September 20: Sunny Shaniko Delights
With luscious windy roads and amber waves of grain, today’s loop to the small settlement of Shaniko, Oregon and back was filled with spectacular stretches of curves and breathtakingly striking wide-open vistas.
Meeting up in Troutdale with several friends from the Rose City Harley Owners Group, Mike Webb led us east on highway 14 along the Columbia River Gorge and then across The Dalles Bridge to Biggs Junction to avoid a road closure on highway 84. Traffic cleared up after the Bridge of the Gods, making it possible for us to lean into the curves while enjoying the views of the sparkling blue river waters glistening in the mid-day sun.
Turning south on highway 97 and then east on route 206 at Wasco, we wound our way through the Cottonwood Canyon State Park, carving our way along the bases of the rolling hills and wide-open plateaus. With almost no traffic in sight and few signs of civilization other than the occasional dilapidated barn, we pulled back on our throttles as we sped by beautiful yellow- and honey-colored fields of grass and wheat.
After eating burgers at a little eatery in Condon we headed south on route 19 to Fossil and then took 218 west to Antelope and Shaniko. The air was still and hot and our surroundings quiet as we barreled along the back country roads, watching cattle grazing in their fields, their shiny black fur providing a pop of color against the light amber colored grass.
Arriving in the small settlement of Shaniko, we stopped to hydrate and enjoy the music played by a local band on an outdoor stage. The atmosphere was festive as a couple was getting ready to be married. Members of the wedding party took pictures of us and posed with our bikes.
After resting, we took 97 south and 197 north to Maupin before getting on 216 west and then highway 26, losing ourselves in the refreshingly cool trees of the Mount Hood National Forest. After so many hours in the sun, it felt especially delightful to ride in the shade, stare up at the beautiful tall evergreens, and be welcomed home by the looming rocky white-topped peak of Mount Hood. What a great day on the bike!
