ride to Tryon Creek

I had a nice ride over the weekend with my friend Aaron Piland. He's one half of APAK, a husband and wife art unit much like ourselves. (They have been doing that much longer than us) He's been living in Portland longer as well, but have not been into riding the bike so much until recently. He says that I inspired him to ride the bike more. I think there's plenty of inspirations to ride the bike here, but if that's what he says, I'm glad to have been the catalyst.

We met at the Sellwood Riverfront Park and headed to Tryon Creek State Park. We crossed the Sellwood Bridge to the West side of the Willamette River. The last time, I crossed the Sellwood Bridge was during Bridge Pedal, but the road there is not exactly bike friendly, so I have been reluctant to go that way. Aaron told me that there is a way through a cemetery to the Tryon State Park.


Aaron at Riverview Cemetery

If you follow Bike Portland, you might have come across this post last week about dangerous speed bumps in a cemetery. The cemetery we went through is that cemetery. We were well prepared thanks to Bike Portland, so we didn't encounter any danger. It's quite a climb through the cemetery. Aaron's bike has no gears or to be exact no derailleurs, so he had quite a difficult time climbing (and sometimes walking the bike). He wants to get a derailleur for his bike, but he hasn't been able to find a cheap one. I guess he's not yet used to the prices of bike parts. When you think of it as transportation vehicle, it doesn't seem so expensive. Anyway, I hope he will find a happy bike set-up soon.

After we got through the cemetery, we made our way to Tryon Creek.


View Larger Map

There was a nice bike path through the woods as we got close.
We parked our bikes and went for a bit of a hike in the park. This is not a park with a huge lawn, but more like woods with trails through it.


Lots of big trees and plants

We walked a bit and then found a spot by a creek to sit down for a break. We both brought some snacks, fruits and hot drinks (me coffee, Aaron tea). We sat there and ate while talking about everything from Hopi legends to polar shifts. It's always interesting talking to Aaron. He knows a lot about Buckminster Fuller, that's for sure.

We then walked to the Western end of the park where there is a community farm.

There were goats, chickens and sheep there as well as vegetables,


some fun looking buildings,


and a swing!

Such a nice park and only an hour's bike ride from home (closer if you live in South Portland). Going back, through the cemetery, it was like a maze and we had to be a little more careful as we were going down hill and watch out for those new speed bumps. It wasn't an epic ride or anything, but it's good to combine riding the bike with some walking in the woods. It's an especially nice time of the year to do that.

Be sure to check out APAK. They have an Etsy shop like us with super nice and affordable artwork as well.