Trip Summary Trip Dates: Jun 14 - Jun 20 Start - End Locations: Gresham, OR - Gresham, OR Days: 7   Rest Days: 0   Level of Support: Event Surface: Road Riders: 100 Type: Supported   Meals: Catered meals Accommodations: Camping Physical Difficulty: Intermediate   Airport: Portland, OR Cost: $949 Booking Status: Approx. Half Full

Though it may sound like a generic geographical term to folks from outside the region, when residents of the Pacific Northwest discuss “the gorge,” they don’t need to be any more specific. They’re talking about the Gorge: the Columbia River Gorge, a topic that comes up in conversations about awesome windsurfing, big-name music acts … and out-of-this world bicycle riding.

The Columbia River Gorge is eighty miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep. The northern canyon walls of this gash through the Cascade Mountains are in Washington State, while the southern walls reside in Oregon. And the Gorge is just one of the natural wonders you’ll experience on this unsurpassed tour. It dishes up a constantly changing array of landscapes, including the living volcanoes known as Mount Hood, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens.

After each riding day is over, the catered meals spooned up will be so scrumptious that you’ll need to take care not to “gorge” yourself (and risk becoming a living volcano)!

From the eastern suburbs of Portland, regularly cited as one of the best U.S. cities for cycling, we’ll begin spinning alongside the Sandy River. The next morning things turn a lot hillier, as we ride up and over the flank of Mount Hood. Much of this route traces the old Barlow Road—aka the Mount Hood Toll Road—which was a tough mountain option that Oregon Trail pioneers could choose over an even more-harrowing alternative, the treacherous rapids of the lower Columbia. The day ends at Hood River, the windsurfing capital of America.

Between Hood River and The Dalles, we’ll tackle one of the most spectacular sections of the Gorge, including the unforgettable Historic Columbia River Highway State Bike Trail. Made up of an abandoned stretch of old U.S. Highway 30, the trail offers more than ten miles of carefree, car-free pedaling. Between Hood River and Mosier, we’ll burrow through the Cascades on the Twin Tunnels segment, visiting two climate zones in short order as we move from a damp forest of Douglas fir and other vegetation common in western Oregon, to the semi-arid ponderosa pine forest characteristic of the Cascades' eastern slopes.

At The Dalles, we’ll cross the Columbia River and enter Washington, progressing to Goldendale and then to the Yakima Indian Reservation. Here we’ll skirt Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge, nestled at the foot of 12,307-foot Mount Adams. Conboy Lake’s wetlands, grasslands, and coniferous forests provide habitats for a wide array of wildlife, including elk, beaver, and 150 species of birds. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service itself refers to this little-visited preserve as “one of the hidden jewels of the Refuge system.”

After re-crossing the Columbia on the Bridge of the Gods at Cascade Locks, we’ll follow the Historic Columbia River Highway back to suburban Portland and the adventure’s end. Not surprisingly, this ride is among our most popular tours, and its 100 spots typically go fast. Don’t delay, sign up today!

For more detailed information, see Event logistics.

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