All Downhill and Paved

I had it all figured out. The last day looked like it was going to be super chill – the elevation chart shows a net descent and paved. There should be a big asterisk next to the word here in Oregon. Paving out here also includes anywhere where they throw down rocks in a regular pattern. I decided to blow through my last night of camping at the Deschutes River and push on to The Dalles to pick up my car. It would be a longer day of about 90 miles but if I pedaled hard I could get there around 1PM. Perfect plan.

Don’t do this to yourself! It never works out. It’s always going to be harder and longer than you expected and then you just spend a bunch of time recalculating everything. I left at 7AM to a beautiful sunrise. The road was a dream – silky smooth pavement, little traffic and all downhill. I was racing along and plotting my lunch menu in The Dalles. At the fifteen mile mark, the course left the road and took a left into the largest wheat field in the world. The road turned to gravel but it was fast and fun. I had incredible views of Hood, Ranier and St. Helen’s all with their first layer of snow.

The road quickly turned pretty technical with steep grinders. It was getting pretty monotonous out there in the field so I took a side road back to the pavement and stopped in a small town for quick lunch. I did some recalculating and still had about 35 miles to go. So much for my plan. The food made me feel great and I plotted a course with stayed on the roads to the Columbia River. There was a huge climb right after lunch through a giant wind farm and then I cruised for the next section until I could see the wide Columbia River appear carving its way through a steep gorge. I only had about 20 miles to go but there was one problem. I was at the end of the Oregon Outback trail and on my own for route planning. So, I could either take the flat and fast route down I-84 in 70 MPH traffic or climb back up a long dirt road onto the ridge and then sneak up on The Dalles from the south.

I’m not a fan of highway riding. While it’s technically legal here it really freaks me out so I avoid it at all cost. The cost today was a very steep dirt road. As I headed up, my back wheel kept slipping out no matter how much I pushed my weight down into the saddle. So, this meant a long “hike a bike” up through the vineyards until I got to the ridge line for spectacular views of the river. The rest of the ride was a blast. A really long descent all the way into to town. I was pretty cooked once I rolled into Main Street and stopped for an iced latte to help me get through the whole car rental and drive home logistics. It was great to back in a town and I had an easy drive to Portland for dinner at McMenamins Crystal Ballroom before heading home.

This was a great adventure. Much harder than I expected and way more remote than I had planned. There are a few things that I would do differently but that’s the whole point of this. Learning on the fly. Staying adaptable and positive. Making adjustments as needed. This course isn’t something to plow through. It demands a slow and steady pace, tons of planning and a little luck. I was thrilled I didn’t have any major mechanical issues and I was able to manage my water. I would love to do it again soon with a buddy or two to break the silence but it was an incredible solo experience.

I sincerely thank you for following. I love sharing my experiences and your comments and likes are great to read. Stay tuned for the Carretera Austral coming here starting November 1. A month of solo bike packing in Chile (unless I have any takers out there!)