September 27
59mi/95km
3200ft/975m elevation gain
It was nice to sleep outside again. The campground was busy in the night but we still slept well. We got on the road around 8:30 and had easy riding on rural roads. After about an hour we passed a coffee shop, so we stopped for a drink and a pastry.
Back on the road, we soon came into Camas and joined a multi-use path along the river that was quite nice. It was another clear and sunny day and we got some views of Mount Hood as we ride across the town of Washougal.
Soon we were climbing, along more rural roads but with sections of 12% or more. Near the top of the climb, we met a cyclist on an e-bike on a ride from Portland. We chatted for awhile as we ate some apples off a tree.
Eventually we joined Highway 14, which was busy, noisy, and often has a poor shoulder. We rode along the Columbia River. We’re now on the Lewis and Clark Trail, though we’re retracing the steps of the Corps of Discovery in reverse.
We stopped at a state park to eat a late lunch. We were surrounded by apple trees, so Paul set off to sample and grab some of his favorites. We each had an apple with lunch.
Eventually we came to the Bridge of the Gods and crossed the Columbia into Cascade Locks, Oregon. This is part of the PCT, so we’ve been here before. Paul hates the bridge, but I like it. From Cascade Locks we only had about 7 miles to the campground, but we had a big climb to get over first. This one went up to 15% at one point.
Compared to the crowded campground last night, this one is almost empty. The weekend is over! We got to camp by 5:00pm, so we built a fire, drank hot cider, and roasted the apples Paul picked after dinner. And although normally this campground has a shower, the bathrooms are closed for construction, so our shower-every-day streak has finally been broken. It lasted all through Washington!
