The Bald Peak Challenge

So it was up early, hotel breakfast and off by 08:30 weaving through the grid pattern street of Portland trying not to get my tyres stuck in the tram lines ! The first climb was up to the top of the Skyline along a road called Lovejoy. Quite a good climb, a couple of miles at 10 - 12%. Then out long and flat to a town called Hillsboro. Having to stop quite often to route check against the 24 A4 sheets I'd printed in the office. Turned south (I was doing the route anticlockwise - there was no wind to speak of so it didn't really matter), heading toward the hills. The maximum elevation I was to reach was 510m so quite similar to the forthcoming Wicklow I considered.

The hills soon came on, the climb up Bald Peak went on and on, good comparable gradients to France, just what I wanted. Reached the top of Bald Peak, stopped to photograph the snow covered peaks (as previous post) and off again. Reached a complicated junction and turned, still climbing then a descent. Got carried away and descended 400m to Scholls Ferry only to realise the error. I thought about it, the climbing was good training so back up I went ! Found the road I was supposed to take called 'Mountain Top Road' (rather imaginative !), to my horror it was unmetalled, yes gravel ! Good job the hire bike had Kevlar tyres. The gravel (or grovel!) lasted about 2 miles then sanity was restored, asphalt again....

Has to negotiate Highway 99, the one that runs all the way to Vancouver BC, Canada and on to Whistler, then the climb up Parret Mountain. This was steep, as in Lake district steep, took it easy then after many switchbacks, it turned to bloody gravel again, on a 12% incline. I tried and tried to keep the traction by keeping seated but I only had a 25 sprocket on the rear and I had to stand and when standing the rear wheel spun. So I had to walk about 100m - bugger !

The descent on the gravel was tricky, little control over direction but made it to asphalt again. I was 65m into the ride now and aside from going back over the Skyline, most of the climbing was done.

I got back into downtown Portland 16:00 ish and headed straight for the pizza shop for a pizza and a couple of beers. See http://connect.garmin.com/activity/5242504

The day totalled 84 miles (or thereabouts) and 2,400m of ascent, a similar rate to the forthcoming Etape so I was pleased, especially with over a 100 miles in the legs from the previous 2 days. A total of 190m in 2.5 days. Looking forward to the next weekend and what Mount Hood can offer.