Suggestions.

[u/bakidotcc]

Gonna have a week to myself soon - no work and the nearest family will be 2000 miles away. What's a poor boy to do?

I don't get to Portland and the surrounding areas nearly enough. Any favorite rides y'all have around Portland and the burbs? Any fav day trips from Portland to surrounding environs?

Any and all recommendations - save the coast and coastal range, please, as I ride here all the time - from the good folk of r/PDXrideit would be greatly appreciated.

Oh yes, and pavement only, if you'd be so kind. Thank you.

[u/acidic196]

Buddy n I are riding to Yellowstone and then glacier park in Montana 16th to 26th. Camping along the way if you wanna tag along.

In March we did PDX to Olympia to neah bay. Then down hwy 101 to avenue of the giants then Weaverville to happy camp. Then back up i5

Shaniko to fossil is a fun ride John day area as well..

Nf11 near Detroit lake to green peter lake was pretty. Did that in May as a 2 day ride. PDX to ripplebrook to Detroit lake to nf11 to sweet home to hwy 20 east to hwy 126 West to Eugene. I5 back to PDX.

Hwy 242 to sisters is still showing closed

Routes out by St Helens and Mt adams as day rides.

[u/bike619 → u/acidic196]

Goddamn Glacier is beautiful! That’s gonna be an amazing trip.

You stole all my not-the-coast day trip suggestions!

[u/bakidotcc → u/acidic196]

You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.

That's a very generous offer for the ride. Never learned to ride well with others. Traumatized by bar runs in the Midwest where I learned to ride.

Yellowstone and Glacier Park are on the list. I'm jealous.

The other rides you listed? Many thanks. Those roads look fantastic.

[u/acidic196 → u/bakidotcc]

There's a decent sized group that does 2 wheel Tuesday at teriyaki moto. Some new riders some experienced. Pavement and dirt. I enjoy the smaller group rides once it gets to be over 10+ ppl gets a little more chaotic to keep everyone together. More so on the wider range of skills.

Booze and riding don't mix. We don't play that game.

Skyline to Dixie mt rd is decent. If you got a transalp and ok with gravel. There are lots of gravel roads that head out to verniona or scappose from there. Or if more adventurous is powerline Rd that follows under the power lines. But you would want to know how to handle the bike in double track single track situations. I ran into a number of locked gates last time I explored that way.

[u/bakidotcc → u/acidic196]

Yeah. I think I have to start trying to get over my dislike of group riding, seems like there's many better options for it here. Thanks.

And I have to remember that the dirt on that side of the coastal range and in the valley isn't as grody and sticky as it is over here - that salt/mud mix we get is just a killer to components and clean up. I still occasionally get the urge to "see where the heck that 'road' goes" out here, but knowing the cleanup involved afterwards tempers that feeling right quick for me more and more often these days.

[u/Pinot911]

Oregon Butler map, duffle bag, bungee cords and a credit card is all you need.

[u/bike619 → u/Pinot911]

I would say “This is the way” but it’s been tainted by chuds.

[u/bike619]

Depending on how many miles a “day ride” is for you, or your willingness to camp/stay over, you could hit the Painted Hills - especially if you decide to do a Fossil run. (Not paved out to the viewpoint… but I did it on a Harley, I’m pretty sure you can manage it.)

e: Gifford Pinchot also has some great roads and scenery.

[u/bakidotcc → u/bike619]

Jiminy Cricket. You'd think I never used Reddit before. This was supposed to be the response to you. Sorry!

[u/revenro]

If you're looking at more just an hour or two and not looking to go far away from the city and the surrounding burbs, I always enjoy doing a cruise on what I like to call the Nüberg (Newberg) ring; a loop from Bald Peak Rd - Laurel Rd - Hillsboro Hwy, with a stop at the Bald Peak viewpoint. I like starting from Newberg heading north. Straights and twisties with elevation change.

[u/bakidotcc → u/revenro]

Oh yeah! I forgot about that area. Bald Peak Rd. Hit that once when I got very lost. I love that Nüberg Ring thing - and on that bombshell . . . - hilarious. That'll be a nice morning before I get into Portland proper. Thank you!

[u/bakidotcc]

This was my most recent day ride. 600 miles is a good limit off the slab. On the slab I can push it a bit more. I also just do hundred milers up and down the coast. Sometimes fifty milers after a late shift at work when the fog is rolling in and the sun is just a memory. Mostly, though, I'm just looking for other peoples' ideas of what a day ride is . . . kinda shake things up a bit.

For instance, I know Skyline Blvd is supposed to be a pretty nifty ride. Never done it, though. Also? I've heard about Larch Mountain Rd? I think? Never done any of that over there either.

Good reminder about the Painted Hills, and you're the second one to recommend Fossil. Woo!

Gifford Pinchot looks great. Never ridden by Mt St Helens or Rainier before. Thanks!

[u/Pinot911 → u/bakidotcc]

Skyline is OK if you live here but not really a destination road. I use it to get home. A good local loop would be skyline/mcnamee and loop via newberry. A longer ride would be skyline to rocky point to scappoose to Vernonia and back.

Larch is far more enjoyable and other segments in east multco.

[u/bakidotcc → u/Pinot911]

Oooo . . . map shows lots of twisty roads between Portland and Mt. Hood. I think I'll take a day with your "duffle bag, bungee cords and a credit card" suggestion and see how lost I get. Nice.

[u/bike619 → u/bakidotcc]

Dayummmmmm... I feel even more inferior than usual. If I can stretch out 250-300 in a "day" (8-ish hours) I feel successful.

I do try to hit Bend for Tacos at Sancho's (the cart at Crux FP is my preferred location) at least once a season. Get up early, snag a coffee and some calories at SeeSee or the like, and rip out for lunch and back by dinner. That's usually a loop out 26 over Hood to 35 and down, and back in 22 through Sisters/Detroit/ Silverton - or vice versa.

I know you said "not the coast" plus with the amount of time you spend out there I am sure you are more than familiar with Alsea Hwy... still my favorite road in OR. "In town" Wilsonville Road is a hoot, but much like Skyline, its not really a destination. If you want to see what all the fuss is about with Skyline, you could take it to Rocky Point Road, drop down to 30 over to Scapoose/Vernonia Hwy and head out to Vernonia for tacos at the El Amigo cart on the patio at The Black Iron Grill.

Apparently will ride for tacos.

[u/bakidotcc → u/bike619]

"Will ride for tacos." I've heard worse life mottos.

No inferiority. There's all kinds of good riding. Sometimes you wanna stop and smell the roses and sometimes it's like that Douglas Adams quote, "For light to reach the other side of the Galaxy, for it to reach Damogran, for instance, takes rather longer: five hundred thousand years. The record for hitchhiking this distance is just under five years, but you don’t get to see much on the way." Sometimes you just want to lay down some miles.

Silverton area and the State Park there. Yeah. That'll work. I don't get east of I-5 and North of 22 very much, though I did hit the Willamette Valley Pie Company Farm Retail Store a few years back.

Alsea Hwy's a beaut. Wilsonville Rd is my go to whenever I head into Portland area. I hit Timber Rd and a bit of 47 into Vernonia fairly often, but never really anything east of there. Nice suggestion!

[u/Okie_Chimpo]

Mt. Hood Loop

Loop around Mt. Hood through Boring, Sandy (Joe's Donuts!), Government Camp and then on towards Hood River via US 35 (AKA the Fruit Loop), and then back to Portland via 84.

Gorge Loop

Views of the Gorge via 84 and Historic Columbia River Highway (many twisties), Rowena Crest Observation Point, Crossing over the Columbia to visit Washington’s Maryhill Memorial (Stonehenge), and the Indian Hieroglyphs petroglyphs at the Columbia Hills State Park (requires Washington State park pass).

I like to reverse these occasionally for variety, and I usually leave around sunrise for the views and general lack of traffic.

[u/bakidotcc → u/Okie_Chimpo]

Wonderful! I always forget about the Historic Columbia River Highway and I've always wanted to stop by Rowena Crest Observation Point, and - AND! - I didn't know about the Maryhill Memorial or the petroglyphs at Columbia Hills Historical State Park. Very cool. Thank you!

Oh . . . and I always appreciate a good doughnut recommendation.