Covid Cross Day #48 The Dalles, OR to Ainsworth State Park, OR
Covid Cross Day #48
July 22, 2020
The Dalles, OR to Ainsworth State Park, OR 60 Miles
Start 7:12 AM Finish 6:00 PM
Ride Time 7:36
Ascent 3139 Feet
Descent 3130 Feet
Tour Total Miles 3842
I slept great last night in room 224 at The Dalles Hotel. It was a nice reset after the previous night. I got caught up on my sleep, showered, recharged, and laundered. I tried to stay up late to complete a nine hour remote training course for the New School. I was exhausted and could only bear a few hours. I scrambled to just get it done. One of the test questions was, "What is a browser?". A second task was to attach a document. Seriously? After a crazy intense laborious spring semester, instructors were now being asked to complete an uncompensated training course in the middle of their summer vacations? For shame New School! I was infuriated.
This morning I brewed coffee in my room. The apricots that I'd purchased yesterday at the fruit stand were no good. Why had I not bought more peaches from Gunkel Orchards? The weather forecast called for more favorable riding conditions. A front was moving in, bringing cooler temperatures. We had agreed to a 7 AM start in the front lobby. Immediately out of the parking lot Linda's front tire went flat. It was a quick fix, and we never found the culprit. All three of us had now experienced a flat. We rode out of The Dalles on a beautiful trail alongside the Columbia River and were met with a robust headwind.
The asphalt trail meandered through the industrial part of town, and many cyclists were out using the path. Much of the waterfront was reclaimed former industrial area. I spotted a community garden surrounded by a wall decorated with mosaics. I rode by a large Google complex with high voltage electrical lines coming in one side and huge cooling units on the other. There were no windows. I spotted wild blackberries and stopped to stuff my face. I got on US Highway 30 which had just been tarred and chipped. There were no traffic markings and I was met by strong headwinds. A friendly oncoming cyclist waved and smiled.
This stretch through the Columbia Gorge was billed as one of the most beautiful scenic highways in the country. The desert was disappearing behind me, and I was now seeing pine trees and scraggly rock formations. Brown grass was growing beneath the trees alongside scattered boulders. The Columbia River was just to the right. Original white-painted wooden guard rails ran alongside the highway. There were hundred foot drop-offs immediately to the side of the road. The ride was beautiful! The flora was getting greener and the climate was becoming more pleasant. The historic Columbia River Highway had been built between 1913 and 1922, as the first planned scenic roadway in the United States. It was intended to lure easterners who were out visiting the Pacific Northwest.
The old highway cut south into the hills and away from I-84 and the river. I cycled through beautiful pristine wilderness. I climbed steep switchbacks up towards Rowena Crest. The sharp grade combined with the headwind made the ascent challenging. Fortunately the surrounding trees provided shade. It was vastly different from the desert where I had just come. I passed groves of Ponderosa pine with long needles and thick bark. From Rowena Crest there were sweeping views of the river. Both Mount Adams and Mount Hood could be seen in the distance. The wind was out of control riding back down into the valley, and it made me feel unstable. I passed apricot orchards and vineyards.
Back down at river level I crossed over Mosier Creek. I rode though the small town of Mosier, population 433, and doubled back around on Rock Creek Road, to get back onto the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, aka former US Highway 30. The old roadway was narrow by today's standards, and was just a little bit wider than a typical motorized vehicle. I pedaled my way through the Mosier Twin Tunnels, some of which had been rebuilt.
Linda, Henry, and I rode into the town of Hood River and stopped at the River Daze Café for breakfast. Masks were required at the counter where I ordered an T-Rex egg sandwich, orange juice, and cappuccino. After breakfast, while riding out of town, I met a local cyclist with a bike packing set-up whom had cycled the Trans Am last year. He was familiar with our western route and warned us about the upcoming stretch on I-84. I had a nice view of Mount Adams to the north while riding out of town.
We entered I-84 at exit 62 and rode single file for six miles along the shoulder to exit 56. The headwind was brutal and the cycling was treacherous. We rode past the turn-off for Viento State Park, viento being the Spanish word for wind. The scenery was gorgeous. In addition to the river, I admired rock formations, trees, and forest. At the exit I rejoined Old Historic Highway 30, which at this point had been converted to a trail. I passing hikers as I pedaled away from the interstate.
I rode through a thick forest and passed a giant waterfall. A helicopter could heard in the distance, up in the hills. There was a timber operation and the aircraft was being used to hoist fallen trees. It seemed inefficient and dangerous. All of a sudden, the trail dead-ended and left me back on US Highway 30. There was a steep 400 foot climb, which seemed like much more. I went screaming down the other side and met back up with the interstate and the small town of Cascade Locks, population 1,144, nestled on the banks of the Columbia. I was greeted with bicycle mileage markers and Share The Road signs. Hydrangeas were in bloom, and I noticed blackberries and mulberry trees. I was enjoying all the different types of wildflowers. It was nice to be out of the desert.
Our proposed destination had been Cascade Locks. The cyclist in Hood River had mentioned the campground and brewery. I rode straight to Thunder Island Brewery which had a great vibe. Tables and benches were set up in the courtyard, music was playing, and everyone was socially distanced. I met a Pacific Coast Trail through-hiker who had started her trek at the southern end on March 20th. I ordered several Dual Eagle Ambers along with a Beyond Burger and Chips. Henry, Linda, and I sat at a picnic table overlooking the river.
The nearby campground was not permitting use of the Hiker Bike sites because of COVID. Only large RV's and campers were allowed. It was going to be another two hour ride to the next campground. If I had been traveling alone, I would have continued eating and drinking at the brewery and snuck into the campground after dark. The last think I wanted to do right now was to get back on my bike.
On our way out of town we stopped at Columbia Market where I purchased freeze-dried lasagna, a six pack of Deschutes Pale Ale, two peaches, a small bottle of orange juice, two Modelo tall boys, a bag of Dotz pretzels, and a bag of ice. I rode underneath the Bridge of the Gods and found the entrance to the Historic Columbia River State Trail. There were "Trail Closed" signs, yet we proceeded ahead anyway.
The trail continued to follow the Historic US Highway 30 route. There was a difficult set of steep stairs that I had to ascend with a fully loaded bike including ice and beer. I passed the Bonneville dam to my right. The trail snaked alongside and underneath I-84. The trail hadn’t been weed-whacked in a long time. My bag of ice was melting, and it was a race against time whether it would make it to the campground intact or not. I rode through a section of dead trees that had died as a result of a recent forest fire. The Eagle Creek fire was started on September 2, 2017 by a 15-year-old boy igniting fireworks. The fire had decimated this part of the Columbia River Gorge.
The trail came to an end, placing me back on the old two-lane highway. It was another mile to Ainsworth state park. We went the wrong way around the loop at the campground and long last located the Hiker Bike site. A family was using the lone picnic table as we set up our tents. I was exhausted. We finally got our turn at the table, where we cooked freeze-dried dinners and I enjoyed my cold beer.
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