Pete's Mountain
Ride Report 2/25/01

Blueberry Rides - Not just for tandems any more! On a beautiful February afternoon, 39 riders came together to ride Pete's Mountain. The only moisture on this ride would be the sweat dripping from the brows of hard working cyclists climbing hills, proving once again that it NEVER rains on a Blueberry Ride! Half bikes outnumbered the tandems five to one. This was the largest turnout from the PWTC we have had on a Blueberry Ride.

Everyone wanted to enjoy cycling under sunshine and blue skies, and they all got their wish. Our friends, Rich and Gayle, left before we even arrived. They had a plane to catch, but did not want to miss out on the fun. We were surprised to find they had colored the road with sidewalk chalk. Halfway up one particular hill they wrote, "We love Team Blueberry" on the road. We thought for sure by the time they finished climbing the 20% grade there would be less than love letters at the top.

We got to talk to our favorite Llamas on the route. They are so cute and seem to enjoy baby talk a lot. They came right up to the edge of the fence when we stopped. We also saw a bunch of white horses and miniature donkeys. We have been wondering what purpose the miniature donkeys serve. They must be useful for something other than just being a cute pet. The peacocks were out in full feather and serenaded the riders as they went by.

Once we were on Pete's Mountain Road, Mt Hood kept us company, floating in the sky to our right. With a fresh coat of white snow, it looked as if a light bulb was lit inside it. It was too beautiful to pass by so we stopped with Bill and Anne for a photo. Marvin Rambo was out with his camera snapping away as we rode by.

We hit 40 MPH going down Pete's Mountain. The wind blew my ponytail straight out. Up and over we went to Willamette Falls Drive. Once there we stopped to enjoy the view of Willamette Falls. We discussed how neat it would be to have a resort there instead of the paper mill. Maybe some day it will happen. We finally saw Rich and Gayle driving home, as we were finishing up the last couple miles of the ride. When we got back to the park, we found their thank you written in chalk behind the van.

At the end of the ride, we enjoyed hot drinks, treats, and conversation with some of our group at the park. It must have been at least an hour before Tom and Cheryl finally came rolling in. We were starting to worry. Cheryl said, "We stopped at Tile Flat Treasures Farm Museum and then went to Sayler's Old Country Kitchen and put down a 72 ounce steak." (Just teasing!) Actually they rode some extra miles. Boy howdy, those two are fast!