Scenic Gorge Bike Ride

I think I am officially becoming a cyclist. I have been getting a huge kick out of finding long rides to do that are fun and scenic in preparation for my century out to the coast. A few weekends ago I ran across this ride that happened this past weekend called Tour de Hood.

The Tour de Hood is a ride which takes advantage of the road closures for the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic and opens it up to the general public. The best thing about it, is that riders get to ride the course while the Classic is going on. It’s exciting to be riding a race course with some of the country’s best cyclists.

I was VERY tempted to sign up for the ride this year, but was a little unsuccessful in finding a partner in crime (because you know…misery loves company) so I ended up talking a friend into doing the Tour the Hood scenic gorge route a week earlier.

The ride was amazing!! The course is 42 miles and starts from Hood River on the Columbia River Historic Highway to Mosier. In Mosier, we climbed to the top of the Rowena Crest Lookout and then descended the Rowena Loops to the Dalles. From the Dalles, we headed up (and I mean up!) Seven Mile Ridge and then back down to Mosier before returning to Hood River.

I didn’t take as many photos as I would have wanted but managed to take a quick break after the long Seven Mile Ridge climb and snap a picture of Mt. Hood. We had amazing views of the mountain the entire way back to Mosier. It was amazing.

The roads were great to bike on without any shady parts or a ton of car traffic.

I have yet to try the day 2 summit challenge route. It looked a little intimidating with the HUGE hills but maybe I’ll check it out later this summer.

Until then, if you are looking for a good bike ride in the Gorge, I highly recommend checking this one out!

Happy cycling!

Eagle Creek Hike and “Backpacking” Trip

I just penciled in the Wallowas into my calendar! I am so excited for the 44 mile hike but a little nervous about the backpacking piece.

This past weekend, I decided to give backpacking a try and headed to Eagle Creek in the Gorge for some hiking and backpacking practice and also to check out all the waterfalls I’ve heard so much about.

It was amazing! I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

The trailhead can get pretty crowded from what I hear. We got there around 4 pm and packed planning to hike in about 5-7 miles and then find a camping spot.

2 miles in, we came to Punchbowl Falls. It was breath-taking (in more ways than one). We decided to take a little trail down to the beach and decided to get in the water. It was FREEZING! I ran in and took a dip and it literally took the air out of my lungs. Would I do it again? Yes. Probably. It is so pretty in there and apparently a popular swimming hole in the summer. It looked like you could maybe jump down but there was a death a few weeks ago so we decided not to take any crazy risks.

I would recommend taking a dip. It’s cold but kind of surreal.

Once we warmed up a bit, we continued down the trail. I don’t think I can do justice to this trail with my words. Trust me, if you haven’t checked out Eagle Creek, you are missing out. It is amazing. There are several short hikes or even longer backpacking trips that can start at this trail head. It can get crowded in the summer so be aware in case you decide to come check it out.

We passed up some campsites along the way but decided to settle on a spot close to the river about 5 miles in. My pack was not the most comfortable (I borrowed a friend’s) so I wasn’t too disappointed about not going all the way in.  The camping was amazing. The stars weren’t as visible as they are in Bend but being by the water is so relaxing.

Backpacking was nice. We set up camp and then spent some time cooking which is really enjoyable. As a car camper, my experience when camping is sitting by a fire and drinking some beers. This trip, however, was a little different. We cooked  Gado Gado Noodles and had ourselves a feast with cherries for desert. It was so nice cooking and enjoying the whole outdoor experience. So refreshing! I HIGHLY encourage taking the time and looking up some fun backpacking recipes if you decide to stay a night. Cooking was so fun!

The next morning, we hustled back and took all these wonderful pictures in order to get to Hood River to get a nice bike ride in! Gorgeous ride. I’ll post about it soon!

Until then, happy adventures!!

Chinidere Mountain Hike

The Columbia Gorge is becoming one of my favorite spots to visit and hike in. I’ve done a few hikes there and I have yet to be disappointed with them.

This past weekend, I decided to do a new hike in the Gorge and I enjoyed it so much that I just had to share. I found out about it while browsing the web for some good viewpoint hikes to do in the area. Chinidere Mountain seemed like a great hike with some beautiful views of Mt. Hood. This hike is also a loop which I prefer.

The hike starts at Wahtum Lake Trailhead which was a tad difficult to get to. There are several hikes that start there so I am posting the link below for reference.

http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org/wiki/Chinidere_Mountain_Hike

 

The hike begins on a horse trail and then drops off to the PCT. After about 2 miles on the PCT, to summit the mountain, you turn on the trail to Chinidere Mountain for a 0.5 mile climb to the summit.

The top of the mountain is shale and has a trail to follow. We still had some snow up top, so we scrambled up to the top. It was perfectly safe. The day was a little cloudy so Mt. Hood was not so visible but the view from the top was still amazing.

The return trip was interesting.

After getting back on the PCT, we took the Chinidere Cutoff Trail and hiked along a creek. Soon, the route crossed the outlet of the lake which required us to cross by walking and hopping on some logs. It seemed a little sketchy at first, but if you can muster up a little balance, you should be able to stay pretty dry. Believe me, I am a klutz. I made it through without having to go for a little swim.

After the crossing, we jumped back on the PCT and then took the wooden stairs (which seem never ending at first) to the parking lot and to the car.

If you are so inclined to do this, I HIGHLY recommend spending some time before or after in Hood River. One of my favorite new spots is Pfriem, a new brewery and tasting room in Hood River. Both beer and food menus are amazing. I would go soon too! This place is easily becoming more popular. Check them out at: http://pfriembeer.com/

Off to get ready for a weekend of road biking in Bend,  and some naked road biking in Portland (for the annual Naked Bike Ride).

Cheers!