Jim O’Horo Memorial CGE Wrap
It’s a wrap for the 2025 Jim O’Horo Memorial Columbia Gorge Explorer! We missed Christi Horton and her husband this year, but her fabulous front-end organization made the ride a success. There were 20 riders who started and finished the tour! A wonderful mix of tour veterans and newcomers. The weather couldn’t have been better, no rain until the last day, and even that wasn’t much more than a light sprinkle. Winds were what you’d expect in the Gorge, a little headwind heading east the second day on the Washington side and a substantial headwind back west on the Oregon side, day 3 in particular!
We had two start options this year. One in Portland at I-205 & Marine Drive, and the traditional one at Larson’s Bakery in Vancouver. Two riders chose the Portland start location. The Portland start began following Marine Drive and the trail winding to the Bridge of the Gods and across to join the rest of the tour group on the Washington side heading east. ✎
The first two days eastbound on SR14 were very scenic, with sunny and mild temperatures. We enjoyed biking by sites such as Bonneville Dam, Catherine Creek, Maryhill Winery and Museum of Art, then around Stonehenge heading down to cross the Biggs Bridge to the Oregon site and on to the Deschutes campground.
The last two days riding west were mainly on the Old Historic Columbia River Highway and trail, windy and a little overcast. It’s a great way to see the south side of the Gorge and enjoy the numerous waterfalls. Some of the sites were Rowena View Crest, a cute community park in Mosier, and Crown Point before descending to Troutdale. The Sugarpine ice cream shop on the banks of the Sandy River on the outskirts of Troutdale was a popular stop at the end the trip.
Kim Allen, Club Member