Oregon: Corbett to Wyeth

Mileage: 33.8; 187 total

My friend Lars Fjeldstad, whom I hadn't met until this morning, joined me for this scenic ride in the Columbia River Gorge. (Lars's parents, in Minneapolis, rented our Cape May house for a week this summer. When Lars's father, Paul, called me last week with a question about the house he found out that I was in Portland on my bike ride, said that his son Lars lived in Portland and might enjoy joining me, and one thing led to another and he did. Thanks, Paul, for your suggestion, and thank you, Lars, for keeping me company.) I had a great time! [Picture of Lars and me, enjoying the view, is posted below.]

This was a beautiful ride. Although there was a soft rain at the start, the rain and fog soon dissipated and eventually the sun was shining. The route had a few miles along I-84, but most of the time we were on the Historic Columbia River Highway or, even more appealing, portions of the original scenic highway, built in 1913, that are now used as a bike path. The scenery was wonderful [see photo, below, for one example] and there were lots of interesting stops along the way -- it is no wonder why this is considered one of the most wonderous highways in the U.S. Adding to the great day, we frequently joined up with Leslie, who was driving and enjoying the same stops.

It was also another good day for "hill training." There were rolling hills the whole way, and the last stretch included a hill about 1 mile long that was the steepest grade I have encountered this whole trip. Leslie picked me up after my descent, and we checked into the Columbia River Gorge Inn, in Hood River, where we are spending the next two nights.