Day 5  Portland to Beacon Rock State Park

After a quick breakfast at the motel we were on the road by 8:30.  The morning was overcast as we peddled along Marine Drive toward the I-205 Bridge across the Columbia River that has a great bicycle path down the center of the bridge.  Seventeen miles into the day’s ride, Tom had another flat.  We were 5 miles from Camas and a bicycle shop that we found on line.  It took 4 of us to get the tire off and back on the rim.  At the Bicycle shop Tom got 2 new tires, tubes, a new chain, trued his rear wheel, tightened his rear hub and his brakes adjusted.  While we were waiting we wondered through town, got some lunch and groceries for the night.  We left Camas about 1 pm and peddled to Beacon Rock State Park.  We encountered 1 very long hill and were rewarded with a wonderful down hill just prior to the turnoff to the campground at Beacon Rock State Park.  Just as we entered the Park, Tom got a flat in his new front tire.  John and Tom stayed behind to fix it while Glenn, Bill and Paul rode up the campground to find us a site.  Little did we know that it was a 1mile climb up a 10% grade.  Only two other sites were occupied.  Showers, dinner and fire sent us off to bed by 8 pm 

Day 6  Beacon Rock State Park to Columbia Falls (Horse Thief Lake) State Park

Everyone was out of their tents by 6:25.  We pack up camp and started the day off with a fast down hill to the highway then rollers on our way to breakfast in Stevenson with very slow service.  After breakfast we again began peddling east up the river into a head wind.  The road was rolling as we rolled eastward to Lyle for lunch.  Some climbing but not long or steep.  We stopped at the junction where the road forks and goes to The Dalles.  We all left the store and some how John and Tom got ahead of the other three.  At the top of a small rise a mile up the road they stopped for the others to catch up, but they did not come and they did not come.  After about a 30 minute wait, John sent Tom on to the campground (1 mile up the road) and he peddled back to see what was holding the others up and if they needed assistance.  They were stopped at the junction having just repaired a flat on Glen’s bike.  All loaded up the four peddled to the campground.  A wonderful 1 mile drop at 9-11% down to the river and the campground.  This was the best campground yet and proved to be the best on the entire trip as it had lots of green grass, shade and showers.  Camp was set up (no rain flys, Glenn did not set up his tent at all) Glenn went for a swim; the rest of us showered, read, ate dinner and then went to explore the Indian petroglyphs.  Only down side of this State Park are the numerous noisy trains that went bay all day and night.

Distance:  54.23

Avg Speed:  12.4 mph

Ride Time:  4 h 23 min

Day 7 – Columbia Falls State Park to Brooks Memorial State Park

Woke at 5 am to a very noisy great horned owl in a tree near our tents.  Breakfast was in camp and the group was on the road by 7:30 am.  Difficult start to the day as immediately we got to climb back out of the river for 1 mile at 9-11%.  Not the best way to start off the day with no warm-up.  Today had 3 significant climbs.  The first one was the climb up towards the Marryhill Museum, the second and longer climb was out of the Columbia River on highway 97 and the last and longest climb was from Goldendale up to the campground 2 miles south of the summit of Sadus Pass (the first of 4 passes we will cross on the tour).  The group regrouped at the end of the first climb of the day, taking pictures.  Just as we got ready to start riding again, Glenn noticed a staple in the John’s front tire.  Result, pull the staple out and out came the air.  John fixed his flat, luckily it was on the front so it was much faster to fix.  Then the group started off and soon found themselves beginning the second climb of the day.  Glenn is a fast climber so he took off ahead of the rest of us followed by Paul, Bill, John and Tom.  At the top of the climb we encountered road construction – resurfacing the highway.  Traffic was stopped as the highway was only 1 lane.  The flag person let us go through and we had the road to ourselves.  In Goldendale we found a grocery store so as to stock up on supplies for dinner and a bar for lunch.  After lunch is was 13 mile up to the camp ground. We arrived at the campground about 2 pm, got a full hookup site for $13 (senior discount).  Set up camp, showered.  About 5 pm the wind stared to blow and the clouds began moving in. 

Distance:  40.92

Avg speed  9.8 mph

Verticle 2975

Ride Time:  4 h 10 min

Max Speed  35.3 mph