View ‘Poetry Along the Columbia River Gorge’ by bike this weekend

Oregon cycling and Columbia River Gorge advocate Armando “AJ” Zelada has a special treat in store for folks cycling on the Historic Highway paths this weekend. He calls it a “pop-up celebration of words and vision,” that will bring poetry and art to two miles of carfree sections of the Historic Columbia River Highway.

Zelada will share work of Claudia Luna Castro, Kara Briggs, Kelly Lenox, and Speakthunder Berry. Their art and poetry will be visible to all path users along the Wyeth to Starvation Creek section of the path and the Hatfield Twin Tunnels trails.

I’ve known Zelada for years and he’s a fixture in regional and statewide advocacy circles.

Asked about his motivation behind this event, he said in addition to honoring National Poetry Month, he wants more people to experience the wonder and beauty of the Gorge, especially during these anxious times. Here’s more from Zelada:

“Once you enter the Gorge on these trails, you get underneath the canopy of trees, hear the wind swaying the trees from the Columbia or the waters coming down the mountain sides, you realize how your feet or tires are following the footsteps of thousands of people who came before oneself, realize you are missing the hidden unseen Celilo Falls, or imagine historical photographs of salmon six-feet long. All these things are the real river of history bringing us here and now.

My invite still remains simple: come meet these artists along the path of an incredible, sacred place where we hope and expect the earth to abide. Your guidebook is your internal compass. The trail is carfree and paved… It is a big Venn diagram of many interests sharing a place of physical beauty. It is the antithesis of polarization.” 

Both trail sections have an ADA appropriate 5% maximum grade and are easy for parents with strollers and people using assistive devices. Zelada says the event is a welcome for “All bodies, all ages, all bikes, and all abilities.” Maps, I-84 exit directions, FAQs and more information is available at the event website.