We moved here to be a part of a Christian intentional community called Springwater. If you are interested in learning a little more about it, check out the website at www.oldgrowth.us. Basically, the community/church is situated in an impoverished area of Portland and is learning to love each other and the people around us in the neighborhood. There are 20 or so people involved of various ages--new babies, young children, college students and others all the way up to 52 years of age.
One thing this community is really good at is alternative transportation. Car sharing, bus riding, walking and cycling are the main sources of transportation, with an emphasis on human power to reduce consumption, environmental impact and dependance on fossil fuels. I mention this because as Hanna and I approach the due date of our first child, I've had an increasing desire to take a weekend bike trip with some friends. I've found likehearted brothers and sisters here at Springwater and a handful of them gathered together and we took a trip to Champoeg (pronounced sort of like shampoo'y') state park. We left from our front door on Saturday morning, loaded up with our food, stove, sleeping bags and tents for the 32 mile trip south. The first part of the trip was alongside I205, which was on a bike path, but still right next to the cars. After Oregon City, we set off on the backroads and were in cycling paradise. We hit a major climb at SW Petes Mountain Rd. which gave us a spectacular view of the valley and some of the major mountains surrounding Portland. I would say the climb was worth the view, but even if there wasn't a view, I would still enjoy the suffering that comes with a steep road and 30 lbs. of gear loaded on my bike. After the climb, we were treated to a ferry ride across a river.
The last few miles before the park were on a bike path that drifted through a thick forest. We emerged from the forest to a beautiful view of the Willamette river where we found a campsite and relaxed for the evening. Hot dogs, smores and beer were on the menu and a campfire kept us warm until we slipped into our sleeping bags for the night. In the morning, we had a short breakfast before loading up our bikes and setting off for the return trip home. One mile from home, we had our first flat tire--at the same time that the clouds began dumping rain. We changed the flat and made it home, tired and satisfied from the ride. I look forward to many more bicycle camping trips with our friends here in Portland. I'm not sure how long we will have to wait until we can bring our baby along, but I have already been thinking about how to secure the car seat in the trailer.
