Rolling On The Columbia River Historic Highway

Saturday’s ride reaffirmed why I love experiencing Oregon from the handlebars. One of the state’s great treasures is the Historic Columbia River Highway. Long stretches of car-free riding, interspersed with low-volume traffic on portions that are shared with cars, make this route a favorite for folks who want to interact with some of Oregon’s most amazing and diverse scenery.

It’s been months since I’d last seen my friend Pablo, so there was lots of catching up to do; this was just the place to do it.  Since we didn’t need to worry much about cars, we could ride two abreast and have some conversation along the way.  We rode the part that connects Hood River to Mosier, then up to Rowena Crest.  In that short span, there’s a noticeable change in the topography, from Western to Central Oregon. There are tunnels from the old highway that have been preserved, and amazing views of the Columbia River for miles in both directions.

Our agenda was simple: ride to Rowena, take pictures of the wildflowers that are now in bloom, and catch each other up on life and stuff.  On the way back, we had some 40 mph descents, ice cream in Mosier, and cameras loaded with pictures of the wildflowers.