March 28 - Mt Angel to Stayton, Scio, Lebanon, and Brownsville

What a perfect end to Spring Break! Today I met up with several members of Rose City HOG to ride to Mount Angel Sausage Company in Mount Angel. Valerie Jean McCarty did a spectacular job leading us here there and everywhere through forested areas and farmlands on our way to lunch. Since I have just started learning some of the details regarding leading group rides, I have an even greater appreciation for the skill that Valerie demonstrated in flawlessly taking us through so many backroads on our ride today. After leaving the dealership we swooped around curves and down straightaways through a variety of roads including Redland Road, Beavercreek Road, Feyrer Park Road, S Sawtell Road, Maple Grove Road, and Mt. Angel-Scotts Road without a single mishap. Along the way we were treated to views of farms, valleys, pastures, meadows, and forests. It was wonderful to spend time with friends riding as well as at lunch at the sausage company afterwards.

After eating, I decided to do a little more research for the ride I’ll be leading in a couple weeks. So I headed south along with Grant Myers to Stayton along Cascade Highway and then took highway 226, Brewster Road, Stoltz-Hill Road, Rock Hill Drive and Brownsville Road through Scio, Lebanon, and Brownsville. The stretch from Mt. Angle to Brownsville had a slightly different topography, with gentle curves, longer straightaways, and lots of hills and dips to swoop up and over. It was so incredibly restful and restorative to breath in the fresh country air and view the bucolic countryside. Since I had dinner plans with both of my sons (see photo of dinner they cooked above), we turned around in Brownsville and headed back north along much of the same path, using South Kropf Drive once we were north of Marquam. I am so much looking forward to having more and more riding days ahead!