I would like to say that we have some great guides leading our trip across the country – Brent, Caleb, Bev, Martin and Michaela. They are all veterans of the trip and have been with Trek Travel at least a few years each. Each day we have 2 of them riding with us to keep things safe and in order while the other 3 tend to vans, luggage and SAG (resupply) stops. More information on them to come in the next few days.
I have always heard that on the Cross Country Challenge that you have to be flexible because over 47 days, things are bound to happen that will change your plans, routes or schedules and today we got it in spades – a crime scene, a landslide and a short ride on gravel to get onto Interstate 84. Hardly a mile out we had to detour a few blocks around what appeared to be possible murder scene, around mile 60 we had to navigate around a landslide on one of the paved bike trails we were on and later we took a short gravel ride through a construction zone to do the final 8 miles on Interstate 84 (in many western states, it is perfectly legal to ride on the Interstate for short distances).
In any case, it was a good day with some great scenery and a few killer climbs. We broke up into 2 groups as we rolled out this morning from Portland space about 20 minutes apart. After the first SAG stop at mile 22, we had a little mishap with Chad and Michelle who are riding the tandem as they took a spill on some uneven pavement that was obscured by the lane marker. Fortunately, the worst damage was a few scrapes and bruises.
The cool and misty morning gave way to a little sunshine as we made into the Columbia River Gorge area. The hills didn’t waste any time reminding us that this will not be an easy ride. As the miles ticked off, I found my legs again. It just seems that when you settle in and accept the miles to be covered, it’s a little easier to keep turning the pedals. The scenery today was worth every drop of sweat – and we stopped more than a few times to admire the beauty and take a some photos.
As we closed in on Hood River, we did the final 8 miles on Interstate 84 – that was quite the white-knuckle experience! But the good news is that cars and trucks whizzing by at 75 MPH creates a nice tailwind effect that helped push us on into Hood River after a 75-ish mile ride with right at 4000 feet of elevation gain. Tonight we slumber at the Hampton Inn as we rest up for our biggest climbing day of the trip tomorrow!