Cascade Locks

We started this morning with something new, a tail wind.  We had to cycle east for one mile to get on the trail that would take us west along the Columbia River.  After that we were back into headwinds.  While the trail was paved, it was more of a nature trail than a bike trail.  It meandered with lots of twist and turns meant to give the tail user a look at the flora and fauna that grows in the marsh along the river.  From there we got on what is called Historic Route 30, a rarely used road that goes into the mountains overlooking the river.  While we had some climbs we enjoyed the vistas and lack of traffic.  Route 30 then transitioned into a section of road that has been closed to auto traffic but available to walkers and cyclists.  This went on for about 30 miles and took us into the town of Hood River where we stopped for coffee and a morning snack.  Unfortunately, we next had to get back on the dreaded Interstate Highway.  Our travels on this highway were much faster than yesterdays but the level of traffic was still very annoying.   We cycled about 10 miles on the Interstate, expecting to go about 5 miles more before we could again take side roads.  At this point we saw an exit sign and remembered the Columbia River Gorge Bike map that a trail guide gave us earlier in the day.  Sure enough, we could get off of the interstate, 5 miles earlier than planned.  While this option involved a modest climb, it was worth getting out of the fast moving traffic.  Like most tough climbs, this one was followed by a great down hill ride into the town of Cascade Locks.  Usually when we come to fast down hills, Joe flies and Jeff follows at a more cautious speed.  However, today Jeff broke with tradition and stayed with Joe all the way to the bottom.  Joe was impressed that Jeff kept up, but Jeff just questioned his own sanity.  

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