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2012 Oregon Bicycle Ride
Ride Itinerary

Experiencing the Four Rivers

Marvel at the spectacular canyon walls protecting the swift rivers and its habitat. See the alternative power sources being used in this age of ‘green’. Visit rural communities and enjoy their infusion of flavor upon your senses during this week of discovering Oregon on two wheels.

Registration:    2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Dinner:              6 p.m.
Rider Meeting: 7 p.m.

Don’t let the elevation gain fool you – this is a flat ride and a perfect start to a wonderful week of riding. The City of Prineville, where we are starting our ride, is on The Crooked River.  We follow the river valley out of town to the first rest stop at Smith Rock State Park where we will refresh ourselves gazing at the rock formations towering above the river below.  The ride crosses the Crooked River and heads to another state park, the Cove-Palisades, for outstanding views of the Cascade Volcanoes and fantastic volcanic basalt palisades. Our second stop is above the confluence of the Metolius, Deschutes and Crooked Rivers.

Today we see more of the bountiful farm and ranchland Central Oregon is noted for, it’s productivity enhanced by waters from the winter’s snows channeled to the area by 65 year old irrigation systems. As we turn toward the delightful, little town of Antelope we see less farmland and more ranching. The climb up to the once bustling sheep country town of Shaniko gives us hints of the vibrant past. A stop here is worth making: a chance to see a historic ranching community whose glory is faded but not forgotten. You will love the ride from Shaniko to Maupin – it is downhill through sagebrush and juniper all the way to the Deschutes River and camping at the water’s edge.

Depending on which ride you take on our layover day, you still have a chance to see the chilly waters of the Deschutes River as it tumbles over the falls at Shearer’s Bridge.  This is where Native Americans have been coming for centuries to harvest mighty salmon that make the arduous journey from the Pacific Ocean, up the Columbia River and then to the Deschutes. The first ten miles of flat riding changes as riders climb above the river and make their way home. The short loop allows an early return to town and the possibility of a whitewater rafting trip on the river. Those who enjoy beautiful green forests of towering firs and pines will want to continue the ride toward the foothills of Mt. Hood. The reward, besides the lush forests, is the joyful downhill back to town and a restful night camping by the Deschutes River.

We again head north along the Deschutes, but this time make the turn northeast to climb back onto the Columbia Plateau.  Up on the plateau riders will see the famous snow covered Cascade Volcanoes, with particularly commanding views of both Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams. Mt. Saint Helens can also be made out it the distance. The ride travels north through sagebrush country and stops in two charming small communities:  Grass Valley and Moro. High up on the plateau we begin to feel the summer breezes blowing out of the northwest. At the end of the ride, the long descent will be a lot of fun, especially knowing the evening will be spent on the shaded banks of Deschutes River. Here is where the Deschutes makes its final push to the Columbia River and where the railroad barons Harriman and Hill started their race up river to the town of Madras.

We start the day with a ride along the Columbia River and its high, golden hills surrounding us.  From the town of Rufus, we make our way through Scott Canyon to top out once again on the Columbia Plateau. The climb is worth the effort when we see the giant wind turbines spinning in the fresh air and stunning sunlight surrounded by endless fields of wheat. Our bikes seem like horses and our water bottles swords as we meander through the fantastic wind farms, much as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza might do if Cervantes updated his book for the 21st Century. As we climb to the high point of the route, the Cascades are in full view and the wind turbines drop into the distance. We arrive in the small, rural town of Condon to enjoy its hospitality and a night on the soft grass of the community golf course.

With a downhill start, we look forward to a big day riding up and down as we pass the Scenic John Day River. Our first climb brings us to the town of Fossil, which is famous, of course, for its fossils. The rest stop in town is at the Oregon Paleo Lands Institute, a chance to learn more about the history behind the fossil beds and the John Day River. The second climb brings us back into the forest before dropping again to the John Day River for a second break. The last climb from the John Day River will make you think you are riding through the Grand Canyon, with steep basalt palisades rising up like giant, red walls from the valley below. The final descent brings us to the delightful little town of Mitchell, “the Gateway to the Painted Hills”.

Today we hop onto the Ochoco Highway for the return to Prineville. After a few warm up miles, we begin the ascent to Ochoco Pass, elevation 4,720 ft., and then it’s all downhill to the Crooked River Valley and a flat ride into town. The trees along this section of beautiful road are a welcome sight and a place we will take our first rest stop. The second welcome sight is the lake making up the Ochoco Reservoir where we stop once more, sadly knowing our ride is almost finished. It was a wonderful week exploring this little traveled area of north-central Oregon, with its beautiful river valleys, long agricultural tradition and famous historical landmarks.

Route Director’s Comments

Distances: Routes are subject to change based upon final permits.

Elevations: The elevations given above are estimates using an online mapping program and should not be considered totally accurate. The newest estimates are significantly lower than what was provided here when the rides were announced. We contacted the software guys and this is what we were told about the changes:

"We (Ride with GPS) have been working on our elevation algorithms to make them more accurate and closer to what your Garmin GPS unit (with barometric altimeter) will say on a clear day. This is going to result in across the board drops in total elevation, because previously we were not smoothing the data enough and adding up every little up and down on the ride (which results in an exaggerated elevation figure)."