Ride: Forest Grove - Birkenfeld
Organizers: Susan France 503-628-7324
Date: Saturday, April 1
Time: Start Time: 7:00 AM Registration Time 06:00AM – 06:45AM
Start Location: McMenamins Grand Lodge
Address: 3505 Pacific Ave, Forest Grove, OR
Finish By: 20:30 (8:30 PM)
Entry Fee: $10, checks should be payable to "Oregon Randonneurs", also, Oregon Randonneurs membership is required for this event. You can download a membership form and bring it with you.
Medals: This is an ACP brevet so medals are available at $8.00 each. Payable by check made out to "Oregon Randonneurs" at the end of the route. Register Now!
Driving Directions: See McMenamins' website.
Support Vehicles: Any rider(s) planning to have a support vehicle meet them at controls must contact the ride organizer, Susan France.

Description:
This brevet starts at a new favorite location in Forest Grove and is quickly heading into the Coast Range. We head west along Stringtown Rd and Gales Creek, avoiding the traffic of Hwy 6. We are on the highway a few miles before heading up Timber Rd and the first climb before Timber. Timber has a PO, that’s about it. We continue south through forest land, cross Hwy 26, and continue to Vernonia for the first time.

Vernonia has plenty of services. We may be providing a stop at Anderson Park. The park has a covered picnic area, warm bathrooms and showers if you are desperate.

After Vernonia, you continue north on Hwy 47 along the Nehalem River. Don’t turn off to Scappoose, we aren’t going there this year. Continue along the flattish route to Fishhawk Lake. The private lake is slightly more than 3.5 miles off the not so main road. You’ve probably not seen this place and its funky spillway. It is worth a look.

After a visit to Fishhawk Lake, head back to Hwy 202 and continue a bit more than a mile to Birkenfeld Store, the turnaround. You will find some drinks, groceries and a grill here at the 1910 store. This is logging country. Turn around and head back to Vernonia for the second time.

After leaving Vernonia you ride back along Hwy 47 directly to Manning. First, you must climb up to Tophill which is most notably "the place with all the rusty cars." From there hang on, it's all downhill or dead flat to Manning.

You turn onto Hwy 26 for a very short distance, the shoulder is about 12 feet here and it’s just a short 1.5 miles to the DQ on the right. This will likely be the last stop for a few. After a short ¼ mile or so, hop onto the Banks Vernonia bike path. The bike path is preferably to the main road which carries traffic coming off Hwy 26 adjusting from the normal 70mph to a shoulderless 45mph. The bike path eventually ends and you return to the road for the last ½ mile into Banks.

Just prior to entering the business district of Banks, you head right onto Cedar Canyon which is quiet and rolling. Next it’s a short stint of less than 1 mile on Hwy 6 and we turn off and climb Stafford Rd and skirt David and Clapshaw hills to the right. At Purdin, head east to Verboort then south to the Grand Lodge.

What to do after the ride? You'll be ready for refueling and refreshments at the Grand Lodge. If you eat here, you can also partake of the free soaking pool. Bring a suit and towel then exchange your driver's license for a key to the pool at the front desk.

Cumulative elevation gain is estimated at 5000 feet.

Need more info about Forest Grove services? Check the Forest Grove Chamber of Commerce website.

Pre-ride Report: TBD

You may wish to review the Map & Profile or cue sheet in XLS or HTML format.

All riders should be familiar with and abide by rider expectations.

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