In my last post I mentioned struggling with “pedaling for miles” versus “pedaling for memories.” Despite a long uphill climb, ten extra miles and no mini-mart to buy my midday chocolate milk treat, I chose to seek out more memories the last few days. I took the above photo as I stopped briefly, with two more switchbacks to go before the top, not because of fatigue, but to stand and admired the view.  The Dalles lies about 20 miles to the East in this photo and I-84 is where I was riding before deciding to “pedal for memories!” The Columbia River is so gorgeous and majestic from the Rowena Crest and I would have missed this stunning view if I had remained on I-84. Same view, but from the top of Rowena Crest.

Well I wanted to experience the unusual and the above obstacle was a first for me on this Journey. Notice the tunnel on the right side of the photo. Bicycles are not allowed in the I-84 tunnel, for some unknown reason, so DOT engineers designed the above stairway so bicyclists and walkers could bypass the tunnel. Just like when I play “Going on a bear hunt” with OMJSN, I decided, “Can’t go through it, can’t go round it, gotta go over it!” I unloaded my rear packs and started to carry my 40 pound load up the first of three sets of stairs. (The next photo will show the next set of stairs.) luckily I noticed the super intelligent engineers had added a grove on both sides of the stairs.  Bikers like myself can push the bike with the wheels in the grooves and it just rolls along. One trip up with the bike, back down to get my rear packs, and another climb to the top. Kind of like when one must portage a canoe instead of running dangerous rapids.

View from the top and you can just see a trailer passing by on I-84. Pretty cool!

The above is NOT the world famous Multnomah Falls which I read is the most visited attraction in the Portland area. The above is Horsetail Falls and it was fabulous to see and enjoy.  The next scheduled scenic view on the Historic Columbia River Trail was Multnomah Falls! Sweet!  I took one quick look as I approached the parking lot and…..  Two Grayline tour coaches, six Sprinter type buses, hundreds of autos and as many tourists milling around as there are in the Whittier terminal on a busy ship day. Disembarking both Grayline coaches were tour leaders carrying a flag and giving instructions to their respective groups of 30-40 people, all holding selfie sticks. Both groups immediately started taking photos of something, maybe Snowstorm and me, and dashed off to an already overcrowded viewing area. (I wish my good friend Ken Hopkins had been with me for today because I would have loved to watch him calmly interact and control the hundreds of kids running around everywhere!)  Add the smell of movie theater popcorn, grilled hot dogs, onions, and roasted peanuts to the above chaotic scene and you can understand why I pedaled away from the Multnomah Falls as fast as possible. Yes, I missed my chance to add Multnomah Falls to my memory bank, but also I managed to retain my sanity! (Some might say I had already lost my sanity because I chose to ride a bicycle across the country at age 70, well almost.)

Five minutes from the ”Multnomah Madness” I was back on a lightly traveled, peaceful roadway headed towards Portland.

The above scene looks just like the view from Rowena Crest, but after another long climb and ten miles further down the trail, I took the above photo from Vista House. (The “roadie” in the photo was “flying” up the road, but riding a carbon fiber frame bicycle, without packs and in his thirties.) LOL

Portland International Airport is on the right and I was pedaling on an awesome trail, on the left, which allowed me to bypass the majority of the madness in the city of Portland. I guess in theory I have accomplished a Portland to Portland bicycle adventure, but our Journey can only end with Snowstorm, OMJSN and I standing in the Pacific Ocean. About 90 miles of pedaling on US 30 will get us safely to the Pacific Ocean.

The St. John’s bridge over the Willamette River carried me to the last mountain range I will encounter, the Cascades. On Friday I will ride to the tiny town of Clatskanie, spend my last night on this Journey alone, and then Saturday pedal the last miles to Seaside. Anita is scheduled to fly to Portland and then drive to Seaside in order to meet me for our celebratory ice cold bottle of WATER. 😘😍

For now, thank you all for inspiring, encouraging and following me on our Journey across America. What an unbelievable, memorable and rewarding Journey we have accomplished!

Greg

A field of lavender near Portland!