Credit: Dan Sharp Photography. Crew of trail maintenance volunteers and staff gather together for a photography documenting the day's work.
Oregon Timber Trail Alliance
Updates, Events & More.
Welcome to the first 2025 edition of The Connector, Oregon Timber Trail® Alliance's quarterly newsletter for all things OTT, bikepacking, and outdoor adventure.
This issue features upcoming info sessions, trail stewardship work parties, and the launch of a new gravel route. Plus, we reflect on the Oregon Timber Trail Race as it gears up for its next chapter.
Your support fuels our mission—through advocacy, partnerships, and donations, we’re able to keep building world-class trail experiences. Thank you for being part of the journey!
VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSES COMING SOON!
VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSES COMING SOON!
Panelists: Sarah Konefal, Garrett Murphy and Chris Wilson
Join us for a 90-minute virtual open house with Sarah, Garrett (@movewithmurph), and Chris (@pnwbikepacking) as they share their Oregon Timber Trail experiences! They’ll cover key topics like bike setup, ride prep, logistics, course navigation, and adapting to changing trail conditions.
If you follow them on social media, you know this will be an engaging, informative, and fun discussion!
NEW GRAVEL ROUTE!
The OTT Gravel Route stretches 550+ miles from Lakeview to Hood River, traversing Oregon’s remote high country east of the Cascades. With 70% unpaved roads and 30% easier trails or low-traffic pavement, it’s an isolated, challenging, and breathtaking ride.
Riders will follow rocky ridges, alpine lakes, and river crossings, passing through a few small communities. Unlike the original route, this version skips Oakridge, staying east of the Cascades.
Learn more about the new Gravel Route from CA to WA. Board member Chip Andrus has an excellent writeup here.
TAKING CARE OF THE OREGON TIMBER TRAIL
Maintaining the Oregon Timber Trail is a team sport. Without the dedication and hard work of so many people and partners, portions of the trail can quickly become difficult to navigate, or worse, nearly unrideable. This year, as we have in the past, the OTTA is coordinating improvements to sections of the trail in the Fremont National Forest and the Mt. Hood National Forest, including the 15 Mile Creek Trail.
JOIN OUR 2025 STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS
For additional information on how you can help, visit the OTTA website.
LOOKING BACK ON THE OREGON TIMBER TRAIL RACE
This year, the Oregon Timber Trail Race will transition to new race organizers. From its inception, the race has been in the incredibly capable hands of Chip Andrus. He has dedicated countless hours, days, and years to the event—but really, he’s dedicated himself to the adventurers and riders who choose to take on the OTT challenge and inspire each of us in the process.
Now, as the race prepares for its next phase, we celebrate all that it has become with a running recap of the results, including some of photos taken over the years, as well as the thoughts and reflections of a few riders.
LEAVE A LEGACY
We invite you to consider including the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance in your will or estate plan to help protect bike-packing access, remote wilderness trails, and public lands for future generations. Your thoughtful gift will ensure the OTT thrives, connecting riders with local communities and preserving Oregon’s backcountry adventure opportunities for years to come.
To learn more, please email admin@oregontimbertrail.org
