A Goal Achieved...

Some time again I added an entry into my dream log "to get a bicycle and
start riding again." Now it has been over 30 years since I owned a bike and a lot longer than that since I have really ridden for any length of time.
I even went so far as look at the new shiny bikes at our local Fred Meyers store and was turned away by the price tag. Ok, time to save the change and recycle money.

A couple of weeks ago I stopped by the local Salvation Army store, looking for printer cables. Instead I found a Vermillion mountain bike, with 18 speeds and Shimano grip shifting. Sounds impressive doesn't it. I thought so too.
The bike looked to be in mint condition. The tires still had the little rubber tags found on new tires. Well, there were a few scrapes from what looks like a crash. For $20 I couldn't pass it up.

I practiced on our lane and bought a helmet that cost nearly as much as the bike. Today I was ready for the big ride.

Near where I live in Damascus, Oregon, is the Eastern end of the
Springwater Trail. The trail began life in 1903 as the Springwater Division Line, a commuter railway that took folks from downtown Portland to outlying communities such as Boring, Eagle Creek and Estacada. At its peak in 1910, Portland's 160 miles of rails carried 16 million passengers a year. In the 1950s, the automobile became the preferred method of travel and passenger service was dropped in 1958.

In the 1990's the City of Portland and the Metro area acquired the corridor and turned it into a multiuse trail extending over 20 miles from near the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry to the small town of Boring. The State of Oregon owns an additional 10 miles of right a way.

This morning I got up, loaded my bike into the back of my truck, grabbed
my helmet and drove to the trailhead in Boring.

Surprise. The portion of the trail I had walked several time in Gresham is
paved. In Boring the trail is gravel. That didn't deter me. I was soon riding down the trail toward Gresham and Portland.

My plan was simple. Ride for 15 minutes and then turn around and ride
back to my truck. I quickly realized that Boring is higher than Gresham and I'm headed down a gradual slope. The first 15 minutes was easy and I learned how to use a couple of the 18 gears.

After 15 minutes I turned and headed back to Boring and quickly learned
that even a slight uphill grade is work. Of course a big part of the problem is being totally out of shape, which is the reason I got the bike in the first place.
After nearly 35 minutes my truck was in sight and I was able to make it back without collapsing. The legs were like rubber, but I was able to load the bike and make it home.

Ok, day one is history. I will be back out on the Springwater. Next time I will drive into Gresham and ride a level portion of the paved trail or ride
uphill toward Boring and the coast back down to my truck.

My goal now is to ride several times a week and lose 20 pounds.

Good Bye Todd

Todd "Dr. Toad" Williams

1938-2007

Today I stopped by the local store and found a very special bottle of wine on the shelf, a 2006 Chardonnay from Toad Hollow Vineyards. A bottle of Eye of the Toad or a Cacophony would have worked just as well. I wanted the bottle to say goodbye to a friend.

Todd Williams, sometimes called Toad, or Dr. Toad by his friends, founded the little Healdsburg Winery with his friend Rodney Strong. Rod passed away in early 2006. Because of Rod I got to know Todd and his wife Frankie.

The obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle says Toad Hollow is “famous for its oddball toad-themed labels – and award-winning taste.” To me it is famous for the two great men who decided to make wine togther.

It was the people that made the winery special for me. I got to spend time with Todd and Frankie, Rod and his wife Charlotte before she passed away in 2005. Twice I was able to drive Rod and his caregiver Nancy, a very special lady, to Oregon and Washington.

Never heard of Todd. Maybe you have heard of his brother, actor/comedian Robin Williams. All of the obituaries carried a quote from Robin: “Toad left a big footprint with a cork, or as a friend said, he left a great trail.”

The picture above is from the Toad Hollow website http://www.toadhollow.com/.

Thank you Todd, for being a friend and for making some great wine.