Back in Portland for the first time in six years.
Memories come flooding back as if they happened just yesterday, but realizing that enough time has passed for an elementary schooler to become a middle schooler makes me shiver, even though it’s not cold.
I suppose that explains why I’ve started to develop a bit of a belly.
An eventful journey just to arrive
Arriving in Portland via Hawaii.
The 23-hour travel time brought its fair share of happenings.
First, upon entry, I was stopped and taken to a separate room for the first time in my life. After answering the same questions repeatedly for 40 minutes, I was finally released, but with less than an hour until my connecting flight, a sense of despair set in. Shaking off the anxiety, I got held up in a huge line at security, and the moment I cleared it, I broke into a full sprint, sliding into the plane just two minutes before departure. The Bedrock Sandals on my feet were what supported a dash that had to have been faster than SoftBank's Shuto.
And another mishap occurred during the next transfer.
Where my seat number should have been, there were the mysterious letters "SBY."
I looked it up, and it meant "standby."
Wait, what? Why?
I booked my ticket properly; does that really happen? How did it end up like this?
Even when I asked the ground staff lady, she just smiled and said, "Just wait."
The anxiety lingered.
The four of us waited until every other passenger with a confirmed ticket had boarded.
In the end, I got on safely.
Was I lucky? The new seat I got was by the window—nothing beats being able to see outside.
The sunset from the plane was beautiful.
Well then, safely in Portland
Finally, to the point. Why are you in Portland?
The goal: MADE
I came to help out SimWorks, who are exhibiting at the "Made.bike Show"—commonly known as MADE—happening this weekend, and to see firsthand the reactions to our very own doppo series, which I’m deeply involved in.
I decided to save the talk about MADE for the blog, so I’ve geared up to call this Act. 1.
Heading out for a trail ride to wake up my sluggish body
30 minutes north of Portland.
Arrived at Rocky Point Trail.
"It's just an easy ride," they said, but it turned out to be a solid three hours with 600m of elevation gain.
That was a bit too much of a punch for my slack, self-indulgent body. (Haha)
It looked something like this. (Record from Rie-bo’s Strava)
It’s been a while since I was on a trail.
The full-suspension bike I borrowed was what supported my loose, self-indulgent body.
Thanks to this bike, both the climbs and the descents were comfortable.
A trail with a rich personality
This Rocky Point Trail is a great trail that changes its character completely between the north, south, and west sides of the mountain.
There are dry spots where you can see for miles, and lush, moisture-filled spots.
On a hot day like today, the moisture-filled side is comfortable.
I was so desperate to keep up that I didn't take many photos, but it was a great ride that blew away my jet lag.
You can tell even from the handmade signs that these trails, carefully maintained by local riders, are easy to ride, comfortable, and very safe as long as you use common sense.
Since it was Sunday, people of all ages were out enjoying the ride.
After the ride, we had a snack party in the gazebo.
It seems they refresh themselves with a ride on their days off to fuel their energy for work starting Monday.
Well, I'm well-fueled now.
Starting tomorrow, we kick things off in earnest for MADE.
I’m looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.
I’ll try to provide real-time updates as much as I can on my Instagram.
