A bright, sunny and windy day greeted the 379 riders as they arrived at The Dalles for the first annual Gorge Ride sponsored by the Friends of the Historic Columbia River Highway.  The ride began at 7 am on Saturday, June 16, 2007 at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles and then headed west on the Historic Highway to Mosier and then on to the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail to the Senator Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead, just east of Hood River.

The State Trail consists of portions of the Historic Highway that have been restored for pedestrian and bicycle use only.  The Hatfield West Trailhead was the turnaround point and from there riders headed back on the State Trail and the Highway to the Discovery Center for a total ride of 39 miles with an elevation gain of 2,974 ft. 

Along the way riders experienced world class scenery with breath-taking views of the  Columbia Gorge including those at Rowena Crest and spots near Mosier.  Riders marveled at the restored Mosier Twin Tunnels on the State Trail.  The ride was supported with rest stops, water, snacks, mechanical support and SAG wagons.

The most popular rest stop was the historic Mayerdale Estate near Mosier where riders enjoyed the picturesque Estate grounds and were treated to tasty Bing cherries that were picked just that morning at the Estate.  Friends of the Historic Columbia River Highway active participant Tom Garnier, owner of the Estate and other volunteers welcomed riders with additional snacks, but the freshly picked cherries were the hit of the stop.

This first annual Gorge Ride was a fundraiser for the Friends of the Highway, and all-in-all it was a tremendous success as over $10,000 was raised to support the Friends and our mission.  We thank all the riders who came out and supported the ride and particularly the ten year old fifth grader, Briana Miller, who rode the route with her mom and dad.  What an inspiration she was to those not-so-young riders and the volunteers who came in contact with her.

And a special thanks to that anonymous donor who pledged $30 per rider for those who were members of Portland Wheelman or Portland Velo.  It was a generous gift as at least sixteen riders belonging to those organizations took part in the ride.

When riders returned to the Discovery Center they were treated to a variety of Blue Bunny ice cream bars.  The talk around the ice cream cooler was very enthusiastic, as folks mentioned how much they enjoyed the ride in spite of the wind and wanted to do it again next year.

At the ice cream cooler, Ronn Elzinga had these remarks:  “For an inaugural ride, it was seamlessly planned and executed.  It was a great ride, really fun and well supported.  I felt really safe out there which is important, especially for a group this size.  I’ll be back next year.  Make sure this happens next year.”

Since the ride, rider comments have continued to be very positive.

Now we would like to thank our many sponsors and supporters listed here.

Rest Stop Sponsors:

•      Gorge Delights
•      The Bike Gallery

Others:

•      Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum
•      Columbia View Orchards
•      Cycle Oregon
•      Flexcar
•      Gayle Rothrock
•      Gorge Ride art by plummerdesign.com
•      Marc Berry, Mayor of Mosier
•      Oregon State Parks
•      Safeway
•      www.ResourceRevival.com
•      And the many volunteers “who just made it happen”.

Some afterthoughts:

Next year’s ride?  Check the Events section here next January for the date and details of the next Gorge Ride coming up in late spring 2008.

Can’t ride?  How about supporting the ride by volunteering to help with registration, or at a rest stop or some other task?  Fill out the Volunteer Form on this website and send it to the address on the form.

Some high quality Gorge Ride T-Shirts are still available for $15 plus $5 for shipping and handling.  Just email a request to info@hcrh.org with the number of shirts and sizes you would like and you will receive an email concerning availability and ordering details.

Come ride with us next year!