Oregonian recommends local routes for riding

Recently Portland Oregonian reporter Michelle Mandel recommended 5 routes to bike ride in the Washington County region of Oregon.

3 of the routes apparently travel through some of the less populated areas of the county.

She commands her readers:

Now get out there and pedal. And consider lots of stops for pictures, picnics, pleasure. Routes contain much to entertain the senses: filbert groves, pioneer cemeteries, wildflowers. See, smell and touch.

No doubt half of Portland replied... "Okay, okay, we're going, we're going!" :-D

Well, I'm here to make sure that folks outside of the great state of Oregon are made aware of 2 of her recommendations, in case the article disappears, and of the book she took them from.

ROUTE 1:

Country Cruiser Length: 18 1/2 miles. Difficulty: Easy, rolling two-lane road, with a few moderate hills. Traffic: Low, except one mile along Cornelius-Schefflin Road Specifics: Start in Verboort at Visitation Catholic Church. Head north on Visitation Road to Osterman Road; go left. Osterman becomes Kemper Road. Continue west to Kansas City Road; turn right, and jog north to Hillside Road. Turn left and continue to Clapshaw Hill Road; turn right. Ride to Kansas City Road; turn left, then right on Greenville Road. Continue to Roy Road; turn left, then right on Harrington Road. Continue to Kerkman Road; turn right. Intersect with Cornelius-Schefflin Road; turn right and head west to traffic circle; turn right, toward Verboort, on Verboort Road. Loop ends at church on Visitation Road. Highlights: Vivid scenery awash with farm fields, fruit and nut trees and vineyards. Coast Range provides tree-studded backdrop. Wild blackberry and raspberry bushes offer rest-stop opportunities, particularly in August and September, when fruit ripens. Pass Hillside Cemetery, opened in 1887, and white-clapboard Hillside Bible Church, opened in 1884. Savor a downhill ride on Clapshaw Road, beneath a canopy of trees and ferns reminiscent of the Columbia River Gorge. Consider a half-mile, gravel road detour down Seavey Road to Tualatin Estates Winery, open noon to 5 p.m. weekends. The valley opens up on Greenville Road, revealing nurseries, corn fields and hay bales. On Harrington Road, admire St. Francis of Assisi Church, built in 1908, before pedaling past fields of rhubarb and strawberries. Take caution on Cornelius-Schefflin Road, especially during peak driving times.

ROUTE 2:

Grand Tour Length: 26 miles. Difficulty: Some tough hills, but mostly rolling farmland. Traffic: Low, but tricky sometimes, especially on the descent down windy Laurelwood Road Specifics: Start at Forest Hills Golf Course, at intersection of Southwest Tongue Lane and Golf Course Road. Head south on Iowa Hill Road, then east on Unger Road. Connect with Oregon 219, turn right, then right onto Bald Peak Road. Continue to Campbell Road, turn left and head to Laurel Road. Turn right and head west to reunite with Bald Peak Road. Soon intersect with Laurelwood Road, wind down the hill and turn right on Spring Hill Road. Travel 10 miles north to Fern Hill Road; turn right. Connect with Geiger Road, turn right, then hit Lafollet Road and turn left. Lafollet heads north, then east and connects with Golf Course Road. Turn right and head south to Forest Hills Golf Course. Highlights: Rolling two-lane Iowa Hill Road showcases nurseries, grapevines and blueberry bushes. Look closely on left for rare yellow yew trees; early settlers cut the sturdy wood for ax handles. Three miles into ride, pause at crest and soak in lush valley view. Along Unger Road, see dahlias for sale. Bald Peak Road offers farm houses. At Campbell and Laurel roads, take a refreshment break at Laurel Valley Store. Then gear up for calf-testing action on fairly steep Laurel Road. Take a breather, then coast down windy Laurelwood Road, beneath its beautiful foliage overhang. Spot bison nibbling in a daisy-dotted field. At Spring Hill Road, find a pioneer cemetery, then cruise through miles of orchards, flower nurseries and meadows bordered by ash trees. Finally, on Geiger Road, pass the southern tip of Fern Hill Wetlands.

The book she recommends:

"Country Cycling: The Country Side of Portland," available for $3 from the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Washington County, 5075 S.W. Griffith Drive, Suite 120, Beaverton.

Okay, all you vacationers, you heard the Lady, "get out there and pedal!"

June 30th: Cyclists have a host of choices in Washington County, whether they want a leisurely spin or a calf-burning churn.