Day 8 – June 20, 2015

Day 8 – June 20, 2015
Ainsworth State Park to Hood River – 32.06 Miles

Ok now a little something about bicycle riding and the tour. This was our 4th day of riding and it was a tough one. We only went 32 miles but my body is feeling it. Starting the tour was easy. The muscles are fresh, ready to pump up those hills. Even the long second day was still okay with my body. But this 4th day took it out of me. Now I really feel like I am really cycling across the United States. Gregg assures me that it will get better. Let’s hope so.

This day 4 was everything we will encounter on our tour all wrapped up into one day – bike paths, frontage roads, country roads and Interstate highway. It started with a beautiful winding shaded bike path. It was perfect. The Oregon bike path planners really know what they are doing. They even built solid mini bike bridges across the multitude of creeks and little canyons. Next we road on the Historic HW 30 which is the frontage road along Interstate 84. Perfect again as it had virtually no traffic, smooth pavement, and gently rolled along, passing small homesteads and cherry farms.

Only about 10 miles in we got to Cascade Locks. For me this place holds some significance. Last year I came here with ARD to film a segment of a film about the Pacific Crest Trail.
Here is where the PCT crosses the might Columbia river at the Bridge of the Gods made famous by the book and film “Wild”. In the book and in the film, and even when I was here last year, this place was filled with emotions. The hikers we were following cried at the sight of the bridge. Cheryl Strayed the hiker in “Wild” cried when she reached the bridge and her whole life flashed in front of her. Audrey Stimson, well, she ended up crying too.

That ARD film and the encounters we had with those thru hikers really inspired me. What an achievement to hike over 2000 miles! Hiking for 6 months day in and day out, wow! All the hikers told various stories about why and how it changed them. I was impressed. Could I do something like that too? Gregg and I had toyed with the idea of riding our bikes across the country. Why not? Until I met those brave souls on the PCT I really did not think of it as a tangible reality. Could we? should we? I found no reason not to. And when my fantastic employers said YES and gave me the green light to put my work on hold for 3 months, there was nothing stopping us. This year was as good as any. For Gregg it was significant, after 35 years of teaching HS he retired. This year is not quite an presidential election year, although it may already feel like one, so it is a perfect summer for me to do it and not be missed too much.

So here we are on the road, doing something that was just a little dream but one year ago. It is no longer a dream, it has become reality. Today, this Day 4, we were after a short emotional stop at the Bridge of the Gods and a well deserved hamburger at the local brew pub. Off we were to meet our greatest challenge yet, a steep climb. We turned off our frontage road to hit a wall. I jumped off the bike first. Something I can tell everyone trying to do this, do not try to do the hardest climb of the day after a heavy meal. All your blood is in your stomach and not in your legs! Off I went, and Gregg followed shortly thereafter. We got into what we call our lowest gear – WALKING!

We climbed for about 1 1/2 miles of up. My arms ached, we were sweating like crazy, it was 85 in the shade. Not good! When walking you realize how strong your legs are pushing these 90 + pound loads as you peddle. My weak arms were being challenged to there breaking point. My pour knees, that have been fine so far while bicycling, were now throbbing. Where is the top? When will we get there? How much water is left in these 2 water bottles I have? Slowly but surely we made it to the top.

After the climb we had a smooth downhill for a few miles until our next challenge, the Interstate!
Before entering the Interstate 84 we got lost, road for a 1/4 mile on a road to nowhere. Another word of caution, when you are tried and dehydrated, and bonking, you make mistakes. We stopped to turn around, I got back on my bike but quickly realized a huge problem. I failed to down shift, so when I got back on my bike I was in a high gear. Trying to peddle was almost impossible and I needed every bit of the rest of my strength reserve to get the 95 lb beast moving again. A word of warning to every bike tourist, the most dangerous maneuvers while bike touring is getting on and off your bike. Gregg somethings miscalculates the height of his “red tamale” and almost tips himself over, while I forget the gear shifting and almost tip over trying to get rolling again. Disaster averted but lessoned learned.

When these near misses happen they are usually trying to tell you something. In this case my energy level was so low that I wasn’t thinking clearly. Time for a little gummy energy square. Gregg checked the map and suggested we go another few miles to our designated rest stop some state park camping area up the road a few miles.

Ok, it was time for our final and scariest test, the 13 miles on Interstate 84. Usually riding on the highway startles you at first and then you get used to it. But this time it was different, we stepped from lonely heavenly country road to highway hell. Not only were the trucks going at least 75 mph, but the shoulder was bad. It was wide enough but filled with debris – wires, torn up truck tires, hub caps, and car fenders, and, the most dangerous thing of all, gravel. We got going and about 2 miles into it we hit the most dangerous section. A mountain cliff where the highway shoulder narrows to about 4 feet with a 4 inch wide groove indent, and those nasty tire bits and car parts to add to the danger. Gregg was ahead of me I saw him trying to navigate the 3-4 inches between the white line that divides us bicyclists and death and the groove. A giant truck came barreling down the highway, it startles me, my tires fall into the groove as I flinch in distress. I am committed, my 90 lb bike and me have to stay in that death groove until we get thru this. It must end soon? Nope, it goes on for about 1-2 miles. My palms are sweating, I am truly scared. If I don’t concentrate I will make a mistake and die. Another truck barrells by making a thunderous roar amplified by the rock cliff to the right of us. As this is all happening I am mustering up all the tiny little bit of energy I have left to stay on the bike.

Finally we make it thru this alley of Hell, the shoulder widens again. Gregg signals with his palm on his back, the bicyclist’s sign to stop, that we should pull over. Boy was I glad that came to an end. I must say that was the scariest bicycling I have done. I learned not to panic, just focus and ride with concentration and calm, all rough roads come to end.

After stopping for a gummy and another short break for cheese and crackers at Starvation Point, we were home free. A slight grade up and then down to Hood River. We made it. A welcome Best Western sign at the far eastern part of town was home for a day and half. Much needed rest ahead. My right knee was now swollen and my body ached as the adrenaline flowed out of my system. Dinner and bed was all she wrote.