Leif Erickson – Skyline – Cornell loop

Description

From the start we'll go north 2 blocks to NW Thurman St, turn left (west) and go to its far end where Leif Erickson Drive begins and road turns to gravel. We'll ride on Leif Erickson out to Milepost 8 then double back. On the return leg we'll turn right (west) at the Saltzman Rd junction and climb up to Skyline Blvd, where pavement resumes. We'll turn left (south) on Skyline Blvd, take a short detour through Skyline Cemetery, then continue south on Skyline, turn left at Thompson Rd, then left again at Cornell Rd and back down into NW Portland. Coffee stop is at St Honoré Bakery near the end of the ride, at NW Thurman & 23rd Place.

Notes:

> Roughly half of this route is on gravel, which is mostly hard-pack but with several loose sections, so it's strongly recommended that you use a mountain, gravel, or hybrid bike with wide tires. A road bike with wider tires (at least 32 mm) may be OK depending on your skill level.
> Leif Erickson is narrow with many blind corners and typically has lots of bike & pedestrian traffic. Please plan to ride single file most of the time and be sure to stay well to the right when going around corners.
> Skyline has a paved, separated bike path for at least part of the way.
> Note that Cornell Rd has two tunnels and depending on traffic conditions we may want to take one or both of the pedestrian bypass trails along their north sides.