GoPro Cycling.

If You Don’t Cycle, You Need To Try

Creswell, to Cottage Grove to Lorane and back.

We had the best ride today. Kathy and I woke up, decided church would consist of spokes, quiet time, nature and a friend.

We started our ride at our favorite Creswell Coffee shop, Creswell Coffee. We headed east to Sears road (right)and traveled south to Cottage Grove. You pass the Creswell Castle (which I have been inside before but that’s another story). You ride along I-5 and the river until you get to Cottage Grove.

Take a right on Row River Road and then get on Main Street and go right through Cottage Grove. If you want stop by Fleur De Les for some coffee and then on through town. Main becomes Cottage Grove/Lorane Hwy. As you get to Lorane you can stop by the little store for a break/lunch or by King Estate (Nice spot but a huge hill to climb for lunch).

We forgot our directions and had to use my phone to get on track. You turn right on Hamm Road just about 2 miles from King Estate. Follow Hamm Road that turns into Camas Swale Road. That road takes you right through Creswell and back to the Creswell Coffee Shop.

Creswell Coffee Shop is great place for lunch. Great sandwiches and amazing soups.

Total mileage is 42.5. It took us about 2.45 hours to ride it. There are two really long, high hills to climb. One just outside of Cottage Grove on the way to Lorane and one off Hamm Road. To be honest it is one heck of a high road. If you are a beginner you may not want to do Hamm Road. We loved it but it really is a high, steep road.

Oh, take a peanut butter sandwich, lots of liquid and your phone and have fun.

Aufderheide Drive Cycle Ride

Cycling Oregon: Crabtree to Scio (Click here for video)

Kathy and I went on a bike ride through rural Oregon yesterday and saw some of the most beautiful,historic covered bridges in the state. The ride turned out to be almost 52 miles and wound through backcountry and we didn’t have to fight traffic. I’ll give you the directions if you’d like to try it for yourself. In terms of difficulty I’d call it a fairly moderate ride. It has some hills but more flat land than anything.

Start in Crabtree.  Go to Hungry Hill Rd Head East. Lft Hwy. 226/Rt. Montgomery Dr/Rt Richardson Gap Rd./Lft. Oupor Dr/Lft. Fish Hatchery Dr./Lft Larwood dr./Lft to Stayton Larwood Dr./Rt Richardson Cap Rd./ Turns into Ridge Dr.(Stay Straight) Rt. Spring Valley Dr/Rt. Valley View Dr./Rt.Kingston Jordan Rd SE (hwy 226) Lft Jordan Rd./ Rt. Camp Morrison Dr./Lft. Hwy 226/Rt.Shimanek Bridge Dr./Lft Richardson Gap Rd./Rt Hwy 226 into Scio/Lft on Main St/Left on Gilkey rd./ Stay on Gilkey and take Lft on Crabtree Drive.

Oh, and have fun.

We parked at the church right in Crabtree.

On the way home stop at Grandpa’s Produce Stand. It’s not fancy, it’s not marketed well, just fresh, local produce.

Joseph to Imnaha (almost)

The weather forecast says thunderstorms this afternoon so Kathy and Rick know if they want to get a bike ride in today, they need to get going. But the creek is so serene, the coffee so good, the deck overlooking the Wallowa Mountain’s so amazing the pair just can’t get going.

They decide to ride 60 miles to and from Imnaha. They’ve been there before. It’s a tiny little town with a post office, a store and a school at the end of the road. (There’s a restaurant too) This is one of the farthest spots you can go and still be in Oregon.

They headed out and next to Alaska; this is probably the prettiest place they have ever seen. Green pastures tucked beneath those giant mountains that seem to shoot up out of the earth so high they touch the robe of God. The old barns, houses are reminders of those who’ve lived here before.

As Rick and Kathy get farther down the road they realize Imnaha is at the bottom of a canyon. You don’t realize this when you drive it in a vehicle.

The road winds down, down, down and both look at each other understanding there’s only one way up and that is to ride it. At the 20 mile marker the sky is growing darker and the clouds scream a warning to get home because the clouds cannot hold back what is inevitable. A big storm is coming and time is short.

As Rick and Kathy pull into the driveway back in Joseph, a raindrop lands on Kathy’s arm and then another and another and another. By the time they are in the shower, the ground is rumbling and the dark clouds lighting up as bolts from the Heavens touch the ground nearby.

The two grab some lunch, stop by some shops, and find their way to the coffee shop and the Internet.

It was a great ride and hey, the pair burned off enough calories for a nice dinner and a beer at Terminal Gravity. Now, that is a good day.