Fast Times on the HCRH

...the HCRH being the Historic Columbia River Highway, of course. One of the best places around Portland to ride.

The wind stopped blowing and the temperature got high enough to melt snow this weekend, so I saddled up the Aero and stretched my legs a bit. The ride up the gorge to the end of the scenic highway is well known in these parts, and even on a winter day, I saw several other cyclists between home and Crown Point.

Below Crown Point, I got a couple treats: first, the natural beauty of the gorge was accented by spectacular ice formations clinging to the basalt walls. And secondly, the HCRH has been repaved in the last six months, from Latourell Falls all the way to the end, past Ainsworth State Park. The only blemish on the lovely cycling there (the lousy pavement) has been entirely erased -- the new surface is smooth and straight, and wonderful to pedal on.

The round trip is about 75 miles, a distance which felt pretty good for this time of year. I'm sure I'll be doing this ride in some form or another several more times in the coming months -- in the form I did it this last Sunday, as part of the Bridge of the Gods loop, or to pedal out to Ainsworth and camp for a night. It's nice to know that I won't need 35 mm tires now!



I took some pictures, too.