With soreness subsiding a recap of a nice 4-day tour of the Oregon-Washington Columbia Gorge area. SquireBlack and I teamed up to beat the forecast fall rain and cooler temperatures. Here's our route totaling 292 kilometers with lots of climbing.




We started in Cascade Locks with The Dalles as a first day destination. Warm and beautiful day, lunch stop in Hood River, past the weirdly burned town of Rowena. Beautiful bike trails to begin, though a 6k ride on highway 84 into Hood River wasn't so bad. Climb out of hood on bike trail to Mosier and onto Rowena on a quiet rural road. Ride into The Dalles at the recommended Cousins Inn replete with a 1930's vintage John Deere tractor in the restaurant dining room.


Starting point under The Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks.

Many awesome lookouts along the route.

Looking west over the mighty Columbia River

Rowena fire area. Burned to the foundation, next door, a home untouched by fire...

2 vintage green rides...

When in The Dalles, stay at Cousins'

Day 1, 74 kilometers. Not bad. Day 2 a mere 52 kilometers though 3000+ feet of climbing - it kicked our behinds, hardest day beset by high winds and majority of climbing on a single track trail and rough gravel road. But first a visit to The National Neon Museum in downtown The Dalles. Greeted by the enthusiastic proprietor who invited our bikes inside. Just the two of us got the royal tour - some special displays of very rare neon (and argon) inside. The museum also has taken on the restoration of a historic carousel, with horses being craftily repainted in the upstairs ballroom.


Lobby of the converted Elks building donated to the Museum by the city.

"Park your bikes anywhere"

The ballroom.

Carousel horse painting stage

Who likes neon signs?

Noonish, depart from the Museum thinking our 52k ride will take about 3 hours. We start by crossing The Dalles Bridge into Washington, a fierce headwind. The trail was steep in places, deep single track, some moon dust. We were happy to get to the gravel road but found it ever steeper, loose and rough. Thankfully the final 10k or so brought a stiff tail wind to usher us into Goldendale, a small farming community with a surprisingly nice Italian restaurant, which provided a satisfying end to what was a very difficult ride.


Squire emerging from The Dalles bridge on the Washington side

Squire on the final section of single track.

Resting at the beginning of the rough gravel road.

Steeper and rougher than it looks.

Big country on the way to Goldendale.

Need some inspiration to make the final push into Goldendale.

Glenwood Highway

Squire at an overlook to the Klickitat river.

Jake hard on the brakes, a chicken downhiller.

No Twizzlers at the Glenwood General Store.

Do these pumps still pump?

Glorious Mt. Adams near Traut Lake.

Day 3, 80+k to Traut Lake. Long, 2600 feet of climbing, we were tired, but it was a glorious ride on roads with hardly any traffic. The Glenwood highway was a very nice road including a spectacular downhill to traverse the Klickitat river. Mt. Adams comes into view as we ride in a north-westerly direction. The general store in Glenwood was a good rest stop, though no Twizzlers, I'd run out. A Payday bar was a decent substitute. Traut Lake seems to have many little weekend farm estates as there were some very nice homes and manicured yards on acreage. Beautiful area but the town has one cafe attached to the one gas station and a general store that had a small but very good wine & cheese selection. The Traut Lake Valley Inn is an outstanding little motel, nice resting place.

Day 4, 74 kilometers back to Cascade Locks, 2600 feet of climbing, with a high altitude gravel section taking us over the summit past Goose Lake. Each day got a bit colder, today it was grey, down to 45 degrees at the highest point of the ride. Yet a lovely ride to the town of Carson where tea and hot chocolate warmed our insides for the final kilometers and the triumphant ride over The Bridge of the Gods to finish the ride. We encountered a tragic truck accident on the final decent to the Columbia - cars stopped in both directions on Highway 14. We were fortunate the emergency crew allowed us to walk our bikes respectively past the awful wreckage - a double trailer semi on its side against the rocks, it's cargo of corn strewn on the road. Riding the bridge is a treat, metal grate, look down while riding and the grate disappears as though you are floating above the water far below.


Morning departure from Traut Lake.

Highway 141 to Goose Lake. Maybe 6 cars passed us on this beautiful road.

Before final gravel ascent at Goose Lake.

This gravel road was like butter compared to Day 2 gravel.

To the finish from Washing to Oregon via The Bridge of the Gods.

Bikes are toll free!

Oh yeah, C&V. Rivendells we rid...
Squire on a relatively early 26" wheel Atlantis. 1.8" tires, fenders, custom front bag and Sackville rear bag.
VRJAKE on a 1st gen 1996 Riv AllRounder with 26" wheels. 2.3 tires, Berthoud front bag and Sackville trunk bag on the rear.

Well done, gents! Late season tours are always special. Nice job rocking the 559mm wheels!

Great write up! If I hadn't just gotten back from Cino I would have joined you. From your description of the roads, looks like you could call it Cino-West.

p.s. Is that town you stayed at with the cafe and huck shakes named after Eisentraut?

No Ice cream from the East wind cafe?
(in Cascade locks)

Love it. I need to go visit the Neon Museum in The Dalles.

Looks like a great route. Thanks fro bringing us along.
Brent

I didn’t know there was anything in Cascade Locks other than the bridge and, you know, locks….

Was thinking of one of those tall softies, but was cold and grey when we finished. No great loss as a Huckleberry Shake was had at the cafe in 'Traut. Squire bought salmon under the bridge though.

Well done gents!! And what great write up.

I may copy your route and invite a few friends.

Nice work,gents! Glad to see you brought out the old Rivs!

A wonderful story you tell.
Well done, Lads!

Hope this doesn't sound too silly but the revelation for me in this thread of beautiful scenery and excellent effort was seeing those Rene Herse Rat Trap Pass tires on the green Rivendell.

Since I'm still looking for replacement tires (also thinking about a more upright/touring conversion) on my Cimarron, either those or the Naches Pass are exactly what I've been looking for.

Don't forget the ever-popular Maxxis DTH. Ooh, and on sale!

Oh, thanks VRJAKE. Now I have to find somebody to ride this with me!

Nice pics and write up John. Good to see you 26” wheel guys sticking together like that.