A rider of the Oregon Timber Trail will spend well over half of their time on singletrack trails. Some of that singletrack is technical, isolated, and comfortable only on a bike with some give or suspension. Riding the trail portions of the OTT takes some grit and a level of comfort riding single track for hours a day. For those with a similar sense of adventure but who want to avoid trails, we've mapped a gravel version of the OTT, albeit it’s only a beta version. It roughly parallels the original OTT but sticks mostly to dirt and gravel roads that have little vehicle traffic. Short stretches of easy trail and pavement tie it all together. The scenery is just as striking but the chance for misadventure is less.
We offer this gravel version as a way to invite riders who want to experience the Oregon Timber Trail but may have limited technical skills riding singletrack, may have less endurance, or just want to cruise onward at a quicker pace. The gravel version could be done on any type of off-pavement bike. The gravel route is 121 miles shorter than the original version of the OTT. It also includes 25,700 fewer feet of elevation gain.
Take a look at this beta version of the gravel route using RidewithGPS:
The southernmost 210 miles traverses north and west through the Fremont-Winema National Forest, winding along the high ridges from Cave Lake at the California border to the town of Chemult. The next section is a 164-mile-long meander northward along the east side of the Cascade Mountains. It goes past numerous high-elevation lakes and ends at the Cascades divide near Santiam Pass. The next 49 miles is a punchy up and down along the crest of the Old Cascade Mountains with a landing at Breitenbush Hot Springs. The final 136 miles is northward along high ridges of the Cascade Mountains, culminating with a plunge to the Columbia River at Hood River. The entire route is 560 miles and includes 45,000 feet of climbing.
We’re looking for a few brave souls who would like to test-ride the beta version of the OTT gravel route this summer and then get back to us on improvements. We would particularly like to know of any rustic dirt and gravel roads you find to replace the sections of pavement riding.
Drop a note to Chip Andrus at chip.andrus@oregontimbertrail.org if you have any interest.
