Permanent #1649 -- Horace Slughorn

• Distance: 100K
• Elevation: 6,043 feet according to RideWithGPS
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I had a nice present waiting in my inbox after this weekend's 600K (report forthcoming) -- two new permanent approvals.

It's a shame that I'm in no shape to ride more than a few miles today, though, because this one in particular looks like an awesome one -- lots of dirt and gravel and climbs and descents and the other good things that make for great bike rides.

This covers the entire length of both Leif Erickson trail and Saltzman Road as they cut through Forest Park. Each stretch is very frequently used by roadies and is certainly "doable" on 23mm tires, but would probably be more enjoyable with extra cushioning. Bring a decent set of brakes, too -- particularly for the easternmost segment of Saltzman after it crosses Leif.

The rest of the route (which, as a first for me, comes in at a neat and perfectly even 100km) sends you on a few of the somewhat "hidden", lesser-used roads of deep northwest: Old Germantown, Kaiser, Moreland, and Pederson.

One downside of this rather circuitous route is that it needs seven info control stops, but there's certainly enough climbing so you won't mind being forced to briefly stop in a few spots. If you need to pick up food or water, the best bet is probably the store at the intersection of Skyline and Cornelius Pass, which you'll pass at mile 24 & 43. They even have a water spigot in front of their building which is open to cyclists, but be sure to make an actual snack purchase every now and then to show a little appreciation.

Permanent #1585 -- Filius Flitwick

• Distance: 211K
• Elevation: 10,140 feet according to RideWithGPS
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This one is a bit of a challenge -- starts off quickly by taking you up through Washington Park and past the zoo, then almost all the way north on Skyline before dropping back down into North Plains via Moreland/Solberger (3K feet of elevation in first 28 miles). The next stretch is quite a bit more mild, though, taking familiar OR Randonneurs roads through Forest Grove then south to Carlton (mile 65).

You'll probably want to stock up on snacks and water here, since there's no services available for the next 45 miles, and you'll be tackling one of the tougher coast range passes in northern Oregon. Main Street becomes Meadow Lake Road as you go west out of town. You get a few flat miles before the real fun begins -- from ~350 feet of elevation at milepoint 70, all the way up to just under 2,000 feet by mile 79.

At about that point, you go by McGuire Reservior (it'll look damn tempting for a dip on a hot summer day, but the big tall chainlink fence around it tells you otherwise) and start to follow Nestucca River Road for most of the way until you reach Highway 101. There's a few campgrounds along the way (may or may not have toilets or potable water), and one three-mile stretch of gravel around mile 90 that's, in my experience, fairly hard-packed but also pothole-y.

You rejoin civilization of sorts in the lovely town of Beaver, OR. A Shell station/market is probably your best bet for any supplies you might need for the last twenty miles of the day (there's a few other businesses, but the Shell is the only one I've seen be consistently open for business).

Three-ish miles north on 101, then left onto Sandlake Road... which means, of course, a climb over Cape Lookout. Not too hard, but it's enough to push your day's total elevation gain over 10K so it might not be too enjoyable. From there, a descent down to Netarts Bay, then six flat waterfront miles into the endpoint in Netarts, OR.