Search
Welcome to the first in a series of sponsor spotlights. Fox Factory created Trail Trust to provide grants to organizations helping to preserve the places we love to play. The goal is to bring together diverse communities to build, maintain, and expand access to trails. OTTA met with Jackie Martin to learn about how Trail Trust was created, the program’s priorities, and the progress made during the first year.
This past Friday through Sunday, the Oregon Timber Trail Association (OTTA) hosted a Willamette Tier stewardship event in partnership with Salem Area Trail Alliance (SATA), Willamette National Forest and Cascade Volunteers. On a rugged section of the Old Cascade Crest trails along the spine of the Oregon Cascades, a group of 29 people and three dogs completed miles of benching and brushing, totaling over 400 hours and valued at $12,000! The terrain is steep and raw, through majestic old growth and high mountain lakes. These grades present their own challenge to keeping a trail open and enjoyable. Constant slough from the hillside above, growth from rhododendron and other vegetation on the sides, and erosion on the downward slope all conspire to narrow the trail significantly over the years. With steep exposure, maintaining a wide and well-graded trail is critical.
This past weekend, July 1st - 4th, the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance got back down to the Fremont National Forest to work with a group of volunteers to log 480 volunteer hours valued at $12,480. We worked primarily in the Bear Creek section, finishing a reroute that had been planned since last year. It was incredible to see the continuation of work that was begun at the first stewardship event in May. Also notable was the amount of trail that got cleaned, widened, and rebenched. The transformation that occurred in one afternoon of work was mind-blowing. As Michael Norris stated - “ I've been riding these trails for the past seven years and so much work has been done, and we can finally see the vision taking shape. This trail can be world-class!”
Be careful, Oakridge, Oregon will change your life. This small town loves bikepackers (and all cyclists)! In the summer of 2017 I came here on vacation to check out the famous mountain biking, starting with Alpine Trail, one of the most well-known trails in the area. I camped next to a waterfall at Salmon Creek Campground, drank local craft beer at the pub, shot a game of pool with a stranger, and fell in love with the place. I came back a second time that summer to show a friend around, and then a THIRD time that same summer as a bikepacker when I did a thru ride of the Oregon Timber Trail! Fast forward five years and on a whim, I applied for a summer job at The Oakridge Bike Shop and Willamette Mountain Mercantile and that is how I found myself living in this dreamy little town last summer.
This past weekend, June 10th - 12th, the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance had a chance to get back down to Paisley to work with a small but mighty group of volunteers. The Avery Pass section of the Timber Trail was and still is in need of tread work and rehabilitation from the damage caused by the Brattain Fire of 2020.
Over the memorial day weekend we had an amazing group of volunteers show up from OR, WA, NV, and CA.This crew logged approximately 470 volunteer hours towards our RTP match. We still need about 200 hours, and should reach that goal with Watson #2 event. Nate Crabtree, our dedicated Forest Service representative brought Will and Nick. We were bucking out downed logs on a section of Bear Creek when the first thru riders of the Season rode up. Stacey Nieder and Tony Allen of Anchorage had braved many slippery miles on Crane Mountain and had been riding for six days by the time they met us. Volunteer Missy Simula came down from Seattle area, and she’ll also be attempting the OTT in a few weeks. We promised to stay in touch so we could learn about her ride as well. Mark Shafer, volunteer from Bend is looking to ride the whole trail in August. We’re inspired by everyone’s plans to ride and are working hard to provide detours throught the fire closures.
It’s the wind whistling through our ears as we descend. It’s the gear shifters clicking as the momentum changes. It’s that last pedal push to finish the climb. It’s all the reasons we love to ride outside. Sometimes the solitude is just right. Often enough though, there’s comfort in the company of others. We’re lucky we get to share these amazing trails with each other. It’s a collective effort to take care of them, as well. After several summers of isolation, we now have a chance to ride together and work together again. The Oregon Timber Trail exists because of the outstanding efforts of our volunteers who offer their time and energy. However, tools, travel, and preparation do come at a cost. This spring, we are hoping to raise $20,000 in order to revitalize areas of the Timber Trail impacted by wildfires, build new connections, and sustain the quality of all four tiers. We thank you in advance for your support.
In an effort to include those often overlooked or excluded by the cycling and outdoor recreation communities, we are offering five $1,000 scholarships to support and encourage Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color as well as gender expansive, trans, non-binary, women, and queer riders to make their adventure on the Oregon Timber Trail a reality.
It’s almost May and trail season on the OTT is coming up fast! Last week we announced four new trail stewardship events. The board is working hard behind the scenes, planning for another OTT700 Grand Depart, which will include our second BIPOC scholarship. Registration for both will be live in May. We're planning detours to account for fire closures. With all of this in the works, you may be asking yourself what can I do to help? How can I be more prepared for a season of working on and riding trail. Today on the website we share with you five things you can do today to get ready for the season on the Oregon Timber Trail
Trail work season has finally arrived! Event registration is live now on the website. We currently have four trail stewardship opportunities - three in the Fremont National Forest and one in the Old Cascade Crest. When the OTT was just getting started we know the biggest challenge would be maintaining the trail year after year. The part we didn’t know is that we would come to love trail work as much or more than simply riding the trail. It’s a great way to spend time on the OTT, to get to know the trail intimately, to meet cool people. There is a genuine camaraderie that develops at trail work parties. You do as much work as you can - nobody will ask you do more than that. That level of work is very personal and varies day by day. At the same time, we draw energy from one another. When you see someone going for it, and getting into it, it makes you want to do your best. We take breaks, eat snacks and lunch. At night, we make food and chat by the fire. Aside from donating, it’s the best way to give back to the trail. So, don’t delay, sign up today and make your mark on the Oregon Timber Trail. We can’t wait to see you out on trail. Everyone is welcome at Oregon Timber Trail stewardship events!
We asked a few of our repeat volunteers, sponsors, board members why they do trail work on the OTT, and this is what they had to say…
Today we're excited to introduce Oregon Timber Trail's new executive director, Matt Ruddy. Take a minute to get to know him a bit better. Matt has a very interesting background. He’s an avid mountain biker, music lover, and lover of outdoor places. Matt says he can’t wait “to help the OTTA reach its goals in increased visibility, increased funding and support for paid positions that recognize the enormous amount of hard work that has been dedicated to building the organization, and to keep striving towards creating trail experiences where everyone feels that they belong.”
Trail work season is almost upon us and we want to help you prepare. As always, our first priority is everyone’s safety. Bikepacking and trail work have inherent risks, but less risky with proper planning and preparation. Much of this becomes second nature with experience, but as I was reminded this past weekend, there are courses available that can help us prepare for the unexpected. We don’t just do this for our own peace of mind, but to be more responsible in the backcountry, and to be there for our fellow trail community and trail workers when the time comes.
Around Mile 205.5 on the OTT, you ride onto Hwy 97 about half mile south of Chemult, OR. Chemult is the first town you pass through from the southern terminus without going off route. Chemult is a small town, but it has most services that a bikepacker could want, including hot food, showers, laundry, motels, a campground, and even an Amtrak station! Chemult was established in 1924 as a station on the Southern Pacific Cascade Line named “Knott” during construction. The station’s name was changed to Chemult when the line opened in 1926 and a post office was established the same year. The name Chemult comes from a Klamath chief who was one of the 26 who signed the Klamath Lake Treaty of October 14, 1864. Present day population is 300 and the town sits at an elevation of 4,764 feet.
Our family of three has been bikepacking for over 6 years, and much has changed in that time. I’m not just talking about the normal progression as a child grows and bikes get replaced, routes get longer or more adventurous. While that’s definitely happened, this past summer saw some of the most important growth to date.
The genius of the Oregon Timber Trail is that it takes you to towns like Silver Lake. My introduction to Silver Lake came in 2015 when riding the Oregon Outback Grand Depart. We left a rainy and misty Klamath Falls bright and early and by dinnertime, we were rolling into the Cowboy Dinner Tree for our late dinner. We were exhausted but instantly charmed by the rustic vibe and the fact that this unique restaurant seemed to exist in the middle of nowhere and somewhere out of time. The fact that we arrived under our own power through the woods made it the unique experience that it was.
“Did you know? Summer Lake was once a lush lake & wetland, during the Pleistocene epoch, and formed the great lake Chewaucan. The old lake was aprox. 461 sq miles, with depths up to 375 feet deep. It hosted a wide variety of life, with some of the earliest evidence of human life on this continent. The current Summer Lake is a mere 15 miles long, 5 miles wide, and has an average depth of 1 foot. The lake is now too alkaline to host any life, but is a popular bird migratory stop each year.” This little gem of a history lesson was courtesy of the glowing light board in the Paisley Saloon. We had just finished the Bear Creek Loop…well truthfully we rode it as a shuttle, but it’s available as a loop. The Saloon has a deep history itself, being one of the oldest pubs in Oregon. It started serving drinks in 1883! For OTT riders, as you approach the Chewacan river and you feel like you need a break or a solid meal, detour to Paisley and see what’s happening on that day. We asked our local guide, Michael to share a few local secrets.
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
