The Oregon BDR Experience: Episode 5 (ORBDR Section 3)

The Oregon BDR Experience
Episode 5: ORBDR Section 3

In this episode, we travel Section 3 from Newberry Volcanic National Monument. We traverse some of the more interesting parts of the Oregon BDR in my personal opinion. We began the morning breaking camp at Eastlake within the Newberry Volcanic monument. We then head up to Paulina peak which is nearly 8000 feet in elevation. The views up there are astounding. From the top we could see all the major volcanoes toward the Columbia River. We then rode an incredible section of the BDR called the famed “luge”. Damn it was fun. I almost wanted to strip my luggage off and re-ride it again with an empty bike. Shortly after, we took the four mile detour up to Pine Mountain Observatory. As cautious as I was, I had a spill. Again, the views up from the top of Pine Mountain are nothing short of SPECTACULAR. At the summit, looking south and east, we could see 100 miles of volcanic cones, peaks, and craters scattered all over southern Oregon. I was taken back. I hadn’t realized how much volcanic activity existed in the region. Amazing to see.
After Pine Mountain we departed the main roads and headed for the open desert. We soon realized we were riding on ancient lava beds. It was a long, long day. It soon became clear, that the mileage distance to Christmas Valley, our planned destination that evening, didn’t make any sense to us after alot of rough terrain and several cattle gate openings and closings. We measured progress by time rather than distance traveled here. We were beginning to wear down, especially after enduring the sandy hardships of the previous 2 days. Both of us realized, that maybe our age was starting to show a bit. After what seemed like an eternity, we rode by the 4 craters lava beds and explored “Crack in the Ground”. This place is a must see stop on the ORBDR. The crack is a lava flow over 2 miles long and 70 feet deep. We only explored a small portion of it. A return engagement is a must.
After exploring the crack, we arrived in Christmas Valley just as the sun was setting.

BEST DAY ON THE BDR SO FAR.


OBDR Route Description
The Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route (ORBDR) is a 750-mile, multi-day off-pavement ride designed for adventure and dual-sport motorcycles. The route traverses a vast climate area. The ORBDR is probably the most diverse BDR route to date in this regard. The RideBDR website suggests that folks start in the southern desert near the Nevada/Oregon border and traverse north with gradual ingress towards pine mountain forests. We did the opposite, as we started our trip north of Seattle on adventure motorcycles and explored ancient pine forests of Washington State and enjoying some of the southern portions of the WABDR. We officially started the ORBDR at Hood River and worked our way through the northern Oregon cascade mountains witnessing all the major volcanos of the state, after which, we found ourselves in the remote high deserts of the southeastern portion of Oregon. Lava rock, “moondust”, sand and mountain rock were forces to be reckoned when riding a motorcycle through here. The sagebrush, lava tubes and glaciated volcanoes are sights to behold and experience along the way. These natural wonders provide a prime rugged outdoor adventure experience. Be prepared, however, as the Oregon BDR is not to be taken lightly. It is one of the hardest routes they have mapped out to date. Beginners are urged to cut their teeth elsewhere. Explorers should be prepared to be self-sufficient, camp, prepare for rain, extreme desert heat along with the many physical challenges provided by the terrain all without the comfort of cell phone service or motels. Distances along the route are measured by hours to travel rather than miles. We did not move fast. Instead, we took a cautious and methodical approach, touching on all the highlights of the wilderness and skipping a few of the more technical challenges to maximize our Experience. To avoid the extreme heat, we planned out trip in September to avoid the summer crowds and summer heat. We were fortunate as the highest temperatures experienced were no more than the low 80’s (deg Fahrenheit)

I hope you thoroughly enjoy this episode of our travels. It is presented to show the joys, wonders and hardship of this route from a non-sponsored, not-for-profit perspective.

Please “LIKE”, “SUBSCRIBE” and comment if you enjoyed this. It will encourage me to do more of these types of productions in the future.

As always, Thanks for Riding with me, ~GrizzLee

Read more of my Moto travels here:
https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/gr...