Rode the OTT 700 with the Grand Depart this year. (July 2024). Unfortunately, I had to take a few meaningful detours to bypass fires. (Skipped Bunchgrass, Pyramids, and Post Canyon).
Finished in 11.5 days – Days were generally long and hard
**Here are some thoughts/reactions for anyone thinking of doing the route**
– I don’t think I was able to accurately convey the difficulty of the first 4 days (or 300 miles).
– It’s painfully slow going. Lots of hike a bike A decent amount of overgrown sections which would cause you to lose the “trail”.
– You have to be very cognizant of your water stops in this Tier.
– All the singletrack descents were a ton of fun. Crane Mountain, Hagar, and Yamsay were all great!
**Willamette Tier:**
– Waldo lake is beautiful even though a lot of the trail is burned which makes for some slow miles.
– Windy lakes area is phenomenal
– Middle Fork of the Willamette trail is a lot of fun, but it isn’t a gimmie. The trail can be rough and chunky in some sections, and there are some undulating steep pitches.
– I stopped stressing about water in this section
**Deschutes Tier:**
– Fun Riding, can get kind of dusty
– Great views of the cascades (when not smokey)
– Stopping at the Three Creek Store was great. The owner of the store Karin was awesome
**Hood Tier:**
– Fun riding. Descent right after Sand Mountain was one of my favorite of the entire trip!
– Great views of Mount Hood
– Ollalie and Timothy lake are both spectacular
**General Thoughts:**
– There is water scarcity in first tier. Pay attention to the water stops. It also can get really hot down here!
– The first 300 miles are the hardest! (Granted we skipped Bunchgrass, Pyramids, and Post Canyon). I’ve ridden Post Canyon and don’t think that would have been a big deal. Bunchgrass and Pyramids probably would have added a 1.5 – 2 days for me.
– Pay attention to resupply spots. The first resupply is either going to be Paisley (Requires a 16 mile detour) or Chemult (200 mile mark). We opted to skip Paisley. This meant we had 3.5 days of food to carry from the start. We ended up getting to Chemult in the evening on day 4. Even after Chemult, you’ve got to be pretty dialed in on your resupplies.
– I rode a hardtail with 120mm front sus with 2.6 Rekons – would ride this set up again.
– A short travel full suspension would also be a reasonable choice.
– A drop bar fully rigid gravel bike with bar end shifters would be an undesirable choice.Special thanks to:
itsybigsy on
So stoked to watch this, thanks for sharing!
I’m still a beginner, but I’ve been itching to try some of the sections of this since it’s nearly in my backyard here in Oregon. Aimed to do the Willamette Tier, but of course, the fires messed with my plans.
3 Comments
Rode the OTT 700 with the Grand Depart this year. (July 2024). Unfortunately, I had to take a few meaningful detours to bypass fires. (Skipped Bunchgrass, Pyramids, and Post Canyon).
Finished in 11.5 days – Days were generally long and hard
**Here are some thoughts/reactions for anyone thinking of doing the route**
**Resources**
– https://oregontimbertrail.org/
– https://bikepacking.com/routes/oregon-timber-trail/
**Fremont Tier**
– I don’t think I was able to accurately convey the difficulty of the first 4 days (or 300 miles).
– It’s painfully slow going. Lots of hike a bike A decent amount of overgrown sections which would cause you to lose the “trail”.
– You have to be very cognizant of your water stops in this Tier.
– All the singletrack descents were a ton of fun. Crane Mountain, Hagar, and Yamsay were all great!
**Willamette Tier:**
– Waldo lake is beautiful even though a lot of the trail is burned which makes for some slow miles.
– Windy lakes area is phenomenal
– Middle Fork of the Willamette trail is a lot of fun, but it isn’t a gimmie. The trail can be rough and chunky in some sections, and there are some undulating steep pitches.
– I stopped stressing about water in this section
**Deschutes Tier:**
– Fun Riding, can get kind of dusty
– Great views of the cascades (when not smokey)
– Stopping at the Three Creek Store was great. The owner of the store Karin was awesome
**Hood Tier:**
– Fun riding. Descent right after Sand Mountain was one of my favorite of the entire trip!
– Great views of Mount Hood
– Ollalie and Timothy lake are both spectacular
**General Thoughts:**
– There is water scarcity in first tier. Pay attention to the water stops. It also can get really hot down here!
– The first 300 miles are the hardest! (Granted we skipped Bunchgrass, Pyramids, and Post Canyon). I’ve ridden Post Canyon and don’t think that would have been a big deal. Bunchgrass and Pyramids probably would have added a 1.5 – 2 days for me.
– Pay attention to resupply spots. The first resupply is either going to be Paisley (Requires a 16 mile detour) or Chemult (200 mile mark). We opted to skip Paisley. This meant we had 3.5 days of food to carry from the start. We ended up getting to Chemult in the evening on day 4. Even after Chemult, you’ve got to be pretty dialed in on your resupplies.
**TRAVEL LOGISTICS:**
– Getting There: Using Cedar for the shuttle service was critical! He picked up a group of riders at a park and ride in Portland, OR for a fair price ( [https://oregonterritoryoutfitters.com/](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Foregonterritoryoutfitters.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2lUe27jU591SPRzlJzcssOpc9826OBC1u3z9kFzCR1HRJnoF4EGhwT6tU_aem__GtDC4RKD0SG5k5Fx-evtg&h=AT3xmpL0lUeT6Of4OM58ERzMAv6-iZo3a9U46zrpr54jRiFID3sD21KX6i6w0JG62abf_im2OP4IF1930PglU7Q6ehrNdLPXDhSa3MLlV6xIIwkzPAjD8Njo6KPuH3t5EdH1tMc&__tn__=-UK-R&c%5B0%5D=AT1KqlxoaKZlqEFxik5HQ6xwx8HvK4VLsvKWlw8DOLwKIL7mHC-YAmIcg-gFyGFhAl-dg-7WCJmPSLV3nWFhB6WoZgN0tiKg8a5ASEQFUjagdrn_SDVTjjE4Du7nY2mbN0MRV5YJnN3w_d1mySbUnnXL-K77e9e9pyVitn2wuUoye96rFjS91ixRdCFU1YU) )
– Getting Home: When you make it to Hood River, there is a bus called the Columbia Gorge Express. You can ride to the bus station, and take the bus into Portland for a few bucks! ( [https://www.ridecatbus.org/columbia-gorge-express/](https://www.ridecatbus.org/columbia-gorge-express/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2UkTxS4-jF0BMtbhOhFTa6JYBkJpoaOWWDmVhZgCUXwSVp_mv5bhiL4_w_aem_pRgglQHrYC6w1-sxo9Rakg) )
**BIKE THOUGHTS:**
– I rode a hardtail with 120mm front sus with 2.6 Rekons – would ride this set up again.
– A short travel full suspension would also be a reasonable choice.
– A drop bar fully rigid gravel bike with bar end shifters would be an undesirable choice.Special thanks to:
So stoked to watch this, thanks for sharing!
I’m still a beginner, but I’ve been itching to try some of the sections of this since it’s nearly in my backyard here in Oregon. Aimed to do the Willamette Tier, but of course, the fires messed with my plans.
Congrats on your fortitude and adventure!
Epic trip, great video.