October 18th, 2025 | by Geoff Nudelman
Portland-area rider Geoff Nudelman shares one of his favorite yearly rides and how a local cycling club uses it to build community.
We love this story, plus it's made everyone here in Vermont really excited to try some salmon chowder!
Portland-area rider Geoff Nudelman shares one of his favorite yearly rides and how a local cycling club uses it to build community.
We love this story, plus it's made everyone here in Vermont really excited to try some salmon chowder!
Looking back, it makes a lot of sense that our burgeoning suburb has a cycling club. I moved into a neighborhood called Reed’s Crossing in the middle of 2022. Over the last five years, this former swath of farmland 20 miles west of Portland has transformed into Oregon’s largest planned community. Other than having all of the trademark connections to nature that make up a lot of neighborhoods in the Portland area, it also backs up to the rural/suburban divide where most of the county’s best road riding unfolds.
I had loosely heard that there were a handful of folks who rode regularly from our neighborhood and slowly got to know what was appropriately named the Reed’s Crossing Cycling Club (RCCC). I joined up with the group later in 2022 and found a wonderful crew of five to seven guys who weren’t too serious about the sport, but were interested in exploring the roads around the county and elsewhere.
We started picking up more rides and keeping things lively in the group chat. Sometimes, folks were heading out for a quick hour loop on a weekday morning. Other days it was planning a big weekend outing. Someone needs a package picked up? There was chatter for that as well.
What I love about RCCC is that there are zero expectations. You can ride one mile or 100. You can ride electric or acoustic. You can race, not race; ride a few times a year or make weekly loops a priority. We’re always welcoming new riders and try to keep route options open so everyone feels safe and comfortable.
Looking back, it makes a lot of sense that our burgeoning suburb has a cycling club. I moved into a neighborhood called Reed’s Crossing in the middle of 2022. Over the last five years, this former swath of farmland 20 miles west of Portland has transformed into Oregon’s largest planned community. Other than having all of the trademark connections to nature that make up a lot of neighborhoods in the Portland area, it also backs up to the rural/suburban divide where most of the county’s best road riding unfolds.
I had loosely heard that there were a handful of folks who rode regularly from our neighborhood and slowly got to know what was appropriately named the Reed’s Crossing Cycling Club (RCCC). I joined up with the group later in 2022 and found a wonderful crew of five to seven guys who weren’t too serious about the sport, but were interested in exploring the roads around the county and elsewhere.
We started picking up more rides and keeping things lively in the group chat. Sometimes, folks were heading out for a quick hour loop on a weekday morning. Other days it was planning a big weekend outing. Someone needs a package picked up? There was chatter for that as well.
What I love about RCCC is that there are zero expectations. You can ride one mile or 100. You can ride electric or acoustic. You can race, not race; ride a few times a year or make weekly loops a priority. We’re always welcoming new riders and try to keep route options open so everyone feels safe and comfortable.
One of the more interesting rides we began plotting was an annual celebration 37 miles northwest in the small town of Vernonia. The town is a blip on highway 47 with a rich history in timber while also being a key spawning ground for salmon in the Nehalem River. In 2002, the town formalized a celebration on the first Saturday in October for both the salmon and to welcome in fall. It’s also the end point for the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, which offers a fully-paved, car-free pathway starting 21 miles south.
It wasn’t until last year that I rode the full trail. I had done pieces by bike and by foot, but it’s a bit of a commitment, especially as the trail gets busier in the summer. You’re constantly on alert for other bikers, walkers and horses. You can never truly zone out not knowing what’s coming up around the next bend. Over the last 30 years (since the trail has opened), nature has begun to find its way underneath the paved trail in the form of newly-set tree roots, dislodging sections of asphalt and creating indents in the path. Even on full suspension, you’re going to feel each of these bumps and it’s easy to get thrown off your balance if you’re not careful.
I love the lack of cars and the gorgeous landscapes, but on a road bike I could do without the wrist and back pain that comes with these cracks and bumps. It can be a moderately-punishing ride on a particularly stiff bike.
One of the more interesting rides we began plotting was an annual celebration 37 miles northwest in the small town of Vernonia. The town is a blip on highway 47 with a rich history in timber while also being a key spawning ground for salmon in the Nehalem River. In 2002, the town formalized a celebration on the first Saturday in October for both the salmon and to welcome in fall. It’s also the end point for the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, which offers a fully-paved, car-free pathway starting 21 miles south.
It wasn’t until last year that I rode the full trail. I had done pieces by bike and by foot, but it’s a bit of a commitment, especially as the trail gets busier in the summer. You’re constantly on alert for other bikers, walkers and horses. You can never truly zone out not knowing what’s coming up around the next bend. Over the last 30 years (since the trail has opened), nature has begun to find its way underneath the paved trail in the form of newly-set tree roots, dislodging sections of asphalt and creating indents in the path. Even on full suspension, you’re going to feel each of these bumps and it’s easy to get thrown off your balance if you’re not careful.
I love the lack of cars and the gorgeous landscapes, but on a road bike I could do without the wrist and back pain that comes with these cracks and bumps. It can be a moderately-punishing ride on a particularly stiff bike.
This year marked our third year doing this journey. Each year we’ve tacked on a few more folks, and the weather cooperated this year with our biggest group to-date. Mostly more riders from our neighborhood and even another person from another part of town. We give people the option to carpool to the start or ride from home. Most carpool; I rode out with another RCCC member, marking us down for my longest ride to-date of 81 miles round-trip.
This time of year, the turning colors on the trees are worth the ride alone, but what we all really head north for is the salmon chowder that the local Elks Club puts together. Awaiting us is a big pot of salmon, vegetables, and spices folded into a creamy broth that usually hits just right after what can be a ride tempered by an early fall chill. We usually all crowd around a couple of picnic tables and stack our bikes for a half an hour perusing the vendor stalls and enjoying a cup of chowder.
Adding to the wonder of this ride is a stop at the “world famous” Vernonia Museum of Contemporary Art. The “museum” is actually an abandoned timber mill site (as the legend goes) that over time has become a home for graffiti artists. It’s right off the main trail and requires a short walk through tall grass and mud to check out the latest and greatest imagery within its walls.
This year marked our third year doing this journey. Each year we’ve tacked on a few more folks, and the weather cooperated this year with our biggest group to-date. Mostly more riders from our neighborhood and even another person from another part of town. We give people the option to carpool to the start or ride from home. Most carpool; I rode out with another RCCC member, marking us down for my longest ride to-date of 81 miles round-trip.
This time of year, the turning colors on the trees are worth the ride alone, but what we all really head north for is the salmon chowder that the local Elks Club puts together. Awaiting us is a big pot of salmon, vegetables, and spices folded into a creamy broth that usually hits just right after what can be a ride tempered by an early fall chill. We usually all crowd around a couple of picnic tables and stack our bikes for a half an hour perusing the vendor stalls and enjoying a cup of chowder.
Adding to the wonder of this ride is a stop at the “world famous” Vernonia Museum of Contemporary Art. The “museum” is actually an abandoned timber mill site (as the legend goes) that over time has become a home for graffiti artists. It’s right off the main trail and requires a short walk through tall grass and mud to check out the latest and greatest imagery within its walls.
This annual endeavor encapsulates what we strive for as a cycling club. We’re about as unserious of a club as there could be, but we’ve put a few annual rides on the calendar that get us all together and to mark another year of enjoying the sport.
When it’s time for salmon chowder, we know it’s time to switch out short sleeves for long and break out the burlier attire for the Northwest’s ever-unpredictable fall and winter.
This annual endeavor encapsulates what we strive for as a cycling club. We’re about as unserious of a club as there could be, but we’ve put a few annual rides on the calendar that get us all together and to mark another year of enjoying the sport.
When it’s time for salmon chowder, we know it’s time to switch out short sleeves for long and break out the burlier attire for the Northwest’s ever-unpredictable fall and winter.
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