Day 3 - Weather Report

Trusting the Weatherman

I watched the weather report carefully this week to see if there would be a break in the rain. By Thursday night, I saw a break for Friday. I was scheduled to work part of the day in Hillsboro, OR, so I decided to ride. Earlier in the week the forcast was for sun breaks with no precipitation but, by Thursday night, the report changed to overcast and a chance of showers. On Friday morning it was overcast and 38F so I decided to give it a try. I bundled up in all the cold weather gear I had and started out.

Soon after I hit I-5 I saw rain drops on the windshield. By the time I reached Ridgefield, WA it was raining. I had only gone 8 miles! Oh, well. Serves me right for trusting the weatherman. I decided that it might just be a wet cloud and the rest of my ride would be dry. By the time I reached Portland it was dry. However, as I listened to the radio, they reported that the holiday traffic had already started and was heavier than normal for a mid-day Friday and were reporting 4 accidents around the Portland/Vancouver metroplex.

Avoiding Traffic

I made it to Hillsboro, Or. with rain drops on the windshield and bright sun in my eyes. (Only Pacific Northwest can give you a ride like this). After I finished my business for the day I found a gas station and paid $3.18 per gallon for premium. As I listened to the FM radio, I heard a traffic report about 4 wrecks in the Portland area. Three of them were between me and I-5. Traffic was stopped and there was no way to get through without finding an alternate route. It was obvious that I could not get home without going somewhere else first.

Places to See

I decided to take Cornelius Pass to US 30. If you are ever in this area, you will want to stop and stop for a break, try the McMenamins Rock Creek Tavern. It's a great place to eat and quench your thirst. Rock Creek Tavern is off of the beaten path. But it's a well-advised trip into the Hillsboro, Oregon countryside. With live music, pool table, and great food and ales, there's no finer place to ride your bike on a lazy day. If you have the kids with you, it is family friendly.

The ride over Cornelius Pass was uneventful and the road was surprisingly dry. Once I reached US 30 I rode west through Scappoose, St. Helens, and Rainier on my way to Longview, WA. I was behind a slow moving pickup truck on the straight stretch next to the old Trojan Nuclear Power Plant. Traffic was sparse so I decided to pass. As I dropped a gear and accelerated, the Harley quickly jumped to 70. I dropped back to the speed limit just as fast after regaining my lane of travel. The ride was uneventful and the road was mostly wet.

At The End of Day

The Hillsboro - Cornelius Pass - Scappoose - St. Helens - Rainier/Longview loop ended after 116 miles. I had an hour before dark when I arrived home. Two of the grandkids were visiting, so it didn't take long for one of them to volunteer to help wash Grandpa's Harley. All in all, it was not a bad ride. The cold weather gear worked out real well, and it's not even connected to the battery yet. I'll have to talk Rowdy or Bruce into helping me take the seat off the bike and figure out how to wire in the harnesses to the electric gloves and electric vest.


Ambient Temp: 37-41F
Ending odometer: 000404
Trip Miles: 116
Fuel: $3.18 per gallon in Portland

The weather forecast for the next 10 days is rain with 32-36F temperatures. Not very ride friendly weather and traffic will be a mess.

Ride Safe.