Day 2: Portland to Maupin, Oregon · Pedaling 4 Freedom, Astoria to Washington

Two friends with the tandem on a Portland street — Friends in Portland, and the road east toward Mount Hood.

Naresh on a bridge over a river in the forest — Friends in Portland, and the road east toward Mount Hood.

Instead of waiting in Portland until 10 a.m. to fix the bike’s derailleur, I decided to ride in the lower gears to Gresham to get the bike checked. But the shop was not open. I called Co-Motion and they guided me through possible fixes. I experimented with their suggestions and it worked, for now. I didn’t hit the road until 11:30 a.m.

The climb to Government Camp was brutal.

Crazy how cold it is here. I got a flat on the steepest section of the climb, at the pass, where the winds were ripping and the temperatures frigid. It took almost 20 minutes to fix.

Mount Hood covered in snow above the forest — Mount Hood, and snow on the way to Government Camp.

Naresh beside a bank of snow on the roadside — Mount Hood, and snow on the way to Government Camp.

Some sections were impassable because of snow, and I had to find an alternate route. I made it to Maupin at 10:30 p.m. It was a long day.

A punctured tire with the hole circled — The first flat, and snow I couldn’t push a heavy tandem through, so I turned around and found another way.

Snow covering the road through the trees — The first flat, and snow I couldn’t push a heavy tandem through, so I turned around and found another way.