We headed out of St. Helens going East on US Rt 30 for the first 20 miles. Rt 30 is a busy highway with suburban commuting traffic to Portland. It wasn't a particularly fun opening segment. However, the weather was excellent with sun or partly sunny and moderate temps, a great day for cycling. After exiting Rt 30 we meandered through one of the many Portland bike trails. This one stayed close to the Columbia River and also went by the airport. We got to see a number of houseboats on both the Oregon and the Washington side of the Columbia.
The climbing started after the 2nd SAG as we moved inland. As we climbed near the town of Sandy we were rewarded with our first glimpses of Mount Hood, Oregon's highest mountain. Truly spectacular. In Sandy we refueled with a smoothie at Dairy Queen before climbing the last 17 miles into Welches. We stayed the evening at "Resort at the Mountain " a very nice sprawling resort hotel. We were advise to not get too used to its comforts. We shuttled to dinner at a local restaurant.
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| House boats on the Columbia River |
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| Mount Hood from outside of Sandy, OR |
Great shots!
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