In need of a different route, today I rode up and over Fern Hill and around the other side of Spring and Iowa Hills, passing through Gaston and Laurelwood before climbing up to Bald Peak State Park.
The route was 36 miles, with a little over 2600 feet of climbing and descending (click the "Elevation Profile" under the "Show" tab).
I've ridden much of the route before when I went around Hagg Lake. The scenery is beautiful, rolling wheat fields, nurseries and open space. The majority of the ride is big crank spinning, with speeds averaging about 20 mph.
The climb up and over Fern Hill is relatively easy, with a fun, winding downhill. The climb up to Bald Peak out of Laurelwood is one of the toughest I've ever encountered. My bike computer tells me that the road incline in some places was a 22% grade! For the most part, however, it's a sustained 12% grade for two miles, with a vertical gain of over a thousand feet.
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The view from the top of Bald Peak is amazing, with views of Mt. Ranier, Mt. Saint Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson.
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