[OrRando] Forest Grove - Birkenfeld pre-ride

[Michael Rasmussen]

Y'all

I pre-rode the Forest Grove - Birkenfeld 200K route yesterday.

You are in for a treat!  Susan took the best parts of the classic Portland
200K and added more scenic country roads.  It's really beautiful.  Better yet
the road surface from Vernonia to Birkenfeld is, for the most part, smooth
good condition asphalt.  A joy to ride.

Miscellaneous notes from my ride.

Am I nuts?  Starting at 10:00 am?  After riding only 134 miles in the previous
two months?

Mile 8  - first temptation.  A winery open for tastings.

Mile 15 - just before leaving Hwy 6 for Timber Road there is a store on the
right.  It stocks Rando essentials like corn dogs, chocolate milk, Hostess
fruit pies.  There's a porta potty in the parking lot to the west.

Timber road - who cares that it's narrow and curvey? There's little to no
traffic and what there is you can hear coming.

Mile 20 - Perhaps you'll also see a herd of 16 elk.  Don't bother stopping to
try and photograph them.  They're skittish.

Mile 21 - Check your brakes, especially if it is raining.  The descent into
Timber is short, steep and ends with a hard left across railroad tracks.

Mile 35.5 - The bike path is all right.  Paved all the way into Vernonia,
covered with spruce needles.  Caveats:  if you meet horseback riders remember
they have the right of way and you are strongly encouraged to slow way down
and possibly dismount.  A spooked horse is dangerous.  The bridges are wooden
and have very abrupt, almost curb like ends.  There are a couple of instances
where tree roots have deformed the asphalt into a very bumpy section.  Very
brief too.  Watch out for the one road crossing were a cable is strung across
the path to keep motorized vehicles out.  The dirt shoulder is below the
asphalt lip.

Vernonia - the coffee place on Bridge street makes a good mocha - not some
cloying sweet dreck. A no-whip order results in a very full cup.

Hwy 47 - After three miles from Vernonia the road follows the Nehelam River.
What a delight!  Lots of timber and frequent pastures line the route. Just a
really beautiful section of road to ride.

Mile 53.4 (or is it 54.3?) - At the Y where Hwy 47 that you've been riding for
almost 20 miles goes right Bear Left to get onto SR 202.

Fishhawk Lake - Yawn.  Private development.

Birkenfeld - Happy to report they're open on Sunday. People staffing
the store were really sweet. Hopefully you'll meet the same ones.
There is a warm, clean toilet.

Hwy 47 south of Vernonia - Can be busy.  If you have a good chunk of time in
the bank the bikepath could be a very good time.  Just be sure to get off at
the crest.  The descent down to Hwy 26 is a very good time - even if you're
cooked, nauseous, and otherwise in no condition to ride.

Hwy 26 - Very busy, be very careful.

That's all I have, as my ride ended at that point.

A word on dogs.

I encountered four:

1 black one near a house with other fenced in dogs.  He's a barker and chaser
only.  If he were a biter my right leg would have holes in it.  Didn't know he
was there until he spoke up.

2 in a house at the end of a long driveway.  I saw (and heard) them barreling
down the driveway to chase me.  For better or worse it was too late for them
and I was gone by the time they reached the road.  With more riders on the
brevet, they may be on or close to the road when you go by.

1 poor uncoordinated mutt.  He runs down the driveway, he turns onto the road
shoulder, he loses traction slides out and rolls over.

I have mile post entries for the first two if you're interested.

See you on Saturday.



--
   Michael Rasmussen, Portland, Ore, USA
  Be Appropriate && Follow Your Curiosity
        http://www.patch.com/words/