Tour Summary

I'd like to thank everyone involved with the tour;  Fern, Susan, Joan, Gail, Lois, Doug, Walter, Ken, Jeff, and Merle.  Your experience as tourists and now friends is much appreciated.  A special thanks goes to Fern for putting together such a wonderful tour and to Susan for being such a great SAG driver and guardian angel.

Here are the final statistics for the ride:

Total Distance: 646 miles

Saddle Time: 58 hours and 15 minutes

Moving Speed: 11.09 MPH average

Climbed: 28,559 feet

Max Speed: 44.25 MPH (yep, recumbents can be speedy downhill)

Calories: 50,137 (this allowed for much Marionberry pie)

Avg. Heart Rate: 121

Group Flat Tires:  4

Group Broken Spokes:  2

Memories Made:  Unbelievable

Until next time,

"Recumbent" Steve

Day Thirteen -- Last Leg -- Salem to Portland

Today we continued the tour on the fertile farm lands of the Willamette Valley.
For the first 50 miles of our journey, we traveled where farms and ranches were abundant. Berries, wheat, hops, horses, cows, sheep, llama, and many other crops and farm animals were along the path.

We passed through many small towns including Pratum, Mt. Angel, Canby, and Oregon City before returning back to the greater Portland area.

Today's trip had another surprise in store for us; it was HOT! Temperatures reached into the '90's so it FORCED us to have an ice cream stop.

There were several highlights of the trip today including a stop in the small town of Mt. Angel. This small town had a very German feel to it. The town even featured a two story cuckoo clock and was the home for an Abbey that was nestled into the verdant hillsides no doubt looking like something out of Bavaria.

We also had a nice surprise for us when we were approaching the greater Portland area. The city has installed a very space-age looking elevator. There is even a full time elevator operator on board.

We finally arrived at our hotel for the terminus of our adventure tired but with smiles on our faces.

We are having a celebration dinner tonight.

Final Stats: 68.81 miles -- about 1678 feet of climb

Day Twelve -- Junction City to Salem

Today's ride was entirely different than all of the others.

The first thing is that the ride was mostly through rich farmland. The second thing was that it was nearly flat!

Upon leaving Junction City early this morning, it was quite cold. The temperature was only around 47 degrees at the start of the ride and it was quite overcast. It appeared that rain might be imminent, but it never materialized. In fact, after 1 P.M., temperatures were in the low 70's with crystal clear skies.

Our ride followed along the path of the Willamette River Cycling Path for the most part. In doing so, we passed thousands of acres of orchard grass (a cousin to wheat) that is mostly used for cattle feed; fields of blueberries, acres of herbs, and many thousands of acres of nut bearing trees with the largest percentage being filberts.

One other crop of note is grapes. While small, Oregon has many wineries. Gail, Ken and I stopped for a little wine tasting today at a very small winery called Ankeny Vinyards. They grow 7 different kinds of grapes and mostly sell their grapes and wines to other wineries. However, we sampled six of their private label wines and enjoyed a number of them. We enjoyed meeting two "winery dogs" on the premises and had fun rubbing some appreciative bellies.

We went through a number of many small towns including Albany, known for their Victorian architecture.

As we weaved across the landscape today, we even had a chance to take a small ferry ride across a part of a tributary to the Willamette River.

We saw many raptors again today and evidence of their massive nests are everywhere. It's not uncommon for the utilty companies to put a piece of plywood about 4X4' on the top of a number of poles in the region. Apparently the eagles will build a nest that is constructed of large tree branches, twigs, and so on, that sometimes may take the birds many years to construct. People in the know say that the birds return to the same nests each year to raise their young.

Stats for the day: 71 miles, about 1500 feet of climb.

Day Eleven -- Florence to Junction City

We started the day with an early breakfast anticipating the trip over the coastal mountain range to Junction City. Junction City is just outside Eugene, Oregon and is the starting point for our trip up the Willamette River to take us back northbound to Portland.

The day started great and only got better. For a great period of time, we paralleled different forks of the Siuslaw River. We enjoyed gentle grades for long distances. As we increased in altitude, the gorgeous foliage improved (if that is even possible) and the terrain features and variety of wildlife increased as well.

We saw many raptors flying in the area. My riding partner for day, Doug, and I were passing a mown field strewn with bound hay bails. As we looked across the field, we observed what we think was an eagle approaching at high speed looking for prey. He was heading right for us and passed right over our heads. We noticed that his wing span was at least as wide as the width of the hay bales!

We crossed over many beautiful and interesting bridges and encountered our first covered bridge.

The weather was perfect today;  clear skies and temperatures in the 70's. One of our first shirtsleeve riding days.

I think that all of us are getting stronger on the rides. Our nearly 69 miles today actually felt easy! Having little elevation gain compared to our previous day's rides and the perfect weather must have contributed to this feeling, I'm sure.

We're starting the home stretch. Tomorrow on to the state Capitol, Salem, then the last day returning to Portland.

Today's stats: 68.68 miles and 1482 feet of climb.

Day Ten -- A layover day in Florence

Florence, Oregon is a remarkable town in the contrasts of old style architecture and magnificent scenery.

We are staying at a newer hotel right in the heart of a restored section of town. Our hotel is the River Front Inn aptly named as it sits on the bank of the Siuslaw River as it intersects the Pacific Ocean.

There is a great deal of tidal action here as you find in most northern latitudes. The river's ebb and flow approaches 15 knots or more.

Our hotel is right on the edge of the Bay Street tourist section. There are many small shops and bistros catering to the tourist crowd. Last evening most of the group enjoyed a dinner together.

Today, some of our group chose to sleep in, do laundry, read the paper and just plain relax to recharge our internal batteries for the balance of our ride. Some chose to explore the area.

Doug and I ventured out on a hike of the nearby sand dunes. Picture being in the middle of the Sahara Desert surrounded by pine tree and rivers, if you can, and you will get the general picture. The dunes are also an off-road vehicle park and you can see many varieties of dune buggies and quads active on the rolling slopes of the dunes.

Doug and I were later joined by Fern and Gail. We hiked to the top of the dunes near a beach overlooking the Pacific and watched many people enjoying the wide, sandy beaches. Although it was crystal clear and warm in the bright sun, the winds caused it to be fairly cool. No one appears to venture into the water here.

Late this afternoon I plan to enjoy another refreshing massage and a light dinner. Then, it's preparing the bike and packing in anticipation of the morning's climb over the coastal range as we venture out to Junction City.

Day Nine -- Depoe Bay to Florence

Today's ride from Depoe Bay to Florence started out cold again. We never really got the sun today at all. The good news is that there was a tailwind for most of the day.

Once again, we were treated with all-day stunning views and changing scenery. We had a lot of climbing today, but, either we are all starting to get used to long distances or the breathtaking scenery takes your mind off of the physical side of the rides.

We were very close to the ocean all day today. It seemed as though one set of views was replaced by even more stunning views at every turn and every hill.

We enjoyed rainforests, crashing breakers, lighthouses, natural blowholes, sea lions, eagles, and much, much more.

Tonight we are staying in Florence. Our hotel is right at the intersection of a river and the beach. Florence is a tourist destination point most known for its miles of sand dunes along the ocean.

We will be exploring Florence on our day off from riding tomorrow.

Today's stats: 66.7 miles about 3500 feet 5312 calories (had a BIG chocolate malt)

Day Eight -- Tillamook to Depoe Bay

I've been reading all about the heat wave in Southern California and Arizona. Today in Oregon is just the opposite -- kind of chilly.

We started the day chilly, 95% humidity and lots of clouds. I thought that we would get our first day of rain, but lucked out all day. The day started out damp in every way, however. You simply couldn't shed any perspiration through evaporation, so, until about 2 PM it was clammy and cold.

As you probably know, Tillamook is famous for their dairy products. As a result of that, the "raw material generators" take up abundant field space. You go through many miles of dairy farms for the first ten miles after leaving Tillamook.

Soon, we were again going along scenic coastal routes and many small towns. My riding companion for the day, Jeff, and I saw many deer. One even jumped over the road as we passed nearby.

We stopped at a little general store out in the boondocks somewhere for a snack. The owner said that yesterday a black bear had taken up residence to feed in a field across from the store.

About halfway through the ride today, we explored a bypass road from the main route that took us through an area called Slab Creek. This road took us into a rain forest that was primordial in nature. It lead us through a beautiful old-growth region where the trees were very close together and covered with hanging moss. It must have rained in the area just minutes before our arrival as the mist was still in the air, and the wonderful smell of the forest energized us for the rest of the ride.

Tonight we are in Depoe Bay. Our room (my room mate is Ken tonight) overlooks the Pacific. Apparently it is not uncommon to see migrating Gray Whales from right out our window.

It's on to Florence tomorrow and a lay over day there including another massage!

Today's stats: 65 miles, 1950 feet of climb.

Day Seven -- Astoria to Tillamook

Today's ride is exactly what I envisioned the Oregon coast to be like. Scenic rolling hills, small towns, stunning rocky shorelines, sandy beaches, and natural beauty.

Along our 73 miles today, we saw so many different sites. Most notable were the rich forests that we climbed through and the scenic vistas at nearly every turn.

Our ride took us through all kinds of terrain including high mountain passes and river valleys. Beautiful and unusual towns like Seaside, Cannon Beach, Garibaldi, and yes, Tillamook were in our path.

We took our time today. My riding partners for the day were Fern and Ken.

We had a great lunch at Cannon Beach. Reminded me a lot of Carmel, CA.

Nearly everywhere that you go in Oregon, you run into Oregon's most famous duo, Lewis and Clark. Nope, not a comedy act, not a quarterback and wide receiver. Explorers. Yeah, you remember your history lessons. Yep, those guys.

Ride along and sing with me (to the tune of the "Hokey Pokey"). You put your bike tour in, you put your bike tour out, you put your Tillamook in and you shake it all about, you do the Kissel Bike tour and your climb another hill, that's what it's all about!

So, OK, you get a little nuts when you are on the bike for 8 hours and stupid songs pop into your head!

Today's stats: 73 miles and 2531 feet of climb.

Day Six -- Astoria, OR -- A day off!

No riding today, just a chance to recharge our batteries and enjoy this terrific little town.

Astoria has a population of about 10,000. The town was founded in the late 1800's and largely has survived by fishing and cannery operations (now largely defunct) and by lumber. The town has some terrific old buildings and Victorian style homes. Situated right on the mouth of the Columbia River, everything in the area is dominated by the second largest river in North America.

Three of us, Doug, Ken, and I toured the town today. We visited some historic homes, a terrific maritime museum, and hiked to the top of the hills in town (you'd think that we'd had enough of exercise, but NO!) to see the "Astoria Column". The views from there were stunning and worth the hike.

One of the highlights of our trek today was having lunch at a crazy little restaurant called the Bowpicker (pictured). When you first see it, you say "no way would I eat there". Then you see the locals -- lining up -- then you smell the smells and you can't resist. Some of the tastiest and freshest fish and chips that I have ever had.

Later that day, I treated myself to the best 90 minute massage that I ever had. Just what the doctor ordered. The masseuse that I had was purely a muscle magician.

After a quick shower, it was on to happy hour (in a nearly trance-like state, I might add). The cycling crew surprised me with a birthday card, a chocolate cupcake and that song that everyone knows.

Merle, Susan, Ken, Doug and I then went on to a Bosnian restaurant that was superb. Nearly everything on the menu had never been tried by anyone in the group before. The appetizers, salad and gulash entree were terrific.

Tomorrow, it's the rolling coastal mountains on the way to Tillamook.

Day Five - St. Helens to Astoria, OR

How much wood could a Wood Truck truck if a Wood Truck could truck wood?

The answer? Probably a LOT!  

As we left St. Helens today and traveled along the Columbia River on our way to Astoria, you were astounded by the number of trucks laden with fresh cut trees that were making their way both east and west bound. While the mills and processing plants were not always easily seen, the sheer volume of the cut trees was astounding. As each truck passed, the fragrance of the fresh cut pine was delicious. One of the odd things about this was that there seemed to be an equal amount of west bound trucks as there were east bound. One of the locals commented, "must be union work, I don't think that they actually drop off the trees anywhere, they just keep driving them around!"

Today's ride included a lot of miles and a lot of climbing. When I tell you that a lunch break of a home-made meat loaf sandwich and home-made Marionberry pie hit the spot, I know that you will believe me!

This ride took us through old growth forests, farms, and past many scenic vistas.

Late this afternoon, we arrived in Astoria, Oregon. This coastal town provides the portal for our ride south down the Oregon coast. Astoria is a great, small, old town with lots of restored buildings, including our lodging for the next two nights, the Hotel Elliot. This hotel clearly is from the turn of the century and has been beautifully restored.

Tomorrow brings a day off from riding and allows for some exploration.

Today's ride: 67 miles and 2600 feet of climb.

Day Four -- Sandy to St. Helens

Well, today was a welcome relief from the past two day's arduous climbs. We left Sandy at 8:30 and soon reached a most beautiful bike path, the Springwater Corridor. This path travels through several small towns outside of Portland and was part of a commuter train line that was abandoned in the '50s and turned into a fine walking and cycling trail. The trail proceeds for more than 20 miles with nearly no housing, businesses, or other distractions to take away from the beauty of the trail.

For much of the trail, each side of the path has abundent blackberrys, Marionberrys, and raspberries. Unfortunately, we were a little early in the year for picking them otherwise our bellies would have been full.

Near the terminus of the trail was a gourmet cake shop that was highly recommended. Needless to say, we availed ourselves of the tempting treats!

Soon after the sweet stop, we found ourselves near downtown Portland again. We crossed two major bridges over the Willamette and Columbia. We traveled along a vibrant downtown area with many public parks, shipping, and lumbering activities.

After a brief lunch (Micky D's -- how good junk food tastes sometimes), we continued on to our motel in St. Helens not too far from the infamous mountain sharing its name.

As we gratefully arrived early today, a hot tub and shower felt great.

Ride for today: 58 miles and a modest 300 feet of elevation gain

Day Three -- We climb and view Mt. Hood

Today, we started a gigantic climb to ride around the perimeter of Mt. Hood. Mt. Hood dominates the Oregon landscape at 11,000 feet and is covered in snow year 'round. As a bonus, you can look just across the Columbia River into adjacent Washington and see infamous Mt. St. Helens.

Today we CLIMBED! From the moment that we left the hotel until the terminus of our ride, it was nearly 100% uphill. There were a few roller coaster class downhills for about two miles total, but the balance was continuous climbing.

We passed throug a beautiful agricultural district with many varieties of fruit and nut trees and a number of farms including a goat farm. The goats greeted us as we passed by. Due to the delerium of all the climbing we started talking to the goats, too. Clearly, we each understood each other!

At the height of our climb, there was still abundant snow on the ground. The region has many ski parks and other outdoor recreation venues.

Our ride was supposed to be for 77 miles today. Due to the intensity of the climb and our running out of daylight we terminated the ride at 57 miles. Only Fern, Doug, Joan (somewhere in her seventies) and myself completed that distance. The rest of the rider's had to be SAGed (picked up by support vehicle) back to the start.

Today's ride: 57 miles -- 5600 feet of climb (the stairway to heaven).

Day Two -- The Columbia River Gorge

We left our hotel at 9 AM heading to our final destination of Hood River, Oregon via the stunning Columbia River Gorge.

Our initial route through downtown Oregon out to the Columbia river came with a detour; the bridge that we intended to take to cross the Willamette River was closed due to construction. So, with some help from my trusty GPS, we re-routed through the City of Gresham and on through the quaint town of Troutdale. Along the way, I was impressed with the excellent public transportation system in the greater Portland area. Between the light rail system and a bicycle, there aren't many places that you can't go for practically nothing.

Next stop along the way was a great little town that really commences the beginning of the Columbia River Gorge (CRG) is Corbett. Corbett reminds you of many small towns that you might find in Gold Rush era communities. This portal to the main part of the CRG is a beautiful departure from towns and cities to eye-popping beauty. From the minute that you leave Corbett and for the next forty miles or so, it is one gorgeous scene every mile that you travel. Nearly every mile has a waterfall, a dramatic vista, unusual and losh foliage and thousands of flowers in bloom and the smell of many varieties of pines and balsam cedar.

Departing the most scenic part of the gorge starts some unexpected, VERY steep climbs. A few of the grades were in excess of 15%.

We paralleled the Columbia River for many miles before arriving in Hood River. Along the way we encountered dams for the generation of electric power, locks, and even fish ladders for salmon. Approaching Hood River, we encountered a paddle wheel tour boat. Due to a strong tail wind, we easily outpaced the boat.

Because of all the stops and the unexpected climbs, we didn't arrive at our hotel until after 7 P.M., completely spent but with a smile on our faces.

Today's Ride: 71 miles -- 3100 feet of climb

Day One -- We Arrive in Portland

Oh Dark Thirty came and our fearless tour leader, Fern Kissel, and her husband, Richard, were kind enough to pick me up for a ride to the airport for our flight to Portland Oregon.

We were met there by Joan Wayman.

Our flight to Portland was uneventful. Upon our landing approach, the first thing that strikes you is how green and full of rivers Portland is. Everywhere you would look, you would see beautiful trees, and wide rivers.

A short cab ride and we were at our hotel on the outskirts of downtown Portland.

Through the day, our group of ten riders started trickling in; some drove and some arrived by plane.

One of our other riders, Gail Markiewitz, was gracious enough to transport my bike in her car negating the need to haul it on the plane. She arrived with another rider, Ken King.

After getting situated at the hotel, a group of us, Fern, Jeff, Joan, Lois Horowitz and I decided to take a tour of Portland. Our hotel is located in the "Pearl" district of Portland. It is an eclectic mix of restored Victorian homes, restaurants, and specialty shops.

Portland has an excellent public transportation system. We availed ourselves of an electric trolley system that makes a loop through many of the differentiated segments of town. We ran the length of the loop to get acquainted, then stopped for a walk down to a very unique public market (more on that in a minute).

As we were walking towards the market (sort of a weekly street fair) we noticed a huge crowd of people along one of the main streets. They were disbursing from the area as we got near it. It turns out that it was an enormous gay pride parade. Needless to say, there were some very "interesting" costumes, floats, and every variety of humanity that you can imagine (and some you probably can't). There were angels in wings, devils in horns, topless women, topless male cross-dressers, people on stilts, people whose only clothes were gold paint; lions, tigers, and bears, OH MY!

We finally got down to the market/fair where the party continued. Some very clever arts, crafts, foods and an abundant supply of nut-jobs, too.

We were all tired, so we headed back to the hotel. There, I assembled my bike in anticipation of our departure.

We are meeting for a group "happy hour" tonight to kick off the tour.

Tomorrow it's on to the Columbia River Gorge and Hood River; the first day of our cycling.

Getting Ready to go! - Part Two

The bike is boxed, the training is done, and now myself and ten other cyclists are raring to go on our ride.

We've had some challenges keeping our group together due to some illnesses and other personal matters.  The group is now ten riders including some veterans and one rookie tourist (me).

Sunday starts the big endeavor with a flight from San Diego to Portland, Oregon.  

This ride was organized by the tenacious Fern Kissel, one of many experienced bicycle tourists from a San Diego bike club called the Knickerbikers (http://www.knickerbikers.com).

Stay tuned...