Oregon Outback – Let’s Do It for Real This Time
The Route
In 2023 Andrew and I did a cobbled together rambling adventure across Oregon. Part of that route included a segment on the gravel route known as the Oregon Outback. It was day 4 of our journey, and our hardest day by a long shot. Andrew wants a redo, so 3 years later, it’s our time to go back. But, rather than rambling adventure, this time we decided to actually follow the Oregon Outback as created by bikepacking.com; well mostly.
One of the places I had wanted to check out on our 2023 adventure was Steins Pillar. Since we didn’t have the energy for it then, I’m wanting to make the 4 mile hike happen this go around! Getting to the trailhead will require a slight detour from the main Oregon Outback route, but nothing too substantial – she says not knowing much about the area.
Bikepacking.com recommends riding the Outback south to north (opposite of what we did in 2023) so that’s the plan. We’ll take the train down to Klamath Falls, and go north from there! We’re planning to ride all the way back to Portland if we have the energy, time, and if weather allows. Due to time constraints we’ll have 10 days at our disposal for the whole trip. One day will be spent on the train, and the hope is to have one day back home to rest, but it’s a flex day. So in theory we’ll be riding for 8 days.
We have concocted a few “get home” routes depending on how things are going. The easiest option being to hitch a lift (via friend or bus) back to Portland from The Dalles or anywhere in between. Unfortunately the easiest RIDING route (riding through the gorge which we’ve done many times and still love) isn’t a fun option this year as there are several landslides and construction closures that would force us on to the interstate more than we would like. Guess we’ll have to climb over the Cascades.
In general I prefer to follow routes made by others. I like to let others do all the research, and tell me which way is best. Even the outback route, often considered the best bikepacking route in the area has its critics. We’ve been puzzling together various alternatives (such as this one from dirtyfreehub), so we have lots of options if the going gets rough and we need a detour.
Depending on routes, this trip should range from 460 – 515 miles total.
Where We’re Going
While the route is called the Oregon Outback, technically only the first part of the route is in the region known by that name. We should be out of the outback by the third day. The Oregon Outback is essentially the whole SE corner of Oregon which Andrew and I have not yet been too. And while we won’t be inside of it, the region does contain the largest international dark sky sanctuary so I imagine we’ll have some awesome stargazing opportunities our first few nights – if we aren’t too exhausted at least.
The Oregon Outback route notably starts on one of the longer rail trails in the US, the OC&E (Oregon, California & Eastern Railway) a 100 mile rail trail. Last year I did say I wanted to do another rail trail, however this one isn’t quite what I meant. It is apparently paved for about 8 glorious miles, and then transitions into a soul sucking slog for the next 60 or so miles. It was deemed as the worst part of the Outback route by several of our friends and what Andrew is most worried about.
While we’ll have lots of time in the high dessert with views of neat rock features such as Fort Rock, an extinct volcano that was once underwater and now stands in an ominous circle above the landscape. We’ll also get to ride through the Ochoco Mountains with dense old growth pine forests. That’s where Steins Pillar, the rock formation I want to hike to is located. We should have ever changing, and awesome views throughout. I love the diversity that Oregon (and the Pacific Northwest) has to offer.
As we continue north we’ll head into cattle and sheep country. We’ll pass through our old friend Shaniko, the liveliest little ghost town we rested in in 2023. North of Shaniko, the Outback route is essentially the same as what we did in 2023 but only time will tell as to whether we follow it all the way up to the Columbia, or start heading west toward Portland over the mountains at that point. Our energy and snow levels may dictate our choice. But at least the unusually dry winter we’ve had may keep the snow at bay on the mountain passes and allow us to cross over the Cascades on Mt Hood’s shoulder without much incident. We’ll see.
Company
As it turns out we’re not the only one available and interested in riding the outback this year. Our friend Austin will be joining us this trip! Austin has also ridden the Pacific Coast and we’ve done some fun over nights around Portland together. Honestly he’s a stronger rider than both of us. It’ll be fun to have another person join us on this next adventure – hopefully we’re all still friends by the end.
Preparations
Beyond general training and gear sorting, in preparation for this trip Andrew also made a spreadsheet for us listing out water and camping locations. We can use the spreadsheet as a way to assess how much further we’re willing to go in a day based on mood, weather, and water supplies. In general we have a goal that averages around 60 miles a day – which is a lot for us, but I’m optimistic that our training and determination will get us through.
Water capacity is probably our biggest concern. We’re heading to the high desert which is great in terms of not worrying about rainy days. But not great in terms of water refill places. After talking with other friends who’ve done the Outback route and remembering our day of nearly running out of water in 2023, I think we’ve settled on bringing 4L each. With capacity for more via our filter bags. Who knows maybe I’ll throw another bottle in for good measure-what’s a few more pounds?
There’s only so much preperations one can do. So here we are, counting the days until our next adventure begins.
Oh, and I usually keep random counts of things (like “how many ice creams we have” or “number of flats” etc). Let me know if there’s anything you’re interested in me keeping track of for this trip! My next post will be from the road.
