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Date: 19 Oct 2007 09:12:51
From: Jay Beattie
Subject: Re: Synthetics for winter riding in Oregon
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On Oct 19, 6:43 am, datakoll <datak...@yahoo.com > wrote:
> http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Farm-Scene-Smelly-Iowa.html
The Gorge is as beautiful as the pictures -- particularly Vista
House (click on the picture of the stone structure on the promentory)
and down to the falls, including Multnomah Falls which is the second
highest fall in the U.S. Just before Vista House is the turn for
Larch Mountain, a 4K foot climb that has snow on the road as late as
April. There is a gate, and the road is closed for the last four or
so miles from winter to spring -- which makes for some very peaceful
climbing, assuming the road is clear enough. Climbing on slush and
snow with 23mm tires is kind of fun, but the descending sucks. It is
very hard to dress for this climb -- you have to dress light for the
ascent and then bring shells and long finger gloves, headbands, etc.
so you can bundle up for the freezing flight down. I once did this
ride as the token old guy with a group of racers in spring, and it
rained all the way from Portland (100 mile round trip) -- all the way
up, all the way down, and these manly men were shelling out after the
descent due to hypothermia and calling wives to pick them up in
Corbett. Having more fat to keep me warm (and a reasonably decent
rain jacket), I was able to make it home. -- Jay Beattie.
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