2023 Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder Stage 3 - Oakridge, Oregon Day 2

Video by Adam Lapierre
Stage 3 of the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder is our “easy” or light day.

For our Settlers, it is a tour around Hills Creek Reservoir- keeping the route flat and short, allowing you to shake out some of the kinks and soreness from the previous two day’s efforts. The scenery is still at the utmost splendor for riders as they tour around the reservoir. This day is your day to ride or even rest. While riders will get a time, it will not count toward the cumulative overall results so you can ride, shake it out, mosey around, kick your feet up and relax by the water- or we suggest, ride to the top of the Pioneer’s climb for lunch and cheer them on as they conquer the uphill and attack the downhill of their enduro-style stage.

For the Pioneers, we have something interesting this year…an enduro-style day set up. Riders will start the day touring around the reservoir before hitting Aid Station #1, where we will have the start of an uphill race. Competitors will race this uphill segment, have a 2-mile, neutral ride, and then hit Aid Station #2, where lunch will be offered, music, beverages, and an opportunity to regroup with your friends.

After refreshing, riders will then take on the second segment of the day- the downhill leg- descending on the tight, technical logging roads back to the Hill’s Reservoir. This segment will be the second timed segment of the day. Overall stage results will be based on the combined timed of both the uphill and downhill segments. Both timed segments will apply to the overall GC and time bonuses will be offered for both.

Stage 3 will start later, with a 10 am start time due to the short nature of the courses and the fact that there is no camp transfer that day. Friday is a great day to rest and relax those tired legs in the Willamette River or head into the town of Oakridge and check out some of the restaurants and watering holes.

Those that have friends and family joining them, we strongly encourage that you check out some of the different shuttle services and hit the mountain bike trails. See the Driver Adventure Guide for more suggestions of things for non-riders to do along with the daily courses and from camp.

Course video by Adam Lapierre