Day 6 was perhaps physically the most challenging thus far. We both were undertrained going into this expedition due to other time commitments. Lack of training, saddle fatigue, and lack of sleep seem to be catching up to us, yet we press on and believe that we will push through these physical challenges. Today the weather turned. We had been beset by cool and overcast weather, with temperatures in the 60’s. That may sound comfortable, but in fact it required extract clothing to stay warm. Today, we were faced with temperatures in the high 80’s to low 90’s, in some respects welcome relief from the cool, but hydration now becomes more important.
We experienced phenomenal views of the Columbia gorge after a few climbs. The descents were also a nice reward.
It is amazing how good the roads are here while being so lightly traveled. At one point, we rode on a stretch of road that was restricted to non-motorized vehicles. This road contained spectacular views and even featured a set of tunnels. One wonders when these were built, what their purpose was, and who paid for them. Pictured here is a view atop one of our climbs.
I've spent many days riding the Gorge.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the tunnels you rode through were the Mitchell Tunnels. These were a part of the original Columbia River Gorge Scenic Byway (i.e. Hwy 30), replete with cutouts for daylight. However, as vehicles grew wider the tunnels could not be widened and traffic was diverted along a lower route. Eventually I-84 was built, relieving Hwy 30 of nearly all the wear of tear of traffic. Not to mention that road-damaging frost-heaves are rare there.