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Went on another week long bike trip - this time with canarasekal, j3h, and tralfazz on bikes, and with stevedarnley (BOB!) driving support in Francesca (Chiara's car). The route we took was a little over 300 miles on the map, but we ended up with 384 miles on our bikes and a 13.4 MPH average speed. For those of you playing along at home, that translates to 27+ hours on our bikes.

A trip summary (written by tralfazz) of all the things we want to remember as well as lots and lots of pictures may be found below. Just the pictures, with little to no commentary, may be found at http://soy.dyndns.org/gallery/TourDOregon

Day 1 – Portland to Estacada

40 miles 40 miles

T&J left from airport; P&J from Up & Down house
Met at Springwater Trail
- Stopped to eat blackberries and apples
- Mt. Hood in distance
Head south on 242nd
- Fruit stand – peaches, blueberries
- Long downhill (steepest downhill of the trip) – no more handlebar bags for me, that sucks.
Left towards Estacada on 224 –
- Peter – pinch flat, we found jigsaw puzzle pieces
- Jody – puncture after turn towards Milo McIver Park (barking dogs)
Long hill to entrance of McIver
- view of Mt. Hood
- “Horseboarding” – what is that? Is it like waterboarding? Snowboarding?
- Long downhill into park
- Great facilities, camp set up
Dinner at Fearless Brewing Company – “the beer that made Estacada famous”

Day 2 – Estacada to Detroit Lakes

72 miles 112 miles

Climb out of park
- Breakfast at bakery with murals
Head east on Rt. 224
- Long, steady climb out of Estacada
- Stop at top of hill – pictures and pee
- Long, screaming downhill
Steady climb on 224 following river – stop at whitewater info bridge
Turn on to Rt. 46 at Ripplebrook
Met Bob at Two Rivers Picnic Area
- Josh crash on gravel
- Bike repair – bent derailleur hanger fixed by Bob with vicegrips
- Lunch
Continued climbing to peak – Jody flats
Downhill – crazy
- 15 MPH switchback
- J&J in lead
- Following Breitenbush River
- Long, steady downhill
At Detroit Lakes – park about 2 miles from town – Detroit Lakes State Park
Dinner – no dinner until fire crews are fed, go to bar (grouchy bartender), “gay chicken”
Decision to not go to Sisters made

Day 3 – Detroit Lakes to Belknap Springs

63 miles 175 miles

Breakfast in Detroit
- Posed by snowmobile
Head out on Rt. 22 east
- Stop just outside of town for air and rim truing – Peter bitches about logging in front of lumber yard.
Steady climb along North Santiam River
- Rain begins
- Climb steepens
- At cross of North Santiam river, rest stop (refreshing) – 1 peanut butter cracker per each
Climbed shoulder of Maxwell Butte
Crested at 3,800 ft. – met Bob for lunch at lava fields
- Rain suit – rain stopped
Took off onto Rt. 20 to Rt. 126 – Jody flat
Gorgeous downhill (who wants to be the 4AM flagger) – the flaggers were totally good to us – fresh pavement – 4 miles
Gentle downhill – no stop at Olallie
Yes stop at Belknap Hot Springs resort
- Set up camp as rain started
- Soak our souls in naturally heated hot pool
Can’t find dinner
- Historic Log Cabin? Burned down 3/06
- Dinner at Rustic Skillet – crappy waitress and good Marionberry pie
Back to campsite in rain –went to bed
- 3:30 AM – Hoyts in danger of drowning

Day 4 – Belknap Springs to Eugene

62 miles 237 miles

Effect of rain
- Tarps overloaded
- Everything drenched (except anything whose last name starts with “B”)
- Jody flatted before start
Sprint to breakfast at Takoda Restaurant – they understand coffee (Pierce Brosnan ate here!)
Expecting a cakewalk to Eugene but not so…
- Josh flatted about 8 miles out across from river
- and then at convenience store at Vida about 2 miles later
- Josh flats about three miles later
- And then Jody also has slow leak and tube change
Jody’s third flat at weigh station
- J has tantrum and then we patch tire (we’re out of tubes)
- Peter finds piece of glass in tire that has been haunting J all day
- Gravel truck arrives with brakes on fire - J asks about it – “It’s all part of crushing rock”
Wind way through Springfield and Eugene to bike shop for rim truing and new tubes and then to Peter’s house
- Dinner from Thai restaurant
- Dried out tents, etc.
- Slideshow on Peter’s BIG SCREEN

Day 5 – Eugene to Salem

85 miles 322 miles

Slow food at Morning Glory
Out of town on River Rd. to Peoria Rd. - This ride sucks – don’t ever think of going this route. This route was so bad that we would have to idiots to go this way. I am lying. This route is god’s way of telling us that cycling rules.
There is water at Peoria Park.
SNAG BOAT BEND UNIT – We Rock!
Lunch in Corvallis (Go Beavers!) – Olive loaf rules, too.
North on Rt. 20 and then Independence Highway (awesome!) – until we meet a detour!
- Friendly cyclists advise us that we cannot get across and that there will be “hills” (compared to Cascades, these hills also rock, in that they are little friendly things).
Make top of hill – wha?
Ride to Rt. 22 which really, really sucked. No kidding. Not a joke. Horrible 4 lanes of busy fast traffic.
Meet Bob at “Ebola Rd.” – we cross 22 (very scary to do) and head up the hill because this is better than certain death on Rt. 22 if we keep following it. We follow Doaks Ferry Rd. over massive hill and then down to bike path across Willamette.
This leads to park with Skate Park. Watch BMXers while Bob tries to find motel.
Bob finds Salem Inn (ask for discount!), ask to park bikes in breakfast area and meeting room once available.
Dinner at Casa Baez (be careful with the salsa!)

Day 6 – Salem to Portland

62 miles 384 miles

6AM alarm and klieg lights…oh, oh, oh, and hit Tom with weapon to enforce social norms.
Breakfast – mmm, waffles
On road, found hay castle and corn maze
Howell Prairie Rd. – do not follow this road. It is too good for you. Also, Boone’s Ferry Rd.
Josh flat on Howell Prairie Rd.
Across mighty Pudding River
Brunch in Canby – 35 miles by 10:30AM
40 miles by noon
We decide to take a side road – “New Era Rd.” – not what we all were looking for but a really nice road to Oregon City – long hill.
Cross river after asking DKS cop – follow walkway along Rt 99 bridge
River Rd. to Sellwood to bike path to home