Oregon City

June 30, 2023

The day gets off to a bright start when I open the morning’s mail and find this upbeat update, on an email with “I did it!” as its subject line:

Frank’s writing to let me know that he just completed the 21 mile loop from his house in Salem, past the Keizer ball park and across to Windsor Island. This is a major milestone for him, and one we’ve both been hoping he’d attain again someday. It used to be one of his regular rides, but it’s been over two years since the last time he completed or even attempted it. Since then a broken hip and a series of other health issues have left him discouraged and doubting he’d ever really ride again.

Congratulations, old friend (well, younger than me actually - by exactly four weeks). Today’s sound track is for you. Sorry we couldn’t find any Bartok that seemed to fit just right, but you like Desmond well enough as I recall - after all, you named your cat after him.

Video sound track: The Theme from Black Orpheus, by Paul Desmond

Rachael and I begin today’s ride together, following our usual route south along the Willamette and down the Trolley Trail through Oak Grove and Gladstone. This is Rachael’s third but my first time this summer, but we’ve ridden this ride hundreds of times and this morning we’re just enjoying the workout and not stopping for photos. There’s one shot we would love to have taken if we’d been quick enough though - a mother mallard casually herding her four tiny newborns across busy Courtney Avenue, about a half block off to the side from us. On the other side of her a backed up line of cars is honking, urging them all to waddle just a little faster.

At Oregon City we stop to ponder the construction project in the river, and discuss plans for the rest of the ride. I want to make a loop out of it and ride back up the west side of the river, but Rachael decides she’d rather backtrack. She’ll be back home about fifteen minutes before me even after adding enough extra miles to break the magical 42 barrier.

I’m not sure what this project is exactly, but I think they’re upgrading the Abernathy Bridge where I-205 crosses the Willamette, adding an access ramp and strengthening the bridge to hopefully withstand The Big One.

There are parts of the ride back through Lake Oswego that are definitely suboptimal - the first few miles on Highway 43 are no fun, and Lake Oswego itself ranks as maybe my least favorite town in Oregon to bike through. Most of it is great though, with the shady, peaceful ride up through Tryon Creek Park, the delightful descent through River View Cemetery, and the pleasant return north along the river through Willamette Park and John’s Landing. Once you escape Lake Oswego, the next ten miles are great.

But they’re a bit hilly too. Nothing serious, but enough so that I take my time with the climb up through West Lynn and again up into Tryon Creek Park, moderating my exertion level to see if I can make it through a modest challenge like this without triggering an episode. At 1,400’ elevation gain in 35 miles, the ride is more of a challenge than any of the travel days we have mapped out for our tour of Spain, so this is again an experiment of sorts. If I have problems with rides like this, maybe we need to be rethinking whether to go to Spain at all.

No problem though, either during the ride or later. I give this happy news to buzzkill Rachael when I return, who deflates me just a bit by pointing out that I’m not carrying a load. That’s not quite true though, since I remembered my pannier this time and am carrying tools, a phone, a wallet and the tool kit. That’s not nothing.

Another view of the construction project, from the Arch Bridge.

The ride through Tryon Creek Park is always enjoyable, though it’s best in the spring when the trilliums are in bloom.

There’s more than just the river in view from the cemetery.

We’re running down the days here before we leave for Canada, and are just starting to get anxious for a couple of items that are behind schedule for delivery. They both come in today though, so this is a good news day from top to bottom. The first is the Bike Fridays, which were dropped off to Sellwood Cycle Repair almost as soon as they hit town. We pick them up on our way over to dinner at Nuestra Cucina, since they’re close to each other on the east side. On the way we drop off Rachael’s Straggler at our bike locker, since Rachael will be taking the BF to Canada with her. In retrospect I’m sorry I didn’t think to take a shot of her with the Straggler, because we probably won’t be seeing it again until winter sometime.

And the other delivery? See if you can guess.

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Today's ride: 36 miles (58 km)
Total: 411 miles (661 km)

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