Author Archives: scottluria

Sandy to Cascade Locks, Oregon Friday, May 17, 2024 It’s funny, I’ve been to the Pacific Northwest a bunch of times, but I’ve never seen the Columbia Gorge. Time to rectify that situation. I was a little wobbly, mounting my titanium steed for the first time in a week, and the dropper post took someContinue reading “The Bridge of the Gods”

Government Camp and Sandy, Oregon Thursday, May 16, 2024 Today was a day for reflection and reorganization. Always a challenge to go from hiking-mode to bicycling-mode, today’s transition was freighted with rental car returns, UPS packing, bike-repair pickups, and peeling lips. Behind it all was profound disappointment, for all my trying to put a braveContinue reading “Licking my wounds”

On the Mountain Tuesday-Wednesday, May 14–15 2024 Caesar: The Ides of March are come. Soothsayer: Aye, Caesar, but not gone. Midnight on May 15, I couldn’t get that exchange out of my head. In the end, it turned out better for me than for Julius, but we were both disappointed. As planned, on Tuesday I metContinue reading “The Ides of May”

Timberline Lodge, Oregon. Monday, May 13, 2024 As detailed in the previous pages, today is the fourth of five legs to climb Mt. Hood. The first was from Portland to Sandy at 1000 feet. The second from Sandy to Government Camp at 4000 feet. The third from Government Camp to Timberline Lodge at 6000 feet.Continue reading “The uphill grind”

Timberline Lodge, Oregon. Sunday, May 12, 2024 It’s all very well to bask in this Coast to Hood thing, but the reality is I’m only halfway up the mountain. And as I’ve alluded to in the past, this mountain and I, we have a history. Today was Sunday, a day of rest, I took myContinue reading “Boyz n the Hood”

Government Camp to Timberline Lodge, Oregon. Saturday, May 11, 2024 How had I not heard of this? A number of people I talked to on the way up said hey, you’re doing Hood to Coast backwards! Turns out it’s the largest relay race in the world, having been run annually since 1982. This movie looksContinue reading “Coast to Hood”

Sandy to Government Camp, Oregon Friday, May 10, 2024 I didn’t want to do it this way, but it turned out to be the right way. The jumping-off point for most climbs of Mt Hood is Timberline Lodge, a beautiful rustic building halfway up the mountain. Built as part of the New Deal by theContinue reading “Old man with a walker”

Portland to Sandy, Oregon. Thursday, May 9, 2024. It’s always fun to find quirky place names. Truth or Consequences, New Mexico; Nameless, Tennessee; Old Dime Box, Texas—I have only read about those. At least these guys have embraced their name with a sense of humor. Otherwise, today was anything but. Reluctant to leave one ofContinue reading “A town called Boring”

Vancouver, Washington to Portland, Oregon. Wednesday, May 8, 2024 As predicted, it was all too easy to linger at the Graman’s, I didn’t get out till 11. Supposed to be an easy day today— just down the hill to the river, one more slightly scary crossing on marginal bridges, and then on to what isContinue reading “If it had to happen…”

St Helens, Oregon to Vancouver, Washington. Monday – Tuesday, May 6–7, 2024 Wait, what? Vancouver? I’ve come over 500 miles and I’m still in Vancouver? Of course not. This is Vancouver, Washington. Old George Vancouver sure got around. This bedroom community of Portland, the bigger city in British Columbia, and the huge island opposite wereContinue reading “Howard, Don, and J.R.”