Viento SP (2)

This stay was an example of Plan B executing extremely well. Our purpose for this stop, in addition to getting miles tracking northward, was to ride the last section of the Columbia River Gorge. The last time we came, Richard set out and had to cut his journey short because of a wildfire. We aimed to arrive on Sunday and ride together all day Monday. Small hitch: the weather reports for Monday said rain all day. Bummer.

We did some rethinking and figured there might be enough time at the end of the arrival day for Richard at least to section ride it as long as I could drop him off somewhere. Then, I could either wait in The Dalles with Dory and he could ride to me, or I could try to get into our site early (check in time is a very late 4pm at many Oregon State Parks) and come get him. Either way, his day could consist of riding from exit 62 in Hood River, to the Columbia River Discovery Center in The Dalles. We got to exit 62 around 1:30, so that gave him plenty of time to do the ride.

It was only about five more miles west to go to Viento, so I figured I’d see if the site was empty and if anyone was policing early check ins. I lucked out on all fronts and easily backed into the site, unhitched, and chilled for an hour or so. I followed him on Find My Friends, and as soon as he looked close-ish, I hopped in the car and drove out to fetch him. It’s about a half hour drive, but he was fine waiting at the Discovery Center. He had a great ride and we both felt triumphant at our flexibility given weather obstacles.

It was late in the afternoon at that point, so we opted for dinner in The Dalles. Richard found a 5 star food truck that serves Chili Cheese Coney Dogs and that place was a definite winner. It is Cascade Coneys and the cheese was piled so high on top of the hot dog, you couldn’t even see the chili. Oh man, that was good! They even give you a gummy dog as a little treat. There are two different food trucks (the other has Mexican food) in a nicely decked out permanent patio, with covered picnic tables, cute decor, and even a fire pit for gatherings. 5 stars is right. Afterwards, we walked to our favorite ice cream place: Shannon’s. Richard had an apple caramel crumble on a waffle cone, and I had an Oregon hazelnut chocolate. I hadn’t earned mine, but didn’t care. It was great, as expected.

The next day didn’t start with rain, so Richard went out walking the trail, documenting waterfalls. He made it to Cabin Creek, Starvation Creek, Hole in the Wall, and Lancaster Falls. He even scrambled up a bit to get a shot of the backside of water from behind Cabin Creek Falls. He made it back before any rain at all.

While he was out getting steps before the rain started, I was gingerly easing myself back into crochet. I’ve been a very good girl and let my hands rest a solid week. I’ve read lots of blogs and watched videos from professional knitters and crocheters, and they all give much the same advice: 1) watch your posture and grip, 2) take breaks, 3) stretch. There are other tips out there, including seeing a medical professional if the pain is bad or doesn’t go away, but these are the top tips. I’m happy to report that I got in three twenty-minute sessions with no pain, taking breaks in between, and did not suffer ill effects the next day. I have really missed it, so I’m super motivated to be careful and not go crazy and overdo it again. The other lesson I am learning the hard way is that some form of yoga every night before bed is a non negotiable for me. I’ve been on and off about that, but I’m sixty and I need to stop screwing around. Luckily, I still have a yoga mat stashed away in Dory, and I’ve still got an audio routine on my phone. I’m out of practice, but it felt good anyway.

With some time left in the day, we braved the gentle rain and walked down to see the river. I wanted just a couple of miles to work out hip kinks, so walking to Starvation Creek Falls and turning around was plenty for me. The rain was steady, but gentle, and we were often shielded by the thick tree cover. We spotted a Bald Eagle roosting above the river and noted how strong the rock catching metal nets are all along the trail. We returned to Dory, hung up out wet jackets in the shower, and I made a Blue Apron of Sambal Peach Chicken with Sesame Brown Rice. So good!

Viento is a really nice campground, despite the road noise and sometimes alarming train whistle. Those downsides are well documented in campground reviews. Neither really bothered us, and the trains don’t sound off at night, but they are admittedly quite close. It’s got a nice day use beach by the river, proximity to town stuff, whether Hood River, or farther to The Dalles, and direct access to the bikeway. If biking west, which is almost always with the wind, be aware that there is a section after Viento where you have to travel on Highway 84. It’s not long, but not pleasant. After that, it’s a beautiful ride on Highway 30 with some sections not open to cars. I’m really glad Richard got his ride in. That would have been disappointing. Next, we track east and northwards toward another highly anticipated bike ride. Hopefully, we can do that one together!

Total miles from La Pine: 187.6, 4 hours 35 min, 17.2 mpg. Site 35 electric and water hookups. No solar, heavily shaded campground. No dump. There is a dump at Memaloose SP. Good cell for both, but better for ATT.