ON THE ROAD, MT ST HELENS IN THE DISTANCE
FROM JULY, 2007
Saturday morning. My laundry was done, the house cleaned, the bike washed…and I was bored. The sun was trying to peek out from the clouds, and winning. I had been thinking of riding down the back side of Mt St Helens, not having been on those roads since before tne mountain belw up and I was still riding a Yamaha. (I’m old, remember?) So, I saddled up, kicked her into gear and off I went.
Blasted down I-5 to Highway 12, over to Randle, gassed up and grabbed a candy bar, then rode south on Forest Road 25. A little way down the road there was a turnoff for the side road to Windy Ridge, a great place to look at the view of Mt St Helens, Spirit Lake and the area around it. Back onto the froest service road, and rolled over Elk Pass (4000 ft) , then down to the Pine Creek information station.
Saturday morning. My laundry was done, the house cleaned, the bike washed…and I was bored. The sun was trying to peek out from the clouds, and winning. I had been thinking of riding down the back side of Mt St Helens, not having been on those roads since before tne mountain belw up and I was still riding a Yamaha. (I’m old, remember?) So, I saddled up, kicked her into gear and off I went.
Blasted down I-5 to Highway 12, over to Randle, gassed up and grabbed a candy bar, then rode south on Forest Road 25. A little way down the road there was a turnoff for the side road to Windy Ridge, a great place to look at the view of Mt St Helens, Spirit Lake and the area around it. Back onto the froest service road, and rolled over Elk Pass (4000 ft) , then down to the Pine Creek information station.
VIEW FROM WINDY RIDGE
MAP OF MT ST HELENS AREA, WINDY RIDGE ON THE RIGHT
Turned onto Forest Road 90 and rode through the town of Cougar and along the Swift Reservoir and Yale Lake then caught SR 503 along Lake Merwin and through Amboy. The road took me into Battleground (a suburb of Vancouver). Beautiful scenery! It’s hard to believe this area was all but devastated when the mountain erupted years ago, but nature has made a comeback. This was not an easy road to ride, the pavement is brutally rough in places, and the twists and turns kept me on high alert. I took the road out of Battleground (SR 502) over to I-5, then dropped into Portland on I-205. I stopped for gas and decided it was time for a beer, so a pit stop at Club 205 was just the ticket! Coming out of the bar, I looked east, saw Mt Hood and thought I should ride around the backside of that too! Headed east, caught Highway 26 out of Gresham, and rolled through Sandy and a number of little towns (Wemme, Rhododendron, Zig Zag) up past Government Camp and over the mountain. Just past Government Camp a few miles, is the turnoff to Highway 35, which heads south past Mt Hood Meadows ski area and drops down to the Columbia Gorge at Hood River. Very nice road, gorgeous scenery.
MT HOOD FROM HIGHWAY 26
OTHER SIDE OF MT HOOD, FROM HIGHWAY 35
COMING INTO HOOD RIVER, OREGON
BIGGS JUNCTION BETWEEN OREGON & WASHINGTON
I thought I should find a hotel for the night, as it was about 7:30 or so, but Hood River is not known for budget hotels, so I motored east along I-84 to The Dalles, about 20 miles further. Found a Motel 6 just off the freeway. The motel had recently been renovated, and the desk clerk said I could park next to the lobby entrance and she would make sure no one fucked with my scoot. Had dinner and a few drinks at a great mexican place just around the corner from the motel, then called it a night.
The next morning was sunny and warm; I loaded up the bike and hit the road about 7:30 or so. Filled up in Biggs Junction and crossed the bridge into Washington on Highway 97. I had a leisurely ride up to Goldendale, then caught SR 142 west and followed it down to Highway 14 (along the Washington side of the Columbia River). 142 is an interesting road, to say the least…it rolls through farms and fields, most of the time you can see Mt St Helens bright and shining off to your right. At one point, I swept through a couple of turns and was on a straightaway headed west---with Mt St Helens on my right and Mt Hood on my left! After going past Wahkiacus (not really a town, more like crossroads), the road began to wind and drop down into the valley. And it winds---hairpin curves, 15 and 20 mph (and they mean it!), mostly one lane, no guardrails, and a sheer drop-off on your left. Once it smoothed out, I rode along the Klickitat River, very nice ride.
The road ended at Lyle, and I turned right onto Highway 14. And there was the famous Gorge wind---head on, cold and gusty! My plan, such as it was, was to ride 14 all the way to Vancouver and catch I-205 north toward home. By the time I got to Stevenson (about 35 miles), I needed to stop, so I had breakfast at a the River’s Edge Café. Now, understand that Highway 14 gets a LOT of bike traffic during the summer, as it follows the Columbia River most all the way from Vancouver to Interstate 82 near Umatilla, Oregon. This place is NOT biker friendly---you know, the kind of place that, when a biker or tow walk in, they seat you as far away from everyone else as possible, then mostly ignore you until they decide to wait on you! The food and prices were average. . Another 5 or 6 miles and I came to the junction for the Bridge of the Gods which crosses back into Oregon. It’s a toll bridge, but only 50 cents for bikes. (Beware of this bridge in the rain, however, it is a metal grate deck.)
The next morning was sunny and warm; I loaded up the bike and hit the road about 7:30 or so. Filled up in Biggs Junction and crossed the bridge into Washington on Highway 97. I had a leisurely ride up to Goldendale, then caught SR 142 west and followed it down to Highway 14 (along the Washington side of the Columbia River). 142 is an interesting road, to say the least…it rolls through farms and fields, most of the time you can see Mt St Helens bright and shining off to your right. At one point, I swept through a couple of turns and was on a straightaway headed west---with Mt St Helens on my right and Mt Hood on my left! After going past Wahkiacus (not really a town, more like crossroads), the road began to wind and drop down into the valley. And it winds---hairpin curves, 15 and 20 mph (and they mean it!), mostly one lane, no guardrails, and a sheer drop-off on your left. Once it smoothed out, I rode along the Klickitat River, very nice ride.
The road ended at Lyle, and I turned right onto Highway 14. And there was the famous Gorge wind---head on, cold and gusty! My plan, such as it was, was to ride 14 all the way to Vancouver and catch I-205 north toward home. By the time I got to Stevenson (about 35 miles), I needed to stop, so I had breakfast at a the River’s Edge Café. Now, understand that Highway 14 gets a LOT of bike traffic during the summer, as it follows the Columbia River most all the way from Vancouver to Interstate 82 near Umatilla, Oregon. This place is NOT biker friendly---you know, the kind of place that, when a biker or tow walk in, they seat you as far away from everyone else as possible, then mostly ignore you until they decide to wait on you! The food and prices were average. . Another 5 or 6 miles and I came to the junction for the Bridge of the Gods which crosses back into Oregon. It’s a toll bridge, but only 50 cents for bikes. (Beware of this bridge in the rain, however, it is a metal grate deck.)
BRIDGE OF THE GODS
LOOKING EAST FROM CROWN POINT, OREGON
I decided to head back to Oregon and ride the old Scenic Highway along the gorge past Multnomah Falls and up to Crown Point. Got me out of that headwind! The old highway is great for bikes, but on a summer day there is a lot of tourist drivers and pedestrians, as well as bicycles. I made a few stops along the way for pictures, and then rode through Corbett and Springdale into Troutdale. A couple of stops for gas and something to drink and I hit I-205 and headed for home, rolling in about 3. I was going to meet Erin and Jordyn for dinner, but Erin called and suggested I come up there as they had dinner cooking, so after a shower and a change of clothes I rode up to Federal Way, had dinner and got back home about 8 or so. All in all, just over 700 miles since leaving home. See what happens when I get bored?
MULTNOMAH FALLS, OREGON
LOOKING WEST FROM CROWN POINT, OREGON