April 3 - Mountain and river backroads to and from Goldendale
Water, water, and more water! What a spectacular day. I’ve always felt most at home when I live near both the mountains and water. Today I got treated to an abundance of both. Grant Myers led an epic adventure to the Dirty Cowgirl in Goldendale WA using all back roads with spectacular views of Mount Adams and Mount Hood as well as long stretches of road along the Columbia Gorge and the Klickitat River.
After meeting up at Latus, we headed north to Washington and then east on highway 14. The ride that direction is always fantastic, with lots of curves, sheer cliffs on the left, the beautiful Columbia River on the right and additional attractions including at least one tunnel through the rock. This time we headed north on the Cook-Underwood road for more glorious curves as we took the back way through Glenwood on our way to Goldendale. The pace was perfect with Grant going at a nice clip so we could really feel the turns. The views were stunning on this portion of our ride as well, with multiple snow-covered mountain peaks including Mount Adams.
In Goldendale we treated ourselves to barbeque at the Dirty Cowgirl. I especially enjoyed the brisket and garlic mashed potatoes. The brisket was moist and tasty, with just the right amount of fat to bring out the flavor. The potatoes were creamy, buttery, and garlicky. They were so light and fluffy they reminded me of chocolate mousse – sans chocolate! I stole a bite of Grant’s broccoli salad and decided I will order that next time in addition to the potatoes – it was full of sesame seeds, walnuts, red onions, bacon, broccoli, and some kind of creamy condiment.
After lunch we headed south towards the Klickitat River. Before getting to the river we pulled over as Grant got a flat tire. I was so impressed that he had some fix a flat spray as well as an air pump. Alas, the tire was so badly damaged a tow truck was necessary. After Grant and the tow truck left, the rest of us continued south to the Klickitat River. What a glorious ride. I absolutely love the winding country roads following the large stretch of River to the gorge. Lots of nice curves and incredible views. I decided to cross the gorge on the Hood River Bridge so I could view the Columbia Gorge from the Southern side on my way home to West Linn. I am so excited about all the upcoming biking adventures that lie ahead!
