Going to Oregon to RIDE!

We are heading to Oregon to ride some of the trails we have heard so much about. On our list are the McKenzie River trail, the Umpqua trail, and trails around Oakridge. Will be there some time between Sept 21 and 29, driving gold truck and towing our lovely little Burro RV trailer.

Beta, maps, and ride partners welcome. Any not-to-miss brew pubs, free camping, or other trails? Have been riding in the Tetons all summer, but not so much lately as guiding has been full-on. May be sporting a new 27.5 bike by then, but can't really complain about the hard-ridden 5-spot.

Anyone else be in the area then?

Teton Valley Trust Funders!


Have a blast, see you at Wydaho, I hope?

Mckenzie river trail is awesome. We did it top to bottom. There's a hot spring riverside by deer creek access (I think that's the name), primitive camping at hot spring too.
Don't stay in the big lakeside campground at top of ride. It's noisy and tight.

If you camp at deer creek I remember roots for trailers being before the bridge and walk in spots after.

Brewers Union Local 180 in Oakridge is excellent. All cask-conditioned beers. Great sweet potato fries, too!

A mini TR from a week in OR last month:

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...15#post4027715

There's a nice hotspring roadside up towards Willamette Pass from Oakridge. Usually a couple skeezy truck drivers and naked hippies, but you can do a little extra work and get to the pools on river left. Nicer hotsprings around MRT but a bit more work and crowded. They're all online. The lakes over the pass are good for a chill day.

The bakery (Lion) off the main drag in Oakridge is a good way to start the day. You could do some interesting tubing on the NFMF or MF Willamette with the water level low if it's warm enough.

Umpqua's Last Resort is right on the trail ~ half way from east to west. A few years ago we stayed there 2 nights (it's a bit of a pit but the location is great). The first morning they dropped us at the top section of the NUT, we got to do ~ 40 miles to the 'resort' where we had beer and food for the night, no further shuttling needed. 2nd morning they took our car to the end of the trail and we rode out another ~ 40 miles to our truck with requisite cold beer and were on the way to Ashland. They may provide the pay shuttle regardless if you are staying there, quite a few campgrounds pretty close if my memory is good. Personally not a fan of extra driving but Hood River has some great riding as well. Love Oregon - given that I am ALWAYS on vacation when I'm there it's not a shocker

Sounds like your knee has healed. Congrats.

I will be shocked if you dont enjoy McKenzie River Trail. There's a couple of shuttle services in Mckenzie Bridge. Wear leg armor - the volcanic rock is sharp like coral. Try to figure out exactly where the river goes underground.

NUT is a lot of fun too, beware of poison oak below D&T this time of year.

If in Oakridge area be sure to stop by Waldo Lake - Vis =75+ ft. Kind of a mellow ride around the lake, with sweet views.

Enjoy

Edit - Tap did a TR of the D&T section of NUT a while back, including shuttle

HMS-

MRT is super fun. Belknap Hot Springs is a good camping option, especially if the spots by the river are open. Rezzies highly recommended.

Come thru Bend, too many good brewpubs to name, but the COAA crew would love to buy ya a beer.

On to Oakridge....best mtn biking hub in OR.

NUT is the MRT's gnarly big cousin. Be sure to have a romantic dinner at the Steamboat Inn and check out the pool of steelhead at the Big Bend Pool....

Thanks all for good advice. Will take notes and probably get to about 15% of it. Holler if you see the Burro.

Could still use a housesitter for Sept 21-29 in Driggs.

And Telebobski- the knee is doing fine. A little stiff after a long summer of guiding, but riding is the best for it.

Hooray for shoulder season!

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Originally Posted by Tap

Be sure to have a romantic dinner at the Steamboat Inn .

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thanks, wife and I will be thru in late sept or early Oct, and will check them out for a meal I think....

Bump because we are leaving on Friday!

We'll be in/ around Bend for the weekend (give a shout Tap!), then headed to the McKenzie, the Umpqua, Oakridge by Thursday.

Hooray for vacation and a new bike (got a Rocky Mtn Altitude 770).

You are gonna LOVE your new bike, Salsa! Greetings from Moab!

Black rock on the coast is the shizz if you want some free ride... Really unbelievable riding.

What about north umpqua trail?

All brew pubs r good in Oregon.. If in the gorge head across the Columbia from hood river to white salmon.., awesome beer

NUT is on the menu; wish we had more time.

Brew pubs, absolutely!

enjoy OR!
prioritize nut, better than mrt for sure, and try out the new stuff in oakridge, ive heard good things about the additions

Bringing this thread back to life....

I'm heading to Oregon next week for a week of single-track overload. The general plan is to hit up Hood River, Bend and Oakridge.

Thinking of the Post Canyon, Bachelor to Bend, the Oakridge classics. Looking for the usual; ridiculous flow singletrack, alpine, 20-30 mile loops or any commercial shuttle options. Open to any suggestions for must rides (for early July conditions) and great camping spots.

thanks

for oak i cant comment personally as my riding in that area is limited, but names i hear mentioned with good vibes attached would be bunchgrass to heckletooth, alpine with tire mtn and clover, hardesty, larison rock, and waldo lake only if no mosquitos
poke around here, lots of info and call the mercantile shop for trail conditions, good peeps there
http://www.ormtb.com/index.html

post canyon just opened a new section of trail thats getting good reviews as well, cant recall name but its a longer section i think near the top

if alsea falls fits in try to sneak over, i havent been home to visit yet but its getting quite the hype from friends

Oak Ridge is great, so much good riding there, but the lower elevation trails especially have poison oak so, be careful about that,

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Originally Posted by plugboots

Oak Ridge is great, so much good riding there, but the lower elevation trails especially have poison oak so, be careful about that,

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Seconded. I was there a couple of weeks ago and one of my riding buddies got the rash in a serious way.

I'll join in on this one. Gonna be in OR from 7/17 to 7/23. Commercial shuttles? Thats a new one for this east coaster. Basically pay for a ride to the top of long trail systems?

Add McKenzie River Trail to your list. Start below the lake to avoid riding in an open lava field

From there you can either head to Bend on hwy 126/20 or take Aufderheide Scenic Drive from Blue river to Oakridge.

Done variations on this trip several times now. Hood River riding is ok, but just to the North the classics of that area are: Ape Canyon - Plains of Abraham, Lewis River, and Old Man Pass - Falls Creek. The first is an out and back, the other two work best if self shuttled (or hitch).
McKenzie River is all it's hyped up to be, but do ride the whole thing. Shuttles from Mckenzie bridge are rumoured, but I've always hitched. Paradise campground is awesome. Cougar hot springs are a must.
Oakridge is worth several days, lots of incredible rides, that require shuttles (do the standards), and a cool little town (with a great brew pub) to hang out in. I've always camped at blue pools (close to the hot springs), but I've heard that Randy (the shuttle guy) has sweet camping setup now. Waldo lake is fun xc ride, but with horrendous bugs.
The North Umpqua is an incredible ride, though physically and logistically challenging.
Bend is hip small city, with great beer, limited camping (Tumalo has always been full), and IMO fairly mediocre riding, though getting a shuttle up to Flagline - Mrazek was fun. Enjoy.

Finished up my tour de Oregon last week. Ended up riding the following:

-Post Canyon, Hood River. Pretty fun hardpack XC loops in a cool forest.

-Surveyors Ridge, Hood River. 60 km, 2000 m loop. pretty much all singletrack. Great views of Mt Hood, with some wicked fun descents. Dog River trail is a great descent.

-Plains of Abraham/Ape Canyon, Mt St Helens out and back. Super impressed with this ride. Amazing views with great singletrack.

The remaining time, about 5 days were spent in Oakridge. Love that place. Camped on the river at Salmon falls. Hit alpine/tire mt, Hardesty, Middle Fork Trail, Goodman, Flat Creek, Larison Rock, Audrey and Maiden Peak near Waldo Lake.

Oakridge = awesome. The town, the riding folk and the trails make for a great destination. Hard to leave for sure.