Verboort Sausage Populaire

I love this ride.  And to make it even better, this year was a new route, out to Vernonia and back.  Sausage, Vernonia, the Banks-Vernonia Trail.  All the makings of an excellent ride!



First we coffeeneured in Forest Grove, at Maggie's (ooh, add in the big sticky bun!  This day gets better and better!), then rode the 3 miles over to Verboort and the start.

We were starting at 9am, and by the time we arrived (8:45?), the lines for the sausage dinner were already very, very long.  Maybe they were there for sausage second breakfast?

Peg and Lesli arrived (yay!), rando-chick photos were taken, the route rap was given, and off we went.  Many women on this ride.  I hope they show up for the longer rides in the spring. It was not raining - mid to high 50's, very cloudy, persistent south wind.  I was in wool from head to toe - new red wool beanie, LS OrRando jersey, Ibex capris, Smartwool knee socks and wearing my wonderful new Gore Visibility Vest over that.  Absolutely perfect for the day.





Started out by myself, but joined up with Diane K on Gales Creek Rd.  We caught up and rode together for awhile, but then she stopped and I went on.  Brief pause at the store just before Timber Rd (like several other riders.  Last chance before Verboort :-) )

Timber Rd was awash in fall color.  As I started up the switchbacks, I could see riders below - Peg and Lesli.  Toward the top of the climb I rode up on Jeff M, and we stayed together the rest of the ride.  Peg and Lesli and Brian L joined us, and we rode along to Vernonia together.

A driver heading the other way felt the need to yell at me out in the road (riding two abreast, no traffic anywhere, except for him) for using the center of the lane because "I don't pay road taxes".  Lesli and I rode on, Brian tried to talk to him, but, of course, his mind and ears were closed.  Fortunately he didn't STOP.



We were of course stopping at Black Bear Coffee Company.  No speed records on this ride, ever.  Many randos were already there.  One rider was taking pictures of all the bikes.  After a brief thought, I asked if he was Russ.  He was indeed.  Sweetpea got lots of love in his photo record of the day :-)

picture by Russ Roca

I had ordered a Mexi-Mocha, a banana, and chicken noodle soup.  They forgot my soup order, but Lesli and Peg said they'd wait.  Slurped it down, and entertained Jeff by recognizing every single song (and naming the albums) of the soundtrack.

And now for the wonderful part of the ride - the 20+ miles of the Banks-Vernonia Trail.  It was beautiful, but there were lots of leaves covering it in places.  I hear it was slippery, and some riders fell.  I didn't have any problems, but I wasn't in a hurry.  It got misty and dim at points, and I slowed down some, and rode in the middle of the trail, since it was difficult to see the edges.  Fairy tale forest.  Met Shaun Granton along here - he's the guy that created the Oregon Randonneurs poster.



Eventually popped out the other end, rode through Banks and turned onto Wilkesboro.  Jeff and I didn't see Lesli, Peg, and Brian behind us, so we dawdled a bit.  They'd tried to turn onto Hwy 6 instead.  Easy to do. I've done it once.

Last bit of the route, through Roy, and onto Cornelius-Schefflin, Verboort, and then Visitation roads.  Checked in, then went in search of sausage.  We found Susan and Asta and her friends in the sausage and bingo tent, got ourselves some sausage as well, and sat down to enjoy it and each others' company.







Then it was time to head out.  Lesli wanted to get on the road before dark, and I was riding home from there.  My last stop was the bulk sausage sales shed, where I found a smallish package (2.7 lbs) of sausage, stuffed it in the Carradice, and pushed off for home.



Mostly a southern crosswind, and a totally autopilot route.  The berry bushes on Leisy Rd were really spectacular, but once into Hillsboro, I was back within the urban growth boundary.  Major roads until SW 158th, where I turned into the office park, cut through the rec center soccerplex, and was in quiet neighborhoods the rest of the way home.

112 miles for the day.

All the pics here