Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Touring
Reload this Page >

Government Camp Or, Trillium Lake?

Notices
Touring Have a dream to ride a bike across your state, across the country, or around the world? Self-contained or fully supported? Trade ideas, adventures, and more in our bicycle touring forum.

Government Camp Or, Trillium Lake?

Old 06-20-19, 08:34 PM
  #1  
spinnaker
Every day a winding road
Thread Starter
 
spinnaker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 6,538

Bikes: 2005 Cannondale SR500, 2008 Trek 7.3 FX, Jamis Aurora

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3394 Post(s)
Liked 63 Times in 46 Posts
Government Camp Or, Trillium Lake?

I will be in Government Camp in a few weeks, I will be staying at the Best Western so won't be camping. Has anyone made the ride down to Trillium Lake? Looks kind of pretty. Is it worth a ride? How are the roads?
spinnaker is offline  
Old 06-21-19, 08:45 AM
  #2  
fietsbob
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
Problem Solving is part of Bicycle touring, You can sort this out without any internet step by coaching.. (?)
fietsbob is offline  
Likes For fietsbob:
Old 06-21-19, 09:14 AM
  #3  
spinnaker
Every day a winding road
Thread Starter
 
spinnaker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 6,538

Bikes: 2005 Cannondale SR500, 2008 Trek 7.3 FX, Jamis Aurora

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3394 Post(s)
Liked 63 Times in 46 Posts
Originally Posted by fietsbob
Problem Solving is part of Bicycle touring, You can sort this out without any internet step by coaching.. (?)
Do you ever post anything useful? Please don't respond to my threads again unless you have a direct answer to my questions.
spinnaker is offline  
Old 06-21-19, 09:28 AM
  #4  
fietsbob
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
Kids What do you want to see most?

I figured all this stuff out before the internet , why has it become such a handicap. ?

Get on the trip, talk to the locals along the way ..
it worked in places where I did not even speak the language .









....

Last edited by fietsbob; 06-28-19 at 11:48 AM.
fietsbob is offline  
Old 06-21-19, 11:26 AM
  #5  
spinnaker
Every day a winding road
Thread Starter
 
spinnaker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 6,538

Bikes: 2005 Cannondale SR500, 2008 Trek 7.3 FX, Jamis Aurora

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3394 Post(s)
Liked 63 Times in 46 Posts
Originally Posted by fietsbob
Kids

I figured all this stuff out before the internet , why has it become such a handicap. ?

Get on the trip, talk to the locals along the way ..
it worked in places where I did not even speak the language .

now go back to work..







....

I have had enough of your utter nonsense. Welcome to my very short ignore list. You should feel honored. You need to work really hard to get there.

Last edited by spinnaker; 06-21-19 at 04:45 PM.
spinnaker is offline  
Old 06-21-19, 11:53 AM
  #6  
fietsbob
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
buy paper maps .. states departments of transportation gives them away.
fietsbob is offline  
Old 06-21-19, 05:57 PM
  #7  
seeker333
-
 
seeker333's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,865

Bikes: yes!

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 282 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times in 36 Posts
Originally Posted by spinnaker
I will be in Government Camp in a few weeks, I will be staying at the Best Western so won't be camping. Has anyone made the ride down to Trillium Lake? Looks kind of pretty. Is it worth a ride? How are the roads?
I haven't been to Trilium Lake, and it doesn't look like much of a lake to me, but it's only ~1 mile downhill from GC.

I suggest instead heading up Mt Hood to the Lodge and go skiing. It's not a huge ski area (really just one trail on glacier) but it'll likely be open when you visit, and your only chance to ski in July. I enjoyed it when I was there 20 years ago. The Lodge exterior was part of the basis for the fictional Overlook Lodge in The Shining (the Kubrick version).
seeker333 is offline  
Old 06-21-19, 06:15 PM
  #8  
spinnaker
Every day a winding road
Thread Starter
 
spinnaker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 6,538

Bikes: 2005 Cannondale SR500, 2008 Trek 7.3 FX, Jamis Aurora

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3394 Post(s)
Liked 63 Times in 46 Posts
Originally Posted by seeker333
I haven't been to Trilium Lake, and it doesn't look like much of a lake to me, but it's only ~1 mile downhill from GC.

I suggest instead heading up Mt Hood to the Lodge and go skiing. It's not a huge ski area (really just one trail on glacier) but it'll likely be open when you visit, and your only chance to ski in July. I enjoyed it when I was there 20 years ago. The Lodge exterior was part of the basis for the fictional Overlook Lodge in The Shining (the Kubrick version).
Thanks. It is already on my plan. I was considering taking the hotel shuttle instead of riding. Maybe go for a gondola ride if they are running. They also have one of those summer toboggan runs up there somewhere.

I would only do the ride to the lake if I had the extra time.

Yes I am aware of the scene from the movie. It is one of my favorites.
spinnaker is offline  
Old 06-21-19, 07:03 PM
  #9  
Doug64
Senior Member
 
Doug64's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,484
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1182 Post(s)
Liked 830 Times in 433 Posts
I have not ridden down to Trillium, but I have skied it several times. It is a nice area, even in the summer IMO you made a good decision not to ride up to Timberline. It is a 5 or 6 mile climb , and time would be better spent checking out the lodge and taking a lift up the mountain. I've skied and climbed there a lot and it is a great place.

View from near the parking lot . This was the picture used on my business cards.



A little different view. It is a little more than a short walk up from the lodge. The little black dots in the middle of the picture are other climbers. They are about at the point when the real climbing begins.



Last edited by Doug64; 06-21-19 at 10:41 PM.
Doug64 is offline  
Old 06-21-19, 07:31 PM
  #10  
spinnaker
Every day a winding road
Thread Starter
 
spinnaker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 6,538

Bikes: 2005 Cannondale SR500, 2008 Trek 7.3 FX, Jamis Aurora

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3394 Post(s)
Liked 63 Times in 46 Posts
Originally Posted by Doug64
I have not ridden down to Trillium, but I have skied it several times. It is a nice area, even in the summer IMO you made a good decision not to ride up to Timberline. It is a 5 or 6 mile climb , and time would be better spent checking out the lodge and taking a lift up the mountain. I've skied and climbed there a lot and it is a great place.
Yeah you may have given me the tip on the road to Timberline in another thread. Whoever it was also mentioned it was fairly narrow.


From the photos, I have seen, they make it look like it is just a short walk up to the summit from the lodge. I am sure it was just the angle and it is way more difficult than that.


Did you get a chance to see what the roads are like on the way to Trillium?
spinnaker is offline  
Old 06-21-19, 10:43 PM
  #11  
Doug64
Senior Member
 
Doug64's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,484
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1182 Post(s)
Liked 830 Times in 433 Posts
I can't remember going down to the lake when the road was not covered by snow.
Doug64 is offline  
Old 06-26-19, 09:45 AM
  #12  
sleepycactus
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 45
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Originally Posted by spinnaker
I will be in Government Camp in a few weeks, I will be staying at the Best Western so won't be camping. Has anyone made the ride down to Trillium Lake? Looks kind of pretty. Is it worth a ride? How are the roads?

The Trillium lake loop is a gravel route that is a nice ride; not difficult. Bring a GPS since a there are a few confusing intersections.

There is a lot of great riding around Government camp. OMTM put up a page on some riding there: https://www.omtm.cc/thee-holy-mountain-v2

Ride part or all of it for a great adventure. A road bike with plump tires would work. I especially like the trail section on the south end of the loops (miles 18, 19).
sleepycactus is offline  
Likes For sleepycactus:
Old 06-27-19, 03:42 PM
  #13  
mtnbud
Senior Member
 
mtnbud's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Salem Oregon
Posts: 1,028

Bikes: 2019 Trek Stash 7, 1994 Specialized Epic 1986 Diamondback Ascent 1996 Klein Pulse Comp, 2006 Specialized Sequoia Elite

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 411 Post(s)
Liked 513 Times in 285 Posts
Originally Posted by spinnaker
I will be in Government Camp in a few weeks, I will be staying at the Best Western so won't be camping. Has anyone made the ride down to Trillium Lake? Looks kind of pretty. Is it worth a ride? How are the roads?
Hwy 26 has a good shoulder. I don't think Trillium lake is all that special, but you could ride towards Hood River or Timothy Lake on paved roads.
It'd be nice to ride from Government Camp to Parkdale or Hood River, especially if you had a shuttle to drive you back.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Gove...=en&authuser=0

You may want to bring your mountain bike instead. I believe you can find some trails open to mountain biking near Government Camp. There's a real nice trail system near Mt Hood Meadows - Look up Dog River Trail Oregon. Mount Hood Skibowl has a bike park you may want to check out also.

There's plenty of hiking to be had if you want to leave the bike at home also. Check out Cooper Spur for an interesting hike.

Last edited by mtnbud; 06-27-19 at 03:57 PM.
mtnbud is offline  
Old 06-27-19, 04:47 PM
  #14  
spinnaker
Every day a winding road
Thread Starter
 
spinnaker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 6,538

Bikes: 2005 Cannondale SR500, 2008 Trek 7.3 FX, Jamis Aurora

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3394 Post(s)
Liked 63 Times in 46 Posts
I will actually be on 36 from Hood River. Then 26 down into the Boring area the next day.

I don't think there is a shuttle from Parkdale to Government Camp is there?

I do plan on taking the shuttle from Hood River to Parkdale. It has been a long time since I have done such an extended climb. I could probably make it but not 100% certain. I figure I have nothing to prove. That section does not seem to look all that interesting anyway. And I understand there are bee hives in that section for the orchard though I don't know if they are active this time of year. But it is still a good excuse to skip the section.

It would be nice to have a backup plan for the Parkdale to Government Camp section. I guess the only option there is the kindness of strangers.

The whole plan is to ride the Columbia River Gorge from Portland. Stay over in Hood River for 2 nights. One day will be spent exploring the section from Hood River to THe Dalles. How much of that will depend on how much wind I will face on the way back. It will be July 4 so no shuttle back from The Dalles.

Then it is off to Government Camp for a night at the Best Western.

Then on to Portland for a night.

Next day jump on the train to Lacy, WA to visit a buddy for a night. Then on to Vashon Island. I have a warmshowers host there. Finally Seattle and the train trip home.

I was going to ride to Seattle but the math just did not work out. The day I got for the train trip back home was an awesome deal so the tour is sort of built around it. Kind of crazy to ship the bike out there and fly out there for such a short tour but I think it will still be fun. And I will have a nice train trip back home and a ride back to my house from the train station.
spinnaker is offline  
Old 06-28-19, 11:09 AM
  #15  
mtnbud
Senior Member
 
mtnbud's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Salem Oregon
Posts: 1,028

Bikes: 2019 Trek Stash 7, 1994 Specialized Epic 1986 Diamondback Ascent 1996 Klein Pulse Comp, 2006 Specialized Sequoia Elite

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 411 Post(s)
Liked 513 Times in 285 Posts
I hear there's a nice ride from Hood River to The Dalles via 7 Mile Hill Road. I think this picture posted on BF by a fellow member is from the route:

I remember the climb from Hood River to Hwy 26 taking a very long time from the year I rode the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Bicycle Route. I agree you probably don't want to climb all that way if you don't have to. If you really wanted to climb, ride to Cloud Cap .


I believe there are many good routes from Hood River to Parkdale. I don't believe there's much elevation gain between the two towns. There are many apple orchards in the area and they do use bees to pollinate the trees. If you're not allergic, it shouldn't worry you.

Have a fun trip!
mtnbud is offline  
Old 06-28-19, 01:29 PM
  #16  
spinnaker
Every day a winding road
Thread Starter
 
spinnaker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 6,538

Bikes: 2005 Cannondale SR500, 2008 Trek 7.3 FX, Jamis Aurora

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3394 Post(s)
Liked 63 Times in 46 Posts
The Dalles ride is on the list. Why I am staying over in Hood River. How far I go will depend on the wind. I will turn around and test periodically. If I am going backward a foot for every two I pedal then I might turn around early.

And there really is no reason to go to the Dalles. That photo you posted is a bit west.
spinnaker is offline  
Old 07-12-19, 10:24 PM
  #17  
spinnaker
Every day a winding road
Thread Starter
 
spinnaker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 6,538

Bikes: 2005 Cannondale SR500, 2008 Trek 7.3 FX, Jamis Aurora

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3394 Post(s)
Liked 63 Times in 46 Posts
Well I did not visit Trillium. I don't think I had one more pedal rotation in me after the climb up Hood. The climb itself was not so bad. It was the wind! It was brutal! In my face the whole time. I would bet a good 10mph, I took the shuttle to Parkdale. I was glad I did as I doubt I would have made it otherwise.

Though the ride was absolutely beautiful. I could not get over the enormity of the mountain once I was nice and up close. This was my first major pass climb. I have never been that up close to a mountain of that size, even in a car.

The gorge itself was also awesome. Difficult but well worth the ride. I am so glad I did it by bicycle. No way would I want to do it by car. The traffic around Multnomah Falls was unbelievable. The only issue was the stairs just before Cascade Locks. An unpleasant surprise after a difficult day.

I also did the section of trail that goes from Hood River to Mosier. I did not go all the way to the Dalles and missed that one scenic overlook that looks so cool. I leaned my bike up against the wall not too far from Mosier. I thought it best to not go too far when tt started to take off on me due to the wind. I was hoping to go all the way to the Dalles and just take the shuttle back if it was windy but it was the July 4th and the shuttle was not running. There were a couple of other places shut down too. I think that will be the last time I will be in the middle of a tour on Independence Day.

Good thing I turned around when I did as I got a flat on the way back. And I got to save up some energy for that climb the next day.

They are supposed to have the trail open all the way to Hood River by 2022. That is going to be awesome.
spinnaker is offline  
Old 07-13-19, 10:36 AM
  #18  
mtnbud
Senior Member
 
mtnbud's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Salem Oregon
Posts: 1,028

Bikes: 2019 Trek Stash 7, 1994 Specialized Epic 1986 Diamondback Ascent 1996 Klein Pulse Comp, 2006 Specialized Sequoia Elite

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 411 Post(s)
Liked 513 Times in 285 Posts
Originally Posted by spinnaker
Well I did not visit Trillium. I don't think I had one more pedal rotation in me after the climb up Hood. The climb itself was not so bad. It was the wind! It was brutal! In my face the whole time. I would bet a good 10mph, I took the shuttle to Parkdale. I was glad I did as I doubt I would have made it otherwise.

Though the ride was absolutely beautiful. I could not get over the enormity of the mountain once I was nice and up close. This was my first major pass climb. I have never been that up close to a mountain of that size, even in a car.

The gorge itself was also awesome. Difficult but well worth the ride. I am so glad I did it by bicycle. No way would I want to do it by car. The traffic around Multnomah Falls was unbelievable. The only issue was the stairs just before Cascade Locks. An unpleasant surprise after a difficult day.

I also did the section of trail that goes from Hood River to Mosier. I did not go all the way to the Dalles and missed that one scenic overlook that looks so cool. I leaned my bike up against the wall not too far from Mosier. I thought it best to not go too far when tt started to take off on me due to the wind. I was hoping to go all the way to the Dalles and just take the shuttle back if it was windy but it was the July 4th and the shuttle was not running. There were a couple of other places shut down too. I think that will be the last time I will be in the middle of a tour on Independence Day.

Good thing I turned around when I did as I got a flat on the way back. And I got to save up some energy for that climb the next day.

They are supposed to have the trail open all the way to Hood River by 2022. That is going to be awesome.
Thanks for the update!
mtnbud is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
bikeguyinvenice
Touring
41
10-21-13 07:40 AM
neil
Touring
37
04-30-13 04:44 PM
Volleycycle
Touring
4
08-18-11 08:55 AM
jmurphyjr
Touring
3
03-16-11 05:56 AM
Lamabb
Northeast
6
10-05-10 11:03 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.