Finding the Northwest Passage

[boy in a kilt]

I learned a very important lesson tonight about using google maps to plan routes.

The story is a bunch of my friends and I decided to attend a baseball game tonight. More as a social function than out of any real love for the game. Rather than drive the measly 12 miles downtown, I opted to ride my bike. No gas, no parking and I could get a nice ride in to boot.

I need to add at this point that I grew up in and started cycling in the Portland Metro area. I know the east side of the area quite well and have probably cycled nearly every road at least twice.

But, I don't live on the east side now. I live on the west side. There is an important piece of topography that had never really figured into my thinking before: the West Hills. From downtown to the top of Council Crest (highest point) is about 1000 feet of elevation.

So, I'm on a side of town I don't know really well. So, I spend some time gazing at Google Maps and figure out the shortest route.

About half way over the hills, I realize that 1) I'm fat and out of shape and 2) I don't have the gears to make it the rest of the way up. So, I start taking side roads until I find a way into downtown that doesn't require a belay.

I took a slightly different (and easier) way home. While I'm cooling down from the ride, I decide to have a look at the terrain profile on Google Maps.

Holy-frigging-monkeys. If I had chosen that route for a ruck march in OCS, my instructors would have smacked me upside the head and asked why I was doing that to my patrol.

So. The key piece of info here. If you are using Google maps to find a route and are of dubious climbing ability, take a second to hit "Terrain" and see what you are getting yourself into. Lots of lines close together is bad.

Oh, and we develop that tone of voice early on.

[pardes]

I learned a very important lesson tonight about using google maps to plan routes.
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About half way over the hills, I realize that 1) I'm fat and out of shape and 2) I don't have the gears to make it the rest of the way up. So, I start taking side roads until I find a way into downtown that doesn't require a belay.
----
Holy-frigging-monkeys. If I had chosen that route for a ruck march in OCS, my instructors would have smacked me upside the head and asked why I was doing that to my patrol.
---
Oh, and we develop that tone of voice early on.

I shall forever now think of a boy in a kilt belaying up a mountain with a bicycle dangling in the air behind him. It makes me laugh out loud just thinking about it.

You are a HOOT!

[Flur]

Pardes, I love reading your stories. Do you keep a blog?

[pardes]

Pardes, I love reading your stories. Do you keep a blog?

Yes, I do; however, I haven't entered anything there for a few months. I'm going to revive it with more of a Baby Boomer Bicyclist theme that will be about puttering around and noticing things. The url is listed in my profile here.

[fastdogs]

pardes, go to bikeforums and find the folding bike section, then the thread called "the pootle thread" or something like that. It's mostly photos taken during rides, without so much of your wonderful stories, but kinda reminds me of these travel posts.
keep it up!! wish I was closer, we'd find a path somehow.
vickie

[Grog]

Can the blog be called "Rocket Lady?" Please??