Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Photo ride report: the Crown Point Consolation Prize

Hey folks,

It's been a while since I've posted in this forum. I thought I'd share one of my recent rides with you.

I set out with big ambitions yesterday to climb Larch Mountain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larch_Mountain_%28Multnomah_County,_Oregon%29), but had my hopes fade away after fighting a steady 10 MPH headwind for 2.5 hours. I found it too demoralizing to top off with another 3k feet of climbing. My consolation prize instead was to turn off to drop by Crown Point. I never get tired of the views there.

At Crown Point I was nearly blown over a couple of times by the gusts, that must have been well over 20 MPH. The good news is the wind kept its direction the whole day, so I enjoyed quite the push on the way home. :)

On to the photos...

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/crown_point_200910/00002.800x600.jpg
This was an interesting looking custom car for sale. The door panel reads "Special Delivery" and features a pin-up girl standing on a bomb, WWII-style.

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/crown_point_200910/00009.800x600.jpg
Heading up the I-205 MUP

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/crown_point_200910/00035.800x600.jpg
The Sandy River as it passes through Troutdale

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/crown_point_200910/00037.800x600.jpg

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/crown_point_200910/00039.800x600.jpg

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/crown_point_200910/00047.800x600.jpg
Vista House/Crown Point as seen from the Portland Women's Forum lookout area

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/crown_point_200910/00051.800x600.jpg

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/crown_point_200910/00060.800x600.jpg
At Crown Point

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/crown_point_200910/00083.800x600.jpg
It was quite a clear day, and Mount Hood was a regular companion during my ride

continued below...

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/crown_point_200910/00093.800x600.jpg
It was a windy day - perfect for sailing or flying a kite

http://www.zenlinux.com/bf/crown_point_200910/00095.800x600.jpg
...and there were quite a few sailboats on the Columbia River

Enjoy,

Scott

Beautiful! Thanks for the pictures.

What was the temperature like?

Awesome pics! How's your Salsa holding up?

Temps on Saturday ranged from the upper 40s in the morning to upper 50s in the afternoon. However, once I got up to Crown Point (elevation around 800 feet), it was chilly enough that I needed my jacket, and was glad I had it for the descent back to Troutdale.

The Salsa is running great. I needed to experiment a bit with my rear wheel skewer to keep the wheel from slipping in the semi-horizontal dropouts, but it's been stable for a few months now. The Casseroll is a very versatile bike and I'm very happy to have one.

Scott

Seems like a nice ride: )

Great pics