Springwater Corridor Vortex???

[K'Tesh]

When riding on the Springwater Corridor between Ross Island Bridge and Oaks Park I notice that it appears that I'm going downhill, regardless of which direction I'm going.

Has anybody else noticed this, or is it some kind of personal optical illusion?

Rubberside Down!
K'Tesh

[Richard Seton]

It's an illusion, probably helped by having a bit of a tail wind - this time of year.

[Attornatus_Oregonensis]

Stranger things have been known to happen on that stretch of the trail, K'Tesh. Very strange.

Having ridden this stretch almost every day for almost two years now, I have analyzed the slope quite carefully. It is slighty uphill going southbound from the underpass linking the Oaks Bottom Amusement Park with the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge to the gate at Spokane. It is also slightly downhill going southbound from the area around the rock sculptures (just south of the Ross Is Bridge) to the big curve on the Holgate Slough (just south of the mouth of the Ross Is Lagoon). Other than that, I think it's pretty much flat.

I haven't actually stopped to roll a ball around on it yet, but if you disagree maybe I'll give that a try.

On a related note, I did one of these "vortex" things in Mexico over Christmas, during my visit. It appears that you roll uphill, but of course it is an optical illusion. Pretty neat. Is there any place in particular on the Springwater where you experience this?

[nuovorecord]

Originally Posted by K'Tesh

When riding on the Springwater Corridor between Ross Island Bridge and Oaks Park I notice that it appears that I'm going downhill, regardless of which direction I'm going.

Has anybody else noticed this, or is it some kind of personal optical illusion?

Rubberside Down!
K'Tesh

Maybe you're a stronger rider than you think???

[bonny790]

I haven't noticed it there, but when touring on motorcycle I have noticed the same thing many times. Traveling on a road next to a river, I'm riding downhill for several miles *going upstream*. Like AO said, I never stopped to see which way a ball rolled, but I would swear I was going downhill. Very surreal feeling.

Toby

[Krampus]

I just rode this trail today with this post in mind, and I can tell you Attornatus_Oregonensis's post is spot on in terms of where the uphill and downhill parts are, but they are very mild. I always thought the path was flat until I took notice today.

[keithwwalker]

I did some research, it turns out that the lead surveyor on the Springwater trail in 1991 was a certain MC Escher....

Seriously, I have been riding the trail from Sellwood to downtown since February. It seems that in the summer the winds blow north in the morning and south in the evening, a nice assist for your ride.

The winter winds are the opposite, ugh!

[Attornatus_Oregonensis]

Originally Posted by keithwwalker

It seems that in the summer the winds blow north in the morning and south in the evening, a nice assist for your ride. The winter winds are the opposite, ugh!

See, there's some weirdness right there. It seems to me that it's always blowing the opposite of whatever direction I'm going. For example, this morning it was definitely going south while I was trying to go north.