For those that don’t live in the Pacific Northwest, the Columbia River Gorge is a must-see. It’s a major river — second only to the Mississippi in volume — that runs right through the middle of a mountain range. It was created by a series of massive floods caused when an ice dam repeatedly formed and then broke loose in Montana (called the Missoula Floods). The scenery and topography is dramatic.

Friday I left work at noon and rode through the Columbia River Gorge eastward to Lyle, Washington before turning north on Hwy 142 to follow the Klickitat River to Goldendale, Washington where I stayed the weekend at my sister’s house. I camped in her yard to test out my gear for the upcoming season’s riding adventures. It got down into the 20s each night, so my new sleeping bag got a workout.

Sunday I rode back home via the same route. The weather was fantastic and there were motorcycles everywhere.

View the route on Google Maps.