Didn't really want to leave the air conditioned cabin but had to keep on moving. Another incredibly hot day reaching 110 by noon! I made a stop at the Jack O' Conner Center in the park on my way out and checked out the mounted animals and got a nice tour. After crossing the Snake River I entered Washington and my water was already becoming hot. I had a 2,000 foot climb to Alpowa Summit to start out the day, not easy in the heat. I was becoming dehydrated and felt pretty ill and there was no shade or water anywhere. I had pulled off the road and thankfully some very kind folks from Seattle stopped and gave me ice and a couple cold diet cokes. I was incredibly grateful and it was just what I needed to reach the summit where there was a water fountain. Very happy to see that! From this point it was downhill to Pomeroy where I found a cheap motel with air conditioning, it was still 90 at 7:00 p.m. I was a little bummed to be done with Idaho, that was such a great part of my trip! Excited about upcoming short trip through Washington though.
Jack O' Conner Center
Hello Washington!
Snake River
Nice to have a shoulder again after Idaho's hwy 12
So thankful for the water fountain at the summit!
Hot, dry, no shade
Grain elevator
August 2nd - 43.02 / 2,785.99 - Pomeroy - Lewis and Clark Trail State Park
Another hot day reaching 107 degrees with no shade all day. I biked through the historic town of Dayton and had a really good lunch at the bakery. When I arrived to the state park I was very happy to see trees and was able to set up camp with some shade which was much needed. I was also very happy to see a river where I took a dip to cool off. Shortly after arriving to the campsite a guy pulled up on a bicycle and camped nearby. Michael was really nice and had just recently started a cross country trip from Portland, Oregon heading East. George, the guy running the park gave me a ride into town for some supplies (beer) and dropped me back off at the campsite. Another very kind person! After cooking up some beans and corn and having a few beers I hit the hay with hopes it would cool off tomorrow.
Washington's Hwy 12
The Dayton courthouse
Campsite at Lewis and Clark Trail State Park - shade!
Touchet River - very refreshing
August 3rd - 78.63 / 2,864.62 - Lewis and Clark Trail State Park, Washington - Hat Rock Campground, Oregon
Woke up at 6:00 hoping to beat some of the heat but it was already incredibly hot. Once again there was no shade and it was a pretty tough ride. The ride started out pretty hilly and I was fighting the wind. When I reached Walla Walla I got a flat, the 3rd in just a few days. After patching it up I made a stop at a bike shop to stock up on some supplies and then got lunch and some iced coffee. I missed a turn and ended up going about 8 miles out of my way, 16 after backtracking. I passed close to 50 wineries throughout the day but with it being so hot I decided against the free samplings and just pushed on. It was still pretty neat to see all of the different wineries, each one being very unique. I was feeling dehydrated and running out of water with no where to stop later in the day. I eventually reached the Columbia River and entered Oregon. The road from there on was beautiful! There were gigantic rock cliffs on one side and the huge Columbia River on the other side. I made it to the Hat Rock Campground and drank a ton of water, showered, did laundry, and got some sleep. Overall it was a really tough day with the heatwave continuing but I was excited to be at Hat Rock.
The Southeastern Washington desert
No shade along the road
Waterbrook Winery
Llama's staring me down
Hwy 730 along the Columbia River
Awesome rock formations along the road
Oregon!
Columbia River
Following the Columbia River all the way to the Pacific Ocean
Hat Rock State Park
August 4th - 48.07 / 2,912.69 - Hat Rock Campground, Oregon - Crow Butte Park, Washington
Woke up at 5:30 and packed up quickly, once again trying to beat the heat. I made a stop to check out the McNary dam on the Columbia River. The dam was huge and there was a really nice park along the river to take in the incredible view. I made a stop at a coffee shop in Umatilla, Oregon and did a short blog update and then took the bridge across the river to Washington. It was again becoming very hot but I was able to find cool water throughout the day which helped out. I passed about 30 women on a bicycle tour and met Valerie who was very nice and having a lot of fun on her ride. It was nice to see so many bikers along the road. I arrived to Crow Butte Park, set up camp, and headed down to the river for a dip. Got another flat, been having quite a few lately. The park had signs posted everywhere warning of rattlesnakes so I kept my eyes open but never did see any. I did come across a ton of large scary looking spiders though. Thankfully none in my tent!
Leaving Hat Rock early in the morning
McNary dam
Railroad tracks on both sides of the river
Pretty dam amazing!
This was so wonderful on such a hot day!!!
Riding along the Columbia River
Ha! Paterson was a pretty tiny town
Yikes!
Crow Butte Park
Nearly walked into these scary spiders
The view from my tent
August 5th - 28.51 / 2,941.20 - Crow Butte Park - Roosevelt Park
Woke up at 5:00 but hadn't slept well so I went back to bed until 6:30 and then hit the road as quick as possible. Once again it was incredibly hot and very windy. I was feeling pretty crummy and had to stop earlier than planned today. It would have been 33 more miles if I had gone to where I had planned but I had no energy and was feeling very drained. I think all of the heat had caught up to me. I found a nice little park on the river and set up camp. There were showers, shade, and it was free. Can't go wrong! Dan, the camp host was very nice and helpful and had me sign his biker guestbook. The park filled up with windsurfers which is very popular on the Columbia River. It was fun to watch them and made me want to try it someday. After talking with my friend Heidi who I had planned to meet the next day in Hood River we decided it would be better if she picked me up with her roommates truck. I was very happy to have her so nearby and able to help me out when I was feeling my worst. I got 3 more flat tires at the park and finally figured out what the cause was. There is a tiny little thorn in the area that punctures tires with ease. It was pretty aggravating but I think there are just native to this area and I will be in the clear once I get to Hood River. I set up camp and did some hiking around the park. It was a desert like area other than the Columbia River. The campsite was very relaxing and it was a good feeling to know I would be off the bike for a few days will I visited with Heidi.
Saw a few mule deer while leaving Crow Butte Park
I edited this photo but thought it looked pretty cool this way
Columbia River at Roosevelt Park
Nice place to sit and relax for a bit
A barge probably coming from the Pacific Ocean
Railroad tracks near the park
Desert land and the Columbia River
A bikers dream!
Tons of wind turbines in this area!
Hiking around the park
My awesome bike!
Still in rattlesnake country
Another scary spider near the campsite
August 6th - 3.82 / 2,945.02 - Roosevelt Park, Washington - Hood River, Oregon ( by car )
Nice to sleep in and not have to bike. It was raining and very windy when I first woke up. The temperature had finally dropped which was quite a relief! I took a short ride to the store for breakfast and then headed back to the campsite to wait for Heidi to come pick me up. It was really nice to see her and we drove to Hood River in what felt like no time in a truck. It was an amazing sight to see Mt. Hood in the distance when we crossed back over to Oregon. We got to Heidi's place early afternoon and I got to meet her really nice roommate Bonnie and check out there awesome home! I met Max the dog and got to see the barn that I would be sleeping in. Heidi gave me a tour of the area, took me to a great brewery, an awesome bar, and fed me some incredible homemade pasta salad! We had some local wine from Cathedral Ridge, good conversation, and I slept great in the barn. It was really nice to be with such a good friend after being alone for a couple months.
Mt. Hood from the Elliot Glacier Brewery backyard
The barn!
Good ol' Max
August 7th - 0 / 2,945.02 - Day off in Hood River
Woke up after a great sleep in the barn and had some coffee and breakfast. Heidi and I made plans to go camping in Mt. Hood National Forest tonight which I was really excited about. Mt Hood is so pretty, a must see! After a stop at the Hoor River visitor center and the grocery store we were on our way. We found a great campsite on the Hood River with plenty of tall trees and lot's of space. It was a good place to call home for the night. Heidi chopped wood with her new axe and we had some local beer, wine, and chips. All very tasty! Had a nice campfire at night and made spaghetti with herbs from Heidi's garden and a tasty Walla Walla onion I had picked up a few days earlier. If you have never had one I suggest you try to find one, they are delicious!! It got really cold at night so after huddling next to the fire for a bit we hit the hay. It was a really fun day off the bicycle!
Great place!
Heidi and I at the campsite
Great campsite with huge trees
Heidi enjoying the campfire
August 8th - 0 / 2,945.02 - Day off in Hood River
Slept great to the sound of the river so nearby. We made a stop at the Country Store on the way back to the house and got some coffee. The store was great, just like everything else in the area! Heidi had to work at the winery today so she left me with her car and a million ideas of things to do. I took her great suggestion of hiking the Dog River Trail and drove to the trailhead. It felt strange to drive a car again, it's been a little while. The trail was beautiful with incredible views of Mt. Hood. There were lots of wildflowers, bees, butterlies, open vistas, giant trees, and very clean air. I then drove to a bicycle shop for more tubes and stopped for some good Mexican food. When I got back to the house Heidi was there and had gotten off work early. I took a shower in there awesome outdoor shower and we made plans to go see the Sawtooth Mountain Boys, a great bluegrass band from the area. Heidi made me an incredible dinner and then we headed to the show at a really cool place called the Sawtooth Roadhouse. There was a big grass backyard where the band played and the atmosphere was just right! I got to meet some of Heidi's friends and we had a really great time at the Sawtooth!
Hiking the Dog River Trail
Mt. Hood
One of the many views of the mountain from the trail
High up on the trail overlooking Mt. Hood
Some precipitation forming on the top of Mt. Hood
Heidi's delicious homemeade dinner
Sawtooth Mountain Boys
August 9th - 30.70 / 2,975.72 - Hood River - Ainsworth State Park
Another great sleep in the barn! I looked out the window and saw Mt. Hood in all it's glory. I must say, Heidi has an incredible home! Th Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Adams in her front yard and Mt. Hood and National Forest in her backyard. Pretty amazing place and I was a bit sad to be leaving today. After a tasty breakfast I was back on my bike and headed West. Heidi made plans to meet me at the park and hang out for a bit. The ride was very pretty along the gorge and I stopped for lunch in the town of Cascade Locks. I really liked it there too, nice small town on the river. Part of my ride was on bicycle trail which was very pretty and a lot of fun. I arrived to Ainsworth early afternoon and hung out with Heidi and Ben for a bit until they had to leave. It was nice being with a good friend for a few days and I was now back on my own until I reach the Redwoods where my good friend John will be meeting me. I took a shower and relaxed at the campsite for the evening. So nice having comfortable weather again after that long stretch of heat prior to Hood River. Thanks again Heidi for everything, I had a wonderful time!!
The view from the barn
Columbia River Gorge
So beautiful along the Gorge!
Bridge of the Gods
Historic Clumbia River Highway bike path
Had to carry my bike and trailer up these stairs
Historic Columbia River Highway
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