From Gorge Summers to Gravel Roads with WPR’s Becky Brun

There are many ways to experience Oregon’s Hood River. For WPR’s Becky Brun, the story starts with a Portland roller rink and a six-month experiment that has turned into a 16-year love story. 

Finding Hood River

In 2010, I was very happily living in Portland, having just bought a house with my sister, with no intention of moving. Then I met my now husband, Jonathan, at an Oaks Park Roller Rink party. Our plan was to spend half a year in Hood River and half a year in Portland. But after a few months in Hood River, I knew it was home.  

What makes the Gorge different

We’re right at the transition between two very different microclimates – temperate rainforest to arid, dry desert. A few weeks ago, I went hiking with friends on the Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail. We were surrounded by wildflowers and Oregon white oaks (and poison oak). Later that same day, I went mountain biking with Jonathan near Cascade Locks in a lush forest of ferns, moss and conifers. Both trailheads are less than 30 minutes from my house but they feel like worlds apart. How cool is that?!?

Living in Hood River 

Being part of a smaller community makes me realize how interconnected our lives are. For instance, a group pickleball text thread quickly turns into a conversation about which cherry orchards are open for u-pick and which trails have recently been cleared of trees. Meanwhile, someone else is sharing photos of last night’s lightning storm and an invite to their choir recital.

The weather, the trails, the wind, what’s open, what’s blooming: this all shapes what people do and how they spend their time.

Getting into gravel riding

I don’t do wind or water sports, which makes me an anomaly in Hood River. But I’ve always loved trail running and biking. I discovered gravel biking as a way to stay in shape, especially in shoulder seasons when the snow hasn’t started falling, or the mountain bike trails are too muddy.

Gravel is essentially a mix of road riding and mountain biking, but without traffic. That’s a big appeal.

It’s very easy here to plan a gravel ride where you barely see another person, let alone a car. You’re out in nature where it’s quiet. Sometimes almost too quiet if I’m by myself, because then I start thinking about cougars and bears!

A favorite local ride

One of my favorite rides is from Hood River to Dufur via the Historic Columbia River Highway, Seven Mile Hill and the Pleasant Ridge/Pine Hollow, ending at the Balch Hotel.

You wind through this massive cherry orchard, and then once you get up on the plateau, the landscape opens up, and you can see Mount Hood. There’s almost no one out there. It’s peaceful and stunning, and it’s right in our backyard.

One time, we rolled into Dufur on homecoming weekend. The Pastime (now called the Dufur Ranger Station) pub was full of people. We got an IPA and a burger, then went to the homecoming football game.  It was a sweet small-town scene and exactly the kind of thing you don’t plan for but is perfect in the moment.

When the road gets weird

Bike touring isn’t always rainbows and smooth sailing. A few years ago, Jonathan and I were bike touring through Slovenia, and found ourselves in the middle of a torrential downpour.

After the rain, some of the gravel roads were completely flooded. We were basically biking through lakes, trying to keep enough momentum to make it through.

It wasn’t dangerous, but it was hard. We didn’t really know another way around, so we just had to keep going. 

On snacks, planning and the unexpected

My favorite trail food is the Coyote Bar from White Salmon Baking Co. It’s a mix of millet, pumpkin seeds, nuts, and dried fruit that all hold together perfectly.

Having a plan when you set out is important. But you also have to be flexible, because things happen all the time. Roads are closed. There’s construction. There’s a landslide. There’s flooding.

You might need to sweet talk a road construction crew, or you might need to turn around and take a completely different route. Staying positive and maintaining a good attitude in the face of the unexpected keeps you coming back for more. 

The next big adventure

This fall, we’re planning to gravel bike from Turin, Italy, to Barcelona.

I’m looking forward to the French pastries and coffee, the mountain passes, experiencing local cultures, and eventually reaching the ocean.

While we love to travel and experience new regions on bikes, I feel really fortunate to live in a place where my work and my passions can overlap and support one another. I can work a full day with people I respect and admire, and then meet a friend at Post Canyon to ride some of the best trails in the Pacific Northwest. It’s something I’m thankful for every day.

Illustration by bykarlee.com