Bunchgrass Insanity

[Heidi]

Hands down, this is THE most demanding and challenging ride I have undertaken in awhile. The trail is by Oakridge, just a little under 1.5 hours from Bend. It's a shuttle unless you get a really eary start and have some really, really good legs. The ride we did was around 25 miles and get this....4200' of climbing WITH 8000' of descending. That's what the map says and I am not shocked to know it was that much. Totally insane. The trail is very primative in areas and you can't even see the ground through the overgrowth. Lots of places the trail gets lost and you have to make some guesses. It's soo steep in some places that all you can do is hike up, while other times I was riding down such steep switchbacks and chutes that my chest was resting on my saddle I was so far back behind it. It's very rough and slow going with rocks, logs, bark, moss, bunchgrass and loose stuff in sections, and other times you are hauling ass along sweet singletrack. I will be back for sure.

I have a gazillion pictures and these aren't even counting the ones Eugene took that are wayyyy better than mine.

You can't go anywhere in Oregon without getting a bridge and river picture.
http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104899.2gaRtwfH.jpg

You can barely see the road off in the distance across the way...that's what we drove up and we started at the peak to the left of the picture.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104900.2a2aG7Uz.jpg

I know my face is blocked, but this was the first section so overgrown that you couldnt' see the ground.
http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104910.dKnpCstq.jpg

Go Ridemonkey!

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104888.sMbbyMy2.jpg

One of the MANY meadows we traversed.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104055.GCJHuTjX.jpg

Are we almost there?

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104073.tIJn026N.jpg

Nope, that's our end point between the two trees in the middle...that little city waaaay down there.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104898.sMWery2e.jpg

We went through the burn at one point, the Warner Fire swept through the area.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104918.2gBrC8ga.jpg

I know this one is a bit blury, but I like how you can see all four riders.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104895.k4E7SvEi.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104894.PEkQR5Xw.jpg

Dana powers up.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104015.xu4J54Av.jpg

If you've never tried it, bunchgrass is really hard to ride through. It's just that, bunch grass. The second your tire hits it, it's like hitting a wall. So, TRY to stay on the "trail". Can you see it, it goes up by the rock to the right. Good luck.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65103992.BY9XlEJs.jpg

The grin on Cate's face would come and go depending on different sections of the trail.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104892.wUCuQT52.jpg

Pretty flowers.
http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104082.YUMX1N7y.jpg

Weird green thingies
http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104887.2DbjjP37.jpg

Ben powers through after a death defying gigantic descent that felt like it was straight down. When you consider the trail stats, some descents literally were almost straight down!

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65103977.0fNWjzZH.jpg

There really wasn't ANY place on this trail to just relax. you had to always be on it, or you'd be a few miles down the side of the mountain.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104064.QzItiVTq.jpg

I think Eugene told me that this actual section of the trail is actually called "Derek's death switchbacks". They were seriously steep. i didn't get a good picture of them, but I know Eugene did. I could only ride about 3 of them.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104028.OFRqSCcv.jpg

Just a wee bit of moss, eh?

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104897.WlXTX3pv.jpg

I thnk Jaba the Hut is somewhere in the picture.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104896.IY6Ki37E.jpg

This was going to be dinner if we didn't get a move on.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104089.2O3lFB0D.jpg

Rainbow Trout and me.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104925.RAI0rv2U.jpg

Dun dun dun dun

http://i.pbase.com/g4/40/601940/2/65104891.uOLDly5t.jpg

Would I do it again? Yes. It totally rocked.

[splat]

Nice pics, Nice write ,looks like fun!!
so who went back up and got the car ?

[Skookum]

Haha cool report. Yah it's cool riding those primitive trails you know you're among the few that dare venture to them.:)

[Knobularlife]

Heidi
Did someone in your group lead out this ride who had done this before? I could see a 1st timer getting lost with the no see'em trail:mumble:
Looks like a one of a kind epic!
NICE write up !!!

[I Are Baboon]

Now that's what you call EPIC. Very nice. I don't think I'd survive 4200' of climbing. :dead:

[McGRP01]

Simply awesome Heidi! You and Skooks make me want to move out west whenever you post!

[Heidi]

A couple of us got a ride back up to the top to get the vehicles. We did have a guide, a guy that used to live in Bend but has moved to Oakridge. There were only a few places where you would absolutely need them, the rest of the time you can either faintly see the trail, or there is a total trail. It wasn't all primative.

Skooks - this trail TOTALLY ROCKS.

[Snacks]

Ah, that ride really wants to make us move to Oakridge for sure:)

Great pictures and write up:cool:

[Rockland]

Wow. That's a serious ride! :thumb:

[johnbryanpeters]

Nice.

[TreeSaw]

:thumb: Once again your rides amaze me!

[Quo Fan]

Amazing. The GF told me over the weekend that we need to save up and take a trip "out west" next year.

[SkaredShtles]

Great pics!

That is an A$$LOAD of trout! :thumb:

[douglas]

nice......I hope some day I will head out west and do a ride with Heidi & crew

[pixelninja]

Trail? I don't see no stinkin trail!?!

Nice pics and write-up!

[Borneo]

Skooks and I were talkin' "Trail X" next. So, don't be throwing curve balls our way.
I still have that long "4 day" weeking in upper Bend to figure out too....

And, I'm running out of summer. :)

But, looks like another one to add to my ever growing list! Woo hoo!

[mandown]

stunning pics. thanks for the day-dream fodder.