Scott & Sav Adventure #12 - Mt. St Helens/Hood and Portland

[J_Scott]

I'm exhausted. I'll let the pictures explain the trip


Eatonville hotel. Same place as last year.
http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v275/8/69/515686234/n515686234_765930_6290.jpg

St. Helens warm up

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v275/8/69/515686234/n515686234_765931_6649.jpg

Not a single car on this road. The sign south of Randle indicated it was closed so that could have been the reason. What a fantastic ride. Randle to Carson is unbelievably twisty.

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Curly creek road/Wind River/Meadow creek/NF-90

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[J_Scott]

Gorge Wind Surfing festival

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Savannah laughing at some hooker trash in Hood River. Nicest town we went through on this trip, but still you get some gross people.

http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v275/8/69/515686234/n515686234_765945_1289.jpg

This is ONE scoop... ONE! for $2! I wonder how much you get for a DOUBLE scoop.

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v275/8/69/515686234/n515686234_765947_1938.jpg

Mt Hood

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Taking off down some gravel

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[J_Scott]

Leaving Timothy lake for Cascades south of Portland

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Still dirty from the Gravel

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Savannah had to cover up... The people in the hotel though she was anorexic since she didn't weigh 200lbs+. :laughing Seriously though.... they were fat... like really really fat.

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The next day in Portland

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[J_Scott]

More Portland... Pearl district.

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About to leave Portland and ride home... on the I-5! Ugh.

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Curly Road Pano.

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[Ripster]

Great pics J, I wish i was allowed into the states to enjoy those roads :( I miss windsurfing in Hood River, I love that town.

[Fjr eh]

Next time your in Portland, check out the Knob Hill area.
Neat place.

[klutch]

Blahhhhhhh.....I5 still gives me the shivers. I'd rather clamp my balls in a vice and have a Hood hooker in high heels harangue them. Hhhhhhhhh


Nice report. Timeline for travel?

[JamieJames]

Good stuff Scotty.

[mooove_over]

i know what you mean about the ride from randle to carson....simply amazing. Did you go to the top of mt Hood? the hotel at the top is the one they filmed in the movie "The Shining" ;)

[silverD]

And you're back, nice ride..!!

[greenboy]

As usual, great stuff Scott. I always get a kick out of reading about your travels on the Goldwing, or was it a GS? ... errr ... I mean Ducati. :laughing

I've changed my mind now about recommending you get a new bike. I think you should continue riding/touring the snot out of it until it disintegrates into dust and ash. For one of your trips next year may I humbly suggest you take it on the Dalton Highway (AK) or Dempster Highway (Yukon) early in the season while the weather's still semi-shitty?

BTW extra large ice cream scoops more than make up for hooker trash.

[J_Scott]

klutch_R, I think that's an accurate depiction of what I'd rather do instead of take the I-5... in fact we should start a thread about it... and don't forget a poll. :laughing Our only saving grace was we rode HWY 9 back home, only to end up in HWY #1 traffic on a Sunday night... which was backed up. On a Sunday fucking night! We left Friday night and returned Sunday evening.

We didn't go to the top of Mt. Hood but yes I did know that about the shining, we're going back there in August to do some MTN biking, this weekend we were tight on time. I rode Randle to Carson last year and it was actually better last time, and the extra weight (luggage) sure made a difference... I had to muscle it around quite a bit. Skyline road was fun, but we made some detours as honestly, I was tired of the twisties... I don't know why, but Saturday morning's jaunt through Mt. St. Helens exhausted me.

And Steve, those scoops are part of the reason they're so fat! Albeit, Mt. Hood was the fittest place we saw on the trip.

[AlpineJunkie]

I'm heading down to Mt St Helens this upcoming weekend... any recommendations for an overnight hotel that is safe, not so ghetto and reasonably priced?
I was thinking head down along Chuckanutt and the coast until we get to southern Washington, stay overnight, ride Mt St Helens in the morning and head home... got any route suggestions there and back?

[J_Scott]

I'm heading down to Mt St Helens this upcoming weekend... any recommendations for an overnight hotel that is safe, not so ghetto and reasonably priced?
I was thinking head down along Chuckanutt and the coast until we get to southern Washington, stay overnight, ride Mt St Helens in the morning and head home... got any route suggestions there and back?

Eatonville Mill Village hotel (http://www.whitepasstravel.com/millvillage.htm). I've stayed here twice. Costs about $100/night, you get breaky in the morning and it's a nice clean motel. There's a good mexican restaurant close by and you won't be disappointed. The link also mentions of a hotel/motel in Morton but I've never stayed there.

MAP and Route (http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=9974017750959079966,46.867790,-122.265440%3B9081564359959181582,46.535320,-121.961230&saddr=Washington+Ave+N+%4046.867790,+-122.265440&daddr=US-12+%4046.535320,+-121.961230+to:45.726315,-121.821899&mra=mi&mrcr=1&mrsp=2&sz=10&doflg=ptm&sll=45.727274,-121.981201&sspn=0.424683,0.85144&ie=UTF8&ll=46.26724,-122.200928&spn=1.682196,3.405762&z=8)

A to B isn't that interesting, but B to C is non-stop twisties.

Give yourself some time and ride the coast or the interior. I-5 just sucks and hwy 9 doesn't float my boat after riding it a million times. I won't do this trip on a weekend again unless I want to punish myself.

[J_Scott]

Best Route (http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=16481298318616079417,49.260570,-123.124240%3B4478457175337286130,48.559420,-120.632560%3B11705993929264692606,47.564170,-120.602030%3B13964754670773610538,46.645630,-121.242840%3B2663010004276752219,46.535560,-121.969560%3B9444397332539693077,45.790640,-121.879080%3B9128866440619991655,46.520390,-123.885940%3B9023845660649577304,48.060260,-122.819890%3B13706227672973408677,49.253810,-123.083600&saddr=W+12th+Ave+%4049.260570,+-123.124240&daddr=WA-20+%4048.559420,+-120.632560+to:US-2+%4047.564170,+-120.602030+to:US-12+%4046.645630,+-121.242840+to:US-12+%4046.535560,+-121.969560+to:Wind+River+Rd+%4045.790640,+-121.879080+to:US-101+%4046.520390,+-123.885940+to:WA-20+%4048.060260,+-122.819890+to:48.618385,-122.44812+to:Kingsway+%4049.253810,+-123.083600&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=8&sz=10&via=1,2,3,5,6,7,8&sll=48.532976,-122.55249&sspn=0.402851,0.85144&ie=UTF8&ll=47.398349,-122.189941&spn=6.588566,13.623047&z=6).... Have fun. ;)

[AlpineJunkie]

Thanks for the tip, unfortunately I rarely get weekends off but I'm on holidays this week... I'd leave friday, but my riding buddy has to work... so it's a weekend trip... I'd love to try that 2nd route you provided... but I don't have that kinda time... and the 600RR isn't all that comfortable for long hauls...

[AlpineJunkie]

One more questions re: Mt St Helens...

East or West entry is better for ride and pix?

East looks twistier, but shorter...
West appears twisty only near the end and much longer...

Recommendations?

I have the east entry mapped for my trip...

[J_Scott]

One more questions re: Mt St Helens...

East or West entry is better for ride and pix?

East looks twistier, but shorter...
West appears twisty only near the end and much longer...

Recommendations?

I have the east entry mapped for my trip...

The East road "windy pass" or something is closed. I haven't ridden up to the top on either. I believe the East side is better for riding.

Here's (http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=from:+Randle,+WA,+USA+to:+Carson,+wa&sll=46.362093,-121.794434&sspn=1.679283,3.405762&ie=UTF8&ll=46.17983,-121.794434&spn=0.842451,1.702881&z=9) where I went

THIS (http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=11623763959582805548,46.250170,-122.135970&saddr=46.329862,-121.975708&daddr=NF-99+%4046.250170,+-122.135970&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=9&doflg=ptm&sll=46.236853,-121.769714&sspn=0.841576,1.702881&ie=UTF8&z=9) is closed

I've never done THIS (http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=11201598684965480372,46.325066,-121.977442%3B9650952898851061965,46.279318,-122.200362&saddr=46.356406,-122.676086&daddr=Spirit+Lake+Memorial+Hwy%2FWA-504+%4046.279318,+-122.200362&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=9&doflg=ptm&sll=46.240652,-122.096558&sspn=0.841518,1.702881&ie=UTF8&z=9), so I don't know if it's open or not or even a good ride.

[mooove_over]

too bad the east is closed because it is about 25km of nice twisty road, nice scenery and freaky drop offs especially once you get within the blast zone

[Triplepete]

Man J - do you and Sav have any other hobbies besides riding?!?!?! :laughing

I don't know about you, I just got home from my Rushmore Colorado trip and rode from the Dalles this morning taking Carson to Randal. That road has gone to shit!! Heaves and cracks everywhere in mid turn tree shade. AlpineJunkie - be careful if you take that road southbound from Randal to Windy Ridge, it's brutal. Once you get to the Windy Ridge intersection it's a sweet 3 mile ride to the first view point - the rest of the road to Windy Ridge view point (85%) is closed due to slides and washouts. If you want to continue south to Carson or Cougar - the road is shit too, just becareful. If you decide to stay in Columbia Gorge - be sure to book a room. The Columbia gorge is the wind surfing capital of NA. If you make it to the Dalles, you wanna stay at the Dalles Inn downtown Dalles.. $100 a night (could be less too), pool, internet, breakfast.

If you do make it to the Dalles - look for old hwy 30. OR side between Hood River and The Dalles. It's a 8 mile road that goes from Mosier to almost the Dalles. Found it by accident - it's sweet.

[BlackScorpion]

More pics of Sav, less pics of you. Thank you kindly.