Bi-State s36o... Cascadia Style

[Smitty]

In case you haven't looked at a map lately... the southern WA Cascades are pretty accessible from Portland, OR. A buddy laid out the route to Sunset Falls and invited me along with he and some other bike camping friends. I've been on a coupe multi-night bike camping trips with my family but this was my first "s24o" type trip. I was gone from home for about 32 hours... so "s36o" seems a little more technically accurate. 

Pics give some sort of idea what it was like... but you really had to be there. 

--Smitty 

[Rob]

Nicely told tale! Looks like it was a fun trip.

Rob in Seattle

[Mike]

Oh man that looks like a good time! GPNF is a fantastic place for bike
camping, especially if you're willing to go long. If you get the time
later in the year consider trying to go for a couple of days so you
can take in some of the quiet spectacular FS roads that wind their way
through Gifford. I think the higher passes--Elk Pass, Old Man Pass,
etc--will be closed into late June.

Some pictures from a 3 day trip a few years ago--http://www.flickr.com/
photos/41335973@N00/collections/72157624841057329/

It's a funny thing about Gifford, the first time I pedaled through
there I only saw two other touring cyclist who were bombing down a
hill at high speed but one of them was clearly on a Rivendell. Last
summer while pedaling through there on the way up to Rainier a group
of cyclist came down the same hill (Old Man Pass) and one of them was
on a Rivendell. We didn't see any other cyclist that trip while in
Gifford. Weird. We did see this guy at the bottom of Old Man Pass and
he was quite familiar with Riv aesthetics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335973@N00/6029699482/in/set-72157627404530358

Good meeting you the previous weekend in Troutdale Smitty. Maybe we
can get a crew together this summer and head out towards the Clackamas
River this summer? I see Ed G. was with you on this ride. He's a great
guy.

--mike

[Mike]

Hey, what was the mileage out to the campsite?

[Smitty]

39 miles from the Parkrose Transit Center. Cue sheet, map and elevation profile here. 

Yeah, it was good to meet you last week. I'm game to get together for a ride or 2.

 

Thanks for the link to your GP adventure. I've spent the last several years hiking all over the north Cascades... I was living in Seattle. It's exciting to have a new backyard. Plus, having a bike I can load and ride a distance expands the adventure that much more. 

--Smitty

[Mike]

That's great that the mileage wasn't too heavy. I may have to make a
day trip out there to check it out. Yeah, there's lots of great stuff
to explore outside of Portland. These two brevet routes would make
great overnight rides for anyone welling to do 2 long days in the
saddle.

http://www.orrandonneurs.org/rba/2008/Timothy/2008_Timothy_Info.htm

http://www.orrandonneurs.org/rba/2009/Barlow300/Barlow300_Info.html

I'm signed up for the Cascade 1200k this summer but am thinking more
and more of pulling the plug on it for this year and concentrating on
doing some extended overnights and the summer brevet series with OR
Randonneurs. After 4yrs of doing the spring series I'm tired of riding
in the rain.

--mike

[Norman Bone]

Nice pix bro. Did you take a tent or some other shelter?

-Norm

---

From: Smitty <54c...@gmail.com>
To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2012 9:01 PM
Subject: [RBW] Bi-State s36o... Cascadia Style

In case you haven't looked at a map lately... the southern WA Cascades are pretty accessible from Portland, OR. A buddy laid out the route to Sunset Falls and invited me along with he and some other bike camping friends. I've been on a coupe multi-night bike camping trips with my family but this was my first "s24o" type trip. I was gone from home for about 32 hours... so "s36o" seems a little more technically accurate. 

Pics give some sort of idea what it was like... but you really had to be there. 

--Smitty 

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[Smitty]

Mike -- I was looking at Timothy Lake on the topo map and wondering about it. Old brevet cue sheets... good idea for route info + ideas. 

Norm -- I brought a hammock. At first I started to pack a tent but the poles were problematic to pack.

--Andy

[doc]

Great pics, great trip. 'wish I had a bagpiping unicyclist or two in
my neighborhood. For tent poles, wrap them in an old pair of socks
and lash them to your top tube.

doc

> > there<https://picasaweb.google.com/113148323994353762329/SunsetFallsS36oApr...>
> > .
>
> > --Smitty

[Mike]

The ride up to and around Timothy Lake is pretty awesome. I've camped
there twice and it's nice enough but there's tons of folks up there in
RVs with generators going and making noise. I have no idea why they
even left home!

Camping along the Clackamas River is really nice. Lots of camp sites
that are quiet.

There's so many options for S36Os and S72Os outside of Portland. I
feel like I've just barely scratched the service. Someday I'd also
like to explore sections of the PCT on foot.

Andy, do you think you might try and do some of the summer brevet
series? The 200k is gonna be out to Ripplebrook Ranger Station and
back. It's a long day but there aren't any major climbs and the out
and back from Estacada to Ripplebrook is beautiful.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335973@N00/sets/72157620190697713/

And from a big ride from Portland and up and around Timothy Lake. I
actually imploded in Estacada on the return. Wrecked from the heat and
the mileage. I couldn't believe that my wife would come and scoop me
up in the car and take me home. Love.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335973@N00/3746756376/in/set-72157621778650380

--mike

[Smitty]

doc -- poles on the TT... good idea... noted. 

mike -- I'm thinking I'll come out for one or both of the 100k in May and am thinking more and more about the 200k at the end of June. Ed G. and I were talking over the weekend about increasing distance and he was encouraging. But I might be distracted by camping and use my spousal "hall pass" for overnighters instead. A 3day/2night mini tour sounds pretty fun.

--Andy 

On Sunday, April 15, 2012 9:01:21 PM UTC-7, Smitty wrote:

[Mike]

Smitty wrote:
> I might be distracted by camping and use my spousal "hall
> pass" for overnighters instead. A 3day/2night mini tour sounds pretty fun.
>
> --Andy
>

More and more that's what I'm thinking. I feel much more excited and
enthused about a 3 day tour consisting of 3 100 mile days than the
1200k over a set route and all that. I think I'm feeling just a little
burned out and it's only April. I've already done two 200ks and
multiple 100 mile rides this year. I'm excited about the weekends 300k
but have absolutely no interest in the 400k following that. I hate
that distance.

But camping bike camping--long days followed by a campfire and a night
in the woods... that just seems perfect and very very appealing.

I'll definitely be at the summer 200k if I bail on the Cascade.
Hopefully I'll see you around town before that.

--mike