...and on to Oregon

July 7th  I haven't had internet access (or at least good access) since my last post, so it's time to catch up.

On July 2nd we rested up and only logged a few miles on the Wing, going to lunch and a movie.  We were really beat from the previous two days of marathon touring.

On July 3rd we needed to head south to Salem, Oregon for a visit with Kerry's Aunt Connie.  Instead of going directly south on I-5 (a mere 3-4 hours), we decided to take the scenic route around Mt. St. Helens.
The road that curls around the eastern and southern slopes of Mt. St. Helens is Route 131, a winding a twisting road through the pine forests that should have been a lot of fun.  Sadly, the road was in terrible shape.  No potholes, but lots of patching, frost heaves, big dips and areas on the outsides of curves that had just plain collapsed (plus no guard rails).  For about 60 miles Kerry did his best to maneuver around the worst of it, while I kept my body weight balanced on my legs with my rear end about an inch off the seat in order take the bounces and shocks with my legs instead of my spine.  My legs got a real workout!  Finally we got to an overlook and had a chance to stop and rest, while taking some photos of Mt. St. Helens.

Mt St Helens

For all the youngsters reading this blog, Mt. St. Helens is a volcano that erupted with a huge pyroclastic explosion in 1980.  Trees were flattened for miles around, and there was a huge mud slide that took out towns in seconds.  The trees have since grown back for the most part.

Kim at Mt St Helens

After our crazy ride around Mt. St. Helens, we headed south to the Columbia River, and stopped to take a look at the Columbia River Gorge, then finished up the day in Salem, Oregon.  We spent the 4th of July visiting with Aunt Connie and some of Kerry's cousins.

Wing on the Columbia River