GPHQ 9: Down Balch Creek

May 1, 2021

May Day! I face a tough choice today: go for a ride, or join one of the protests and demonstrations scheduled for the day; maybe bust a few store windows, maybe get gassed or clubbed. Hmm. It’s not raining, either would work. Flip a coin.

Heads! Bike ride it is (phew!). Rachael is nursing what appears to be a bruised foot and is taking the day off, so I’m on my own. The next tough question - something ambitious, or a leisurely spin somewhere taking time to just enjoy the fresh air and ambiance. Break out the coin again.

Heads again! It feels like I’ve segued into a staging of Rozenkranz and Gildenstern are Dead, and I’m tempted to test out the theory with a few more flips; but I’ll stick with this result. I map out a challenging ride I’ve been thinking about for awhile - a loop that goes out Skyline most of the way to Rocky Point but then drops off the west slope down super steep Dorland and Moreland Roads; then south to Jackson Quarry before doubling back east and climbing up Springville to Skyline again. 50 miles, almost 4,000’ of climbing.

I make myself a sandwich, pull on my light long sleeved jersey, and step out the door. About a half mile from home though, biking up Marshall toward the base of the ridge, I reconsider. It’s surprisingly chilly and breezy, not what I’d really expected. It’s overcast and even looks like it could rain before the day is out. I didn’t bring a rain coat. And, I see that I’ve forgotten to replace the mirror that broke on yesterday’s ride. Maybe it’s not smart to get so far from home today without a rain coat, or to plan such a long, hilly ride without a mirror. And, if I’m going to invest that much in a ride I should save it for a sunnier day with better photographic conditions. It’s my day, there’s still time to reconsider.

I’ve forgotten my coin, so I’m just going on instinct here. I decide to take the slow road up the ridge, biking unsealed Leif Erickson Drive. Not much risk or need for a mirror on a gravel road that doesn’t permit motor vehicles. Once on top, I’ll just bike back home by dropping down Balch Creek Canyon on Thompson and Cornell. It’s a descent video that’s been waiting for the right day anyway.

Image not found :( — Leif Erickson Drive again. We were here just last week. Not much has changed in the meantime - same old peaceful tunnel of green for the next eight miles.

I’m stopped here by the side of the road answering a phone call from Rachael when this pod zips past. I shush her for a second and whip out the camera for a quick shot.

It was comfortable on Leif Erickson Drive - sheltered, even a bit of a tail wind. With the steady climb I’m not cold at all when I approach Skyline, and consider whether I shouldn’t take a longer ride after all. Once on top though, it’s windier and colder. I reach for my water bottle for the first time while I think it over, but it’s not there. It must still be on the kitchen counter, right where I left it. That seals the deal, and I start biking south on Skyline.

I’ve been wondering how to label this descent that begins by dropping Thompson to its downhill end at Cornell Road, and then continues down and through the tunnels before flattening out in NW Portland. The sign at the top though points out the obvious - we’re descending Balch Creek Canyon the entire way. That’s the important point, not the names of the roads. Odd that I’ve never thought of it quite this way before.

We’ve seen this spot before, but not going this direction. Much more fun on the descent.

Rachael and I have probably dropped down Balch Creek Canyon hundreds of times in our 20 years living in Portland. It’s a descent that I have mixed feelings about though. The first half, down Thompson, is great fun - fast, twisting, quiet. Cornell though is another story - narrow and shoulderless, it carries considerably more traffic than Thompson; and often impatient traffic that’s sick of having to watch out for all the damn bicyclists on it. The two tunnels always make me just a bit nervous too - you’re moving fast, you want to try to time it to fit into a gap when there’s no traffic you’re holding up, the roar of oncoming traffic in the tunnel is startling. Not the best thing to do on a day when I’ve forgotten my mirror, actually.

Video sound track: Solidado, by the Toshiko Akioshi Trio

It’s a bit of a relief when I emerge from the second tunnel and pull off Cornell into the upscale neighborhood at the base of the ridge - classy houses, manicured lawns and gardens, especially colorful in the spring. Not the sort of place we’d ever live, but it’s great to pass through on the way back to the flats.

When I get home, I leave the bike in the bike room in the basement. In the elevator I remember that I left the sandwich in the pannier, and try to decide whether it’s worth going back down for. When I get to the apartment though, there’s the sandwich waiting for me. So I didn’t even have my lunch along. Good thing I opted for the short ride.

Red, White, and Blue: on Westover Drive.

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Ride stats today: 19 miles, 1,100’

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