Traveling the Santiam Canyon is a bit like traveling back in time. As you head east from the Willamette Valley, you ascend into the Cascade Range foothills—where the Santiam Canyon begins to envelop the Santiam River and its tributaries in basalt-strewn, old-growth forests of Douglas fir and mountain hemlock. These heavily forested ridgelines and valleys are home to the Old Cascades—a remote region that’s home to some of the most cherished trails along the whole Oregon Timber Trail.
Tie the mighty Columbia River to Mt. Hood through Wasco County’s hill country and the verdant Hood River Valley along ribbons of backcountry singletrack. The mountain, the forest, the prairie, and the river all converge here, creating a varied splendor of geology, flora, fauna, and many layers of human history.
Pedal your way through massive old growth, past bubbling blue pools, around alpine lakes, and along a indigenous explorer’s route on the Oregon Timber Trail. The Anaxshat Passage embodies the trails and backcountry landscapes of the Hood Tier, all easily accessible over a long weekend from the Portland metro area and geared towards a less-experienced mountain biker.
I’m exhausted. After a week of grieving for black lives needlessly being extinguished I have a headache, clenched jaw, and no words left. After a week. Yet black people in this country have endured this exhaustion and much, much worse for four hundred years. So we're asking you: What can we do to make sure black lives matter?
2019 was a landmark year for the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance. Our momentum out the gate had carried us a long way in four short years but it was quickly becoming apparent that in order to achieve our goals we would need to develop a business plan with diversified funding streams. Fast forward a few months and we found ourselves stacked with exciting and ambitious projects—and for the first time—funding to execute them.
One of the most common questions we get is “Where’s Lakeview” and “How do I get there?” Until recently, there was no good answer besides bribing a friend or taking a lengthy bus ride to Alturas, CA. Now one of our long time supporters, Zach’s Bikes in Klamath Falls, is offering shuttle services to local trails and to the California border for your OTT journey! For most of the west coast, Klamath Falls is conveniently accessible by Amtrak trains, and Zach’s Bikes can take you the rest of the way.
We spent last summer compiling the best day rides in each of the four tiers and came up with something for every skill level. Here we’ve partnered with Travel Oregon and Ride with GPS to provide GPS files, and overview of the riding, and other attractions in each area. Even if bikepacking isn’t your thing, we hope these guides will get you out exploring the state’s best singletrack on two wheels whether it’s for a day or for the whole season!
One of the first questions we get asked is “Can I hire a guide to take me on the Timber Trail?”
Now the answer is yes! The Oregon Timber Trail Alliance has partnered with Cog Wild to offer guided and supported trips in the Deschutes and Fremont Tiers this summer.
Couldn’t join the crowd at Hopworks Urban Brewery last week? Check out the films we watched below, and see you next month on March 20th for a series of films to get you stoked.
Couldn’t join the crowd at Hopworks Urban Brewery last night? Check out the films we watched below, and see you next month on February 20th for a series of films about perspective.
Make a tax deductible donation now to support our mission of stewardship, education, community, and quality trail experiences throughout the Oregon Timber Trail corridor.
The Oregon Timber Trail Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
Our EIN number is 82-5018544
