Kris Schamp
Hello fellow OBRA racers,
I like to give everyone a heads-up about a free bike ride I am organizing this coming Saturday in cooperation with the Save Helvetia grassroots movement.
Here are some more details about the cause and why this is relevant for you and any recreational cyclists...
Metro, Multnomah County, Washington County, and Clackamas County are currently in the process of designating areas outside the urban growth boundary as either Urban Reserves (i.e. where they will look for expansion of the UGB in the next decades) or Rural Reserves (set aside for agriculture). A substantial amount of farmland north of Hwy 26 (from NW Springville Rd all the way to Helvetia) has been proposed to be turned into Urban Reserves, ironically against the will of many active farmers in the area, who prefer to continue farming and preserve this rural area for future generations. The scenic/pastoral landscape and hillside roads make this area a great destination for recreational rides, with the added bonus that it is within riding distance of downtown Portland. All good reason for cyclists to step up and advocate for preserving the existing farmland in this area as Rural Reserves.
Now about Saturday's ride, below are all the details you need to know, including a Google map with the routes. We'll have a short route and a long route. If you are familiar with the area and like to help out with leading/sweeping either ride, please send me an email offline.
Hope to see a lot of OBRA folks out there on Saturday!
~Kris
Kris Schamp
Portland Racing
Save Helvetia! Bike Ride (Sat 8/5)
What? A free, recreational and educational bike ride to raise awareness and garner support for the proposal to designate all candidate Urban Reserve areas north of Hwy 26 as Rural Reserves. We will make a couple stops along at farms and scenic viewpoints along the route where local farmers and area residents will provide more background about the Save Helvetia cause and share their personal stories.
When? Saturday September 5, 10am - Noon
Where? We meet at 9:30am at the office of Team Estrogen (located at 21350 NW Mauzey Rd in Hillsboro, close to intersection of Cornelius Pass Rd and West Union, just off exit 62B on Hwy 26).
Ride starts at 10:00am and ends at noon.
Routes: riders will get to choose from two options:
a) A short route that loops clockwise around the Helvetia area. We plan stops along the route at Furrow Farm, Helvetia Church and La Finquita Del Buho CSA.
b) A longer route (with some more elevation gain) that loops counter-clockwise via Rock Creek Trail, Springville Rd, Old Germantown Rd, Kaiser Rd and Old Cornelius Pass Rd. This route will include stops at Malinowski Farm and La Finquita del Buho CSA.
Route Map: http://tinyurl.com/lfwhbb
Optional post-ride lunch and drinks: at Orenco New Seasons where the Bicycle Transportation Alliance will have a benefit BBQ that day.
Some important notes:
- While we plan to have a ride leader and "ride sweeper" for each ride, this will essentially be an unsupported ride.
- Riders will have access to bathrooms or honey buckets at the beginning and end of the ride.
- Both routes will mostly follow roads/streets without bike lanes or shoulders and will include some elevation gain, making the rides less suitable for kids or riders who are not confident riding on these types of roads.
More Info:
Save Helvetia: http://www.savehelvetia.org
questions about the ride: Kris Schamp kris@nw-trail.org