[OrRando] Glacier Bound Riders

[Michael Rasmussen]

All,

Yesterday 35 riders left the Portland (Ore) metro area for a 1000K Grand
Randonnee[1].  Their first 50 miles were on the Old Columbia Highway.  This
included, we assert, the first ever flight of stairs included in 
the official brevet route.  After the nicely shaded intro they crossed the
Bridge of the Gods into the drier climes of Washington state. Like salmon the 
riders persistently rode up the Columbia River, passing dams, a Stonehenge
replica, wineries and fireworks stands.  Temps were in the mid 90s and
services widely spaced. They finished the first day riding after traversing
400K and coming to the edge of the Palouse wheat growing mecca.

Today they'll cross the Palouse and enter northern Idaho with an goal of
mining town Kellogg.  After another night's, or hour's, sleep they'll set out
for the ultimate destination of Whitefish, Montana on the edge of Glacier
national park.

You can track their progress at http://www.orrandonneurs.org/
We have riders from Texas, California, British Columbia, Washington and
Oregon.

[1] If 1000K does not qualify as a Grande Randonnee I await clarification from
Bill Bryant.

-- 
      Michael Rasmussen, Portland Oregon  
    Be appropriate && Follow your curiosity
          http://www.patch.com/words/ 
  The fortune cookie says:
A woman has got to love a bad man once or twice in her life to be
thankful for a good one.
		-- Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings