I love mountain biking in Oregon. My friends and I visit frequently, a few of them have moved there, and I have raced 2 Cascade Cream Puffs (2015 and 2017) and a Transcascadia. The CCP had 100 miles and 15,000’ of climbing (160km/4500m). Transcascadia is an amazing 5 shuttle per day epic enduro stage race. But those are other stories to tell.
I first became aware of the Oregon Timber Trail around its inception. It was a huge draw for me and my best riding buddy, (and husband) Bruce. We finally toured it from Winter Rim to Bend in 2019 and loved it. But the thought of doing a bikepacking race along the whole OTT was a longtime dream. There were a multitude of wildfires in prior years, but this year looked promising. This year’s race was not the full route, but given my work and other travel commitments, 300 or so miles was just the right size. I was in!
There are some important things to note about this route. I met Oregon Timber Trail Association board member Heather Rose (left) in Oakridge post-race, who also happens to be the first person to ride the whole OTT in one go from start to finish!
The OTTA is smaller and much newer than the Arizona Trail Association or the Colorado Trail Foundation, which are well-established with a large membership of hikers. The OTT is a mountain biking route which has a smaller base of support. Every year, wildfires and winter storms make large sections unrideable. Local trail organizations around the more popular areas along the OTT do a lot of the work clearing trees every Spring. But getting professional sawyers and volunteers to travel to remote areas like the Fremont Tier is difficult. It is understandable that in this young phase, there will be uncleared trails and re-routes of the OTT each year.
In my opinion, the OTT has the potential to be some of the most amazing, rewarding and beautiful bikepacking in the entire country. It is just as challenging as the Arizona Trail minus the Grand Canyon and is more approachable than the Colorado Trail. This route is an absolute gem and deserves our support!
https://oregontimbertrail.org/donate-single
