Sauvie Saturday

June 17, 2023

One thing I really like about our location this time is that it’s so close to Caffe Umbria. Just two blocks east and two blocks south, and I’m there. Close enough that it’s a little disorienting. Twice already I’ve been in a zone and overshot my destination, suddenly looking up confused by where I am after overshooting the coffee shop or apartment I was walking to.

I suspect I’ll come down here most mornings while we’re in town, caffeinating, catching up on the news and finishing up the latest post for this silly blog. They’ve got three breakfast items that I like and can rotate through (almond croissant, savory scone, mini-quiche), and coffee comes with a small square of dark chocolate. Maybe on an especially slow news day we’ll have food photos.

It’s not just me that likes this place. Today a group of cyclists is locking up at the rack across the street, presumably here on a break in their Tour de PDX.

But today isn’t one of those slow news days so you’ll have to wait to see one of those quiches or scones or croissants. The weather’s overcast and a bit breezy but dry today, so Rachael and I are off to Sauvie Island. Sunday’s our traditional day for this ride, but Sunday looks to be quite wet this week as do the two days following, so we’ll get our ride in early before the weather changes.

The last few times we’ve biked Sauvie we’ve driven out there to avoid the ten mile ride each way just getting there, mostly on busy US 30. Today though we’re going the distance, starting right from the apartment. With no compelling reason to stop along the way, we bike steadily until we come to the island’s bridge without even the thought of stopping along the way for another shot of the Saint John’s bridge that we’ve already seen so many times here.

As we cross the channel onto the island Commander Rachael announces that she’ll be turning left at the bottom, meaning we’ll be taking the core loop in the counterclockwise direction today.

Here’s a favorite spot on Sauvie I always look forward to, but have never bothered to discover what’s being cultivated here.

Truth be told, summer isn’t my favorite season to bike the island. The other three seasons are all more colorful in different ways, and there tends to be more bird life. Really, except for the cold and rain winter’s my favorite when the rods are nearly empty and the sky is alive with the sounds of geese and cranes and the fields are filled with colorfully decaying squash and cabbages. Today there’s a fair amount of traffic. From the looks of it all these cars are mostly driving to and from one of the U-pick orchards that are proliferating here. On the plus side of course, the weather is excellent today - overcast, but very comfortable.

We’re about a mile past the bridge when I slow down, considering whether it’s worth taking another shot of the small herd of Yorkshire cattle. Rachael continues on after we agree in passing to meet up at the traditional spot, the outhouse at the north end of the loop.

I don’t shoot the yorkies but I do stop for a white headed raptor atop a tall hemlock beside the road, thinking it might be a bald eagle. It’s just another osprey though, and too far up for a shot anywhere near as good as the one I pulled in a few days ago.

You’d think I know what these are by now. I bike past this spot every summer. Roses?

Our standard loop on Sauvie, which we’re following today, is this 12 mile loop at the south end of the island along with a ride out and back the west-side spur along Multnomah Channel and up past the county line into Columbia County. This is nearly always the best part of the ride out here. There’s very little traffic on this six mile dead-end spur, and we normally see as many bikers as cars.

There’s always something worth stopping for along here, so the normal ride plan is that Rachael rides to the end of the pavement and back while I stop where I will and then just turn back to join her when she shows up coming my way.

The view up Multnomah Channel. A dry but grey day, with enough wind that the water is choppy.

I’m feeling good and keeping a better pace than I usually do, and I’m well past the county line before she shows. When we meet she tells me about the goats just down the road, and when I say I’d like a look for myself she turns round to join me. A half mile later we get to them, and I see that by ‘goats’ she means a few goats and many sheep and lambs. Whatever. They’re both great, well worth a little extra distance.

But no birds of note, not even a violet-green swallow perched on a wire like I’ve been keeping an eye up for. Before we turn back I warn Rachael that I’ll want to stop along the channel about a mile before the bridge, and ask her to just wait at the bridge for me. I won’t be long.

But that’s a disappointment too. I stop to check out the birdhouses affixed to the pilings in the channel, which in the summer are often teeming with purple martins. Not today though. Maybe it’s too windy and chilly and they’re all hunkered down indoors?

Another birding disappointment. Often in summer these hotels are teeming with purple martins, but not today. Maybe we’re too early in the season still?

The ride back is a delight as we bike south on US 30 at a healthy clip, pushed along by the wind. It feels great to do this ride, and it really feels great to be feeling as strong as I do. 45 miles is the longest ride I’ve taken in some time (and Rachael will claim 49!), and I feel perfectly normal during and afterwards In fact I’ve felt pretty much normal for most of the last month, with only that minor arrhythmia episode after the stiff climb from Trento. And I’m especially pleased at how well I’ve done recovering from jet lag this time around. I really feel back on schedule, and usually I’m still struggling for a full week after we land.

And another positive indicator: for the last several years I could almost count on having an arrhythmia episode soon after the flight, either because of the flight stress or from adjusting the schedule on my meds. Not this time though. I’m starting to wonder if my system has finally begun to respond well to my new meds. It will be interesting to see what I learn from next week’s stress test and consultation, but for the moment I’m feeling optimistic.

Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km)
Total: 103 miles (166 km)

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Suzanne GibsonWhat good news! Hope the doc has good news next week, too.
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamGlad to hear you are feeling so strong. You must be doing a lot of things right.
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1 year ago