WE TAKE A BIKE RIDE ON THE HISTORIC COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY TRAIL

Wednesday was our first official day of work but, since it was our Ranger’s day off (as is today), we weren’t able to start our training in the Visitor Center.  We DID have the key and an alarm code to get in, though, so went down to see if we could retrieve the two bikes stored there and determine what would be needed to prepare them for riding (we knew one had two flat tires).

One of our duties is to keep the trail free of hazardous debris: rocks, tree limbs, quantities of pine needles.  The volunteer before us “blew the trail” daily, using the heavy-duty blower mounted on the front of the Gator. 

The trail itself is very winding, with lots of undulations.  Fast-moving bicycles fly down some of the hills in excess of 30 miles an hour (no speed limit).  Since the unwieldy Gator travels the center of the trail to blow the debris off, it seems to us to be the most hazardous thing we have encountered on the trail so far!

With a thought to fitness and fun, Odel and I hoped to use the two (apparently unused) bikes in the Visitor Center to do a daily patrol, then take the Gator out no more than a couple of time a week.

As we were pumping up the tires of the unused bikes, Ranger Diane arrived.  When we told her our plan to patrol on the bikes, she was enthused; she said the bikes had been purchased for the volunteers, but none of them wanted to ride.  It’s understandable – the round trip is just under 10 miles, and there is an uphill stretch of about 1 1/2 miles that is truly a challenge for us. 

We got the bikes ready, put on the helmets, and headed off up the hill from the Visitor Center.  It was fun to be riding again, and we had grins on our faces in spite of the difficult uphill return trip.  We gained first hand experience of what it is to ride the length of the trail (the better to help our visitors).  It seemed like everything was going our way: we are settled in a wonderful site, beginning to learn our “job”, have a couple of bikes to ride and a great trail…

Odel’s phone rang soon after we got home, with bad news.  His father, who was hospitalized about a month ago (age 92), then moved to a care facility, was back in the hospital and not expected to live much longer – a matter of hours or perhaps a few days.  Just about 24 hours later (today), he died.  It was not unexpected news, and Odel was not close to his father, but needs/wants to help with the resulting decisions and responsibilities.  He has a plane flight out on Saturday morning, likely to be gone for a week. 

We took the Gator out this morning, as planned, to blow off the trail in preparation for tomorrow’s big bike race.  I wanted to make sure I knew how to start both the Gator (easy; use the key in the ignition) and the blower (TOUGH; pull a rope like a lawnmower), so I could blow the trail alone next week.  Tomorrow we will get a day of Visitor Center training together, then I’ll have the volunteer duties to myself for a week (with two days off).  Guess I will be training him when he returns.  :)

Our weather radio went off earlier today with a severe thunderstorm warning for an area well east of us.  We haven’t heard that alarming sound in months!  A few hours later the local news showed the wild weather in Portland (50 miles west of us), including pouring rain, localized flooding, and downed trees. A huge line of severe storms moved through, both to our east and our west, with nothing but a heavy breeze and a few drops of rain here in Hood River.  Good!