[OrRando] OR 400k Starts and Ends at the Columbia River Gorge Hostel in Bingen

[John Kramer]

Here are some thoughts and ideas on the starting location. The Bingen 
Huckleberry festival is September 8 to 10 and you can expect that Bingen 
will be crowded. I moved the start to the street corner next to the 
Hostel as the City Park will not be available. The Hostel has 
inexpensive private rooms as well as men’s and women’s bunk rooms. The 
private rooms have 2 or 3 queen size beds that would normally sleep four 
to six SIR randonneurs, a fan and a small refrigerator. The cost of 
lines is extra so you can either bring your own sleeping bag and pillow, 
or arrange to use the Hostel’s linens. If you are a first time 400k 
rider, the cost of a room or a bunk is not much compared to the cost of 
a car wreck and resulting injuries, damages or deaths. Put a pair of ear 
plugs in your rando kit. There is no sound insulation in turn of the 
century school houses. When I get done with a 400, I grab a bite to eat 
and go straight to bed and often skip story time. You can do what you 
would like but if you want to party, you can’t do that at the Hostel, sorry.
.
I am planning on meeting returning riders near the Kitchen area in the 
Hostel’s lower level. I will have some pasta, cheese tortellini, milk 
and soda for you. The kitchen also has a cafeteria area where you can 
sit on a wide seat and eat. The Hostel management has asked that we be 
respectful of the community type of accommodations and avoid excess 
noise, shoe clapping, door banging, loud talking and gas passing. The 
best thing to do with your bike after the ride is to lock it into your 
ride or bike rack. Taking your bike to bed with you is, well, a bit extreme.
.
If you have not seen the old Bingen School Hostel, now known as the 
Columbia River Gorge Hostel, you should brace yourself. This isn’t Fort 
Worden and it sure isn’t Mazama lodge. However, I have sometimes 
overnighted with SIR in conditions that are not too dissimilar. The 
outside needs some paint, the building needs a new roof and the place 
could use a grounds keeper. I suspect there is not a profit margin or 
much of a maintenance budget in running a hostel. But the inside is 
alright even if it is nearly ancient.
.
*The Columbia River Gorge Hostel*
The corner of Humboldt and Cedar
Bingen,WA
http://www.bingenschool.com
Phone (509) 493-3363