The Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route, Day 1

Day 1, 140 miles

We started the OBDR on Wednesday August 16 at 10:30AM at the Cave Lake Campground (see California connection). Cave Lake is in heavy steep forest, but after a few miles the road opens up winding along grassy meadows. The route eventually runs you thru a rock quarry near Lakeview where you get on pavement for awhile. Don't fret - there's not much pavement on this route.

We missed a section near Coffeepot creek, where the turn had not yet been signed. Sadly we didn't have the GPS coords for this important left turn (important because it goes from gravel onto dirt). Oh well. (The turn was at 42deg32.908' 120deg39.331').

We went into Paisley for lunch and gas, downing large burgers and listening to the locals yuk it up at the "Homestead Cafe". First gas was at 113 miles from Cave Lake. The XR400 took 2.7 gal (for 113 mi), and the KTM 640 took 2.7 gal also (for 154 mi)! So the 640 gets significantly better mileage than the 400. Go figure.

While in Paisley the local "trails coordinator" saw us at the cafe and somehow knew what we were up to. He walked over and asked how we were enjoying the OBDR! We told him about the missed turn and he explained that there was a question with the landowner (a timber company) for that section, thus it was still unsigned, but resolved thus open.

After that, we never met another person following the route, or who even knew it existed. At this point (one year since the grand opening) we can assure you that the route is not "overcrowded".

We left Paisley and climbed Slide mountain. On the way up Tom got a pinch flat jumping the little waterbars. Always a thrillseeker, he applied a 12 year-old patch (for sport). We continued on to overlook Summer Lake at the top, then dropping down to the Sycan river, camping a mile east of Boulder creek (on the Sycan river).

We sit on the grass next to the campfire watching meteors. The CycoActive phone must've rang today (but a man's got to assert his priorities..........).