January 10: No Place Like Home
Firing up my Harley after returning from South America, I anticipated traveling farther than the end of my driveway. But apparently the recent cold weather was a bit much for My Baby. Fortunately, the great folks at Paradise Harley got me quickly on my way, making it possible to still take a spectacular ride featuring some of my favorite local vistas.
Exiting my garage this morning, I stopped to close my garage door, only to discover I could not restart the bike. Eventually arriving at the local dealership, I felt like a driver in the Indy 500 with my own personal pit crew, as the service manager, Jon, and the head mechanic, Carl, replaced my battery in record time and got me back on the road with daylight to spare.
With clear blue skies and electric gear keeping me warm in the just above 40-degree weather, I made my way north along the Willamette River, reveling in the feel of the cool air, rumble of the road, and conspicuous lack of cross winds after my recent foray in the wilds of Patagonia.
Peeking through the trees along the shoreline, I gasped in awe at the breathtaking vista of the open crater of Mount St. Helens up ahead, its chalky white summit and grey volcanic rock sides towering over the Portland city skyline in front of me.
Heading east towards Troutdale, I took in an equally stunning view of the snowy peak of Mount Hood, its clean cylindrical cone top and long, smooth ridgelines rising out of the thick band of evergreen trees at its base.
Turning off at the Lewis and Clark Recreation site to the starting point of the Historic Columbia River Highway, I meandered along the banks of the Sandy River, passing hikers and boaters, farm stands, and fields as I made my way through Springdale and then Corbett.
Twisting and turning and gaining elevation on this more than century old scenic byway, the wide expanse of the Columbia River Gorge opened in front of me, its silvery blue waters nestled between snow dusted foothills on both sides and trailing off into the blue sky in the horizon. What an amazing day on the bike!
