May 18: Best of Friends Together Again

What a day! Sun and rain, snow and gravel, and mountains and rivers – today’s ride with good friends Leo Guzman Fernandez, Grant Myers, and Gene Lord up through the foothills on the south side of Mount Saint Helens was full of one curvy thrill after another.

Leo, Gene, and I headed north this morning from Volcano Harley and then east on highway 14, following the winding shoreline of the Columbia River. With partly sunny skies above, sheer rock cliffs to our left and deep blue waters spanning out into the distance in front of us, we passed Cape Horn Lookout and took in the breathtaking vistas of the rolling green hillsides on each side of the Gorge.  

Turning north at Carson on Wind River Road, we entered the lush green lands of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, swooping and swirling on one curvy mountain road after another. As I shifted the bike left and right to follow the contour of the twisty path, I felt my floorboards scrape asphalt and kept moving forward, breathing in the crisp mountain air, and passing patches of snow on the side of the road.

Continuing on Meadow Creek Road and then Curly Creek Road, we pulled over at the McClellen Overlook to get a magnificent view of the southside of Mount Saint Helens and take a few group pictures.

Leaving the overlook and heading west on National Forest Route 90 we encountered potholes and gravel stretches that had me thinking of some of my more adventurous summer outings. Thick clusters of trees with branches reaching out over the road provided a stunning canopy of multi-hued green but also made it harder to see the dips in the road. Fortunately, I was able to spot some of the larger divots from watching the way Leo’s bike bounced up and down in front of me.

Passing the beautiful waters of the Swift Reservoir, we headed west on 503 past Cougar and into Amboy for lunch. After such a thrilling ride through such beautiful scenery, we enjoyed many good laughs along with a nice lunch before heading south towards home, hitting a little bit of rain at the end of our ride. With just a few weeks to go before I leave for summer, I’m so grateful that these good friends made time to ride today.