Day 58 – Monday 7/25/22

Cascade Locks, Oregon to Saint Helens, Oregon – 77.8 Miles

Before I let you know how today went, let me introduce you to my Great-Grandfather. Born on June 18, 1876, he’s posing with his Columbia shaft drive bicycle, manufactured around 1899. Bicycles were the hi-tech vehicles of the time, and he must have been proud of his if it was worth taking to the studio. I’d love to show him what bikes are like now.

The guy below is still on the road today but looks a little different, as does his bike.

Fast forward a lot of years, and I began the day trying to get from Cascade Locks to somewhere north of Portland.

Riding out of Cascade Locks I passed the “Bridge of the Gods”. It’s a toll bridge that doesn’t allow bicycles, but the look was impressive.

Early morning barge traffic on the Columbia River.

I jumped on Interstate 84 first thing to make up some of the 42 miles into Portland quickly. The plan was to ride about 25 miles west, then reconnect with the ACA route.

Things were going well, and I started thinking about what I’d do after getting around Portland and in the days ahead. That’s when I heard the sound of Ishmael running over a piece of metal, followed by a blast of air leaving my back tire quickly. Some flat tires aren’t noticeable for several hours, as the leak is slow and handling isn’t affected that much. What you might call “explosive decompression” is instantaneous, and means you’ve hit something like an iceberg to your Titanic.

Just a couple of minutes ago I’d been happy to be making such good time towards Portland, now I was dead in the water on the Interstate with a repair job to do. The problem with fixing a flat on a loaded touring bike is that it has to be unloaded before it can be repaired. All the bags, pump and tent had to be taken off and set aside before I flipped Ishmael over to look at the back wheel. As I coasted to a stop, I’d seen powder from the inner tube venting out, indicative of a decent sized hole. It was. Whatever had penetrated the tire was no longer there, but I had to use a sidewall boot patch to strengthen the tire and a new tube. A half hour later Ishmael was upright and ready to go.

Back on the road again, things were good. I got off I-84 and on a quieter route along the Columbia River. It took me along a bike path and side streets towards downtown Portland.

It was hard not to notice the collection of tents, old RV’s, trailers and thrown together shelters housing the homeless along the way. There were encampments on the river bike path and tents set up on sidewalks in “nice” neighborhoods downtown.

Portland looks to be a mix of commercial and industrial. The houses and neighborhoods are attractive, and a lot of businesses are sustained by the river and proximity to the ocean. It has a reputation for being a bike friendly city, and the bike lanes and riders I saw support that view.

Bridge to St. Johns, Oregon.

Once I got across the river, I headed northwest on highway 30. This will take me to the Pacific in a day or two. Astoria is getting closer.

When I decided to stop in Saint Helens tonight, I didn’t think much about the name. Then, I saw a mountain in the distance and figured it out.

Arriving in town by 3:30 was an accomplishment. I got settled in, did the laundry and found a good Thai restaurant nearby.

I’ll be standing on the beach at Seaside within a day or two, followed by a few days ride to Seattle to wrap it up. Looking forward to a good finish.