Permanent #1877 -- Viktor Krum

• Distance: 405K
• Elevation: 15,835 feet according to RideWithGPS
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On the opposite spectrum of hilliness from my PDX-Bremerton route, this one starts and ends in roughly the same area, but goes up and over Mt St Helens rather than the flat Washington coastline.

Wind River Rd and NF-25 provide the most gorgeous (and challenging) portions of the ride, cutting through Gifford Pinchot forest as you ride between Carson and Randle. These roads aren't maintained for winter riding -- which, depending on the year, might delay its opening all the way until June or even July.

When they are open, though, it's gorgeous... and hard. I'll spare details from the elevation profile and just say there's a big volcano there, and you ride up and over it.

The latter half of the ride is a bit more relaxed, but you still have some pleasant roads (and a bit of climbing) after Randle, going up towards Orting. The last forty or so miles uses the Interurban Trail then a variation of the official STP route to wrap up the ride in the University District.

This, of course, is also available to be used in the opposite direction (and again, no cue sheet for that way yet). There's two or three campgrounds with drinking water available as you ride through Gifford Pinchot, and a not-entirely-reliable grocery store near Swift Reservoir. For the northernmost parts -- the ones you'll likely face in the middle of the night if you started in PDX -- I'm not sure of many 24-hour food options, so pack plenty of snacks and probably a third water bottle.

I'm toying with making a Cyclos Montagnards-esque unofficial medal for Oregon or Seattle randonneurs who complete both #1876 and #1877 in a span of a couple of days, with a brevet or permanent in the middle -- maybe call it the lazy man's 1000+K. Check back later.

Permanent #1550 -- Cedric Diggory

• Distance: 108km
• Elevation: 1,749 ft according to RideWithGPS
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A scrumptious taste of a handful of Portland-area bike paths and low-traffic roads. Runs past the University of Portland with your first control at Kelley Point Park, then comes back east on the Marine Drive bike path to cross over the I-5 bridge. Has a lovely 12-mile stretch past Vancouver Lake, with a u-turn at the south end of the Ridgefield wildlife refuge. Back into Portland on the I-5 again, rejoins the Marine Drive path to go over to the I-205 path, then takes that all the way to Woodstock then back to my neighborhood near Holgate.

Permanent #1875 -- The Bloody Baron

#1875 -- The Bloody Baron

• Distance: 172K
• Elevation: 8,261 feet according to RideWithGPS
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This one is, at least in parts, positively Rapha-esque. After a straightforward route from SE Portland to Camas, you head north and, though you'll never really be more than 20 miles from the suburbs, you'll feel like you're in the middle of nowhere.

You use L-1000 and Dole Valley Rd to carve a winding path up towards Amboy, in the foothills of Larch Mountain (no, not THAT Larch Mountain, nor the other Larch which you see signs for off OR-6). This route tops out at just under 2,000 feet of elevation, and my favorite, though usually inaccurate, route mapping site guesses there's over 6,000 feet of climbing in the middle fifty miles of this route.

There really isn't much civilization between Camas and Yacolt (the small town just south of the turnaround in Amboy), and with some rather rough gravel roads you should plan accordingly with clothing, food, and tools. I think the only quasi-commercial building you'll pass over a 20-ish mile stretch is a jail, and that's not exactly where you want to pull up to beg to use their phone if you have a mechanical failure.

There's about 15 miles of gravel in each direction -- heading north, they're mostly (but not entirely) downhill (with some rather steep grades in spots); on the return trip, you get, well, the opposite. Different riders will find one or the other to be preferable. I'd recommend riding it with at least 30mm tires, and will be using 40+mm myself, though if you're comfortable and familiar with gravel on a road bike it's doable on anything.

So -- if you've grown tired of Dixie Mountain and Otto Miller, head up over the I-205 bridge and check this one out.

Permanent #1613 -- Elphias Doge

• Distance: 239K
• Elevation: 9,546 feet according to RideWithGPS
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I've got a big soft spot in my heart for the state on the other side of the Columbia River. My first two 100K routes both head up into Washington, and I feel Portland roadies in general do themselves a disservice by rarely riding north for their adventures.

This particular permanent was inspired by my experiences on this spring's flèche, as seen here and here, and I set out looking for a way to turn a 400+ mile Eugene-Olympia-Portland extravaganza into a more manageable Portland-based route.

The result is what you see -- north through La Center, Kalama, and Kelso, over the Lewis & Clark Bridge (still yucky), then up Apiary Road before ending up back in familiar randonneur territory in Vernonia.

The first thirty miles or so are exactly the same as on my Luna Lovegood populaire, and for good reason -- in Google Maps, you might see that stretch of road and think bah outer Vancouver sprawl crap, but it's actually an awesome stretch of farmland with some fairly robust rollers to get your legs ready for this super-sized course.

When we rode Olympia-Portland after the flèche, we climbed the entirety of Green Mountain Road south of Kalama, all the way up to 1700 feet with several stretches graded above 10%. This way, though, cuts off about half that elevation, and instead cuts back towards I-5. RWGPS suggests there's a 14% portion of the climb near the top, though, so it'll certainly still make you work.

After that, you can regain some energy in beautiful downtown Kalama then ride the last ten or so miles of the day on the Washington side of the river on relatively low-traffic old roads paralleling the interstate.

There's nothing particularly exciting in Rainier or Longview, but plenty of options for refueling. There is a stretch of almost exactly thirty miles between Rainier and Vernonia without any stores (there is a campground roughly halfway, not sure what's inside), so plan accordingly.

Coming from the north, Apiary Road is a little unkind -- two false summits, including the unpleasant experience of climbing up to 1000 feet, feeling like you're done as you drop down to 600, then turning a corner and going up towards Camp Wilkerson at 1200.

After that, though, most of your day's climbing is done, and the Shell Station in Vernonia is always there to provide friendly service and hot fried food. Depending on your start time, season, and weather, you'll probably get onto the Banks-Vernonia trail in pleasant low-traffic hours, then take Zion Church and some back roads east to find the big Forest Grove-Hillsboro-Beaverton sprawl. The last 20 miles is a straightforward series of well-traveled west side bike commuter routes, finally dumping you into Portland city limits via the Highway 26 bike path.

239km, 148 miles, just under sixteen hours upper time limit. Ride it!

Permanent #1549 -- Luna Lovegood

#1549 -- Luna Lovegood Populaire

• Distance: 105K
• Elevation: 3,269 ft according to RideWithGPS 
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A straight shot north over the I-5 bridge, then out of downtown Vancouver on Lakeshore Drive, with some nice little rolling hills along the way. Heads towards Ridgefield, but crosses over the I-5 for a halfway control in lovely La Center. Leaves La Center going east, then comes back into Vancouver and then Portland via 72nd Ave & St Johns Road.