Day 4 - Cascade Locks to The Dalles
After finding the construction detour and getting back on the route out of Cascade Locks the first challenge of the day was the climb up Herman Creek road. The Adventure Cycling map warns that it is steep, they just didn’t say how STEEP. After less than a qtr mile in granny gear, I realized I could walk faster and did so for the next mile!! The last 6 miles going into Hood River is normally routed on I84. However due to construction, ironically, of the last section of the bicycle trail, the lanes are reduced (no shoulder) and cyclists are routed through the construction zone! After 2 miles over rubble and dozer tracks, I hit the active construction zone, lost traction and promptly did a ‘Joe Biden’, however no Secret Service guys helped me up! (Check out the video on YouTube including the fall https://youtu.be/Jy-vslUODzI) The construction foreman was nearby and made sure I was OK. He asked that I wait for half an hour while he had the payload operator clear the rubble (3’ deep) from the path. Then it was on to Hood River and a break @ McDonalds.
With the rising temps and the slow progress I almost opted to call it a rest day and get a hotel room. However, given that rooms were $100/day less at The Dalles I opted to press on the additional 27 miles. Cheapness drives a lot of behavior! The climb out of Hood River was about 500’ which was all given back with the drop into Mosier. I have to say it’s hard not to feel some resentment as I grind along these climbs and ebikers go whizzing by while casually pedaling. Like all good descents, they are immediately followed by an equal or greater uphill climb. The next segment was up to the Rowena Vista. It is incredible how much the landscape changed over the last couple days. I went from riding in temperate, old growth forest to much drier, hotter mixed grassland/marginal forest. It was also necessary to change riding styles. The temp was hovering around 97 F and the sun was incredibly intense ( no problem recharging batteries with the solar panel). In addition to watching water intake and staying hydrated I needed to find shade after each uphill burst or few miles, just to cool off. It was a thrilling ride down from Rowena Vista, very rocky, rugged and steep! I have never before experienced my hands getting tired from braking. The rest of the ride into The Dalles was easy along the river-front trail. The temp was near 100F and it was great to check into an air conditioned room and have pizza and a cold beer.
A couple observations that I didn’t expect when starting the ride: 1) You can’t judge a ride by distance like you would in Minnesota given the frequent changes in elevation. 2) While gravity is not a rule, it is the law as they say, I did not expect so much up and down in this segment. The total elevation gain (amount climbed) over 4 days/218 miles is 10,292 ft, yet I am only 253 ft above sea level!!
Note: I opted to spend a rest day in The Dalles since the rooms were reasonable. I needed to get a replacement inner tube and have them check my brakes ( I didn’t anticipate this much downhill) at the local bike shop as well as plan and rest up for the next couple segments which are through an 85 mi stretch with “no services” ( there are a couple State Park campgrounds, so water and camping should be available) and the sustained high temps.
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