|   Paging: McKenzie River Trail veterans! | kyezle
May 27, 2003 2:33 PM | | My wife and I are thinking of heading up to and around Eugene, Oregon for a mellow, relaxing long weekend of June 6-8. One of the few things on our agenda is to ride the McKenzie River Trail. Is it better to shuttle to the trailhead or ride the whole thing?
Do you know any places to stay, eat, zone out, around McKenzie Bridge? Should we stay outside the area for better access to restaurants and watering holes? Any cool places along the river to stay and possibly fish as well?
Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!
You can post here or email me: kmaxwell @ newfocus . com |
| My perference is out and back | shiggy
May 27, 2003 3:08 PM | | Only takes a bit longer to ride upstream as it does downstream and a shuttle does not really save you any time.
There are many places to stay and eat along the McKenzie River though being a local (1-1.5hrs from the trailheads) I have never stayed at any of them. Stopped at a few of the eateries - nothing special. |
| The length of the MRT is 26+ miles one direction | Spar¡cus
May 27, 2003 3:17 PM | | It's great as a shuttle or if you're looking for a hammerfest it can be done as a 52-54 mile out-n-back. (The upper trailhead is an optional one mile each way beyond Clear Lake. If you started at the lower trailhead, you'd probably skip this insignificant piece.)
The town of McKenzie Bridge (MB) is small. No wait, tiny. The Log Cabin Inn is a good restaurant right in MB. The Rustic Skillet cafe is 3-4 miles west of MB, good burgers & pie ala mode. There are several resort-style B&B's and cabinesque motel/rentals all over the river up there. I hear Eagle Rock Lodge (in Vida, a few short miles west of MB) is an excellent venue.
Fishing in the area is world famous.
Be sure and ride King-Castle Trail as well as MRT. King-Castle is close by, and after a workout climb, you'll be treated to a ride that's as close to a rollercoaster on two wheels as you can get. Olallie Trail is another nearby attraction (take Horse Creek Rd. out of MB).
--Sparty |
| re: Paging: McKenzie River Trail veterans! | mapguygps
May 27, 2003 3:40 PM | | I'd do your best to do the shuttle - unless your both animals - no matter how you cut it riding the out and back is 25+ miles up river then 25+ miles down river...thats 50+ miles in the saddle. The shuttle is still 26+ miles and with stopping off to enjoy the waterfalls and other points of interests with the wife, would be memorable in the least. There tends to be lots of riders staying at Paridise campground and you could probably work out a shuttle with someone. |
| Paradise camground and Kings Castle | redhaze
May 27, 2003 4:27 PM | | Paradise is nice campground that is right on the MRT, lower part. There are some hot springs (Belknap) just up the road a bit and the DoD can probably send ya to the wild hot springs. I seem to remember the log cabin type restaurant in MacK bridge was nice. There are campsites up at Clear Lake that are much more beautiful than lower down. hmmm...may be snow there still tho.
If ya ride MacKensie one day (shuttle), and Kings Castle the next (out and back) you will have a very full riding weekend. I think I posted a ride report last fall, with pics.
Spar¡cus "Sparticus, make me feel good and... (long with pics)" 10/8/02 7:15am
but the pics got lost in the shuffle... |
| Bob, we rode King-Castle at night two weeks ago | Spar¡cus
May 27, 2003 8:45 PM | | It was way sweet. When ya comin' back down our way?
--Davey
AKA
Sparty |
| didja go ALL the way to the TOP? | red-haze
May 28, 2003 7:36 AM | | at night? in the
b DARK?
if so, I remember that top mile to be some scary stuff, 'specially at night, even with lights. tho the shadowing may keep ya from seeing just how close ya are to the edge...
however, the bottom 5 or 6 miles...ohhhh what fun that would be!
We just did Falls Creek (north of Carson) last sunday, during the day, but I wonder what it would be at night...hmmmm...have to save that idea for later on this summer during a campout up there...
As for heading to Blue-Jeans, Ssue and I are gonna be there for your Midsummer Nights Bike Festival in July, she has her high school reunion that same weekend in Springfield, so bike Oakridge all day, meet old friends all night! Hey, I'd like to LeftyCam Alpine Trail with some of you fellas strung out in front of me, that'd be cool! whadda ya think?
Early June, Joel and I are planning on heading north to Chelan for a Mountain Beer and Bike Festival, tho still a 6 hour drive.
ah, probably gonna do another campout out by Mackensie sometime this summer/fall, got some more friends that NEED to ride it. I'm considering it as an out and back, mebbe SS, mebbe Jekyllized. Of course, since we are down there, Kings Castle and Ollalie will just have to be sampled too...
So many trails, so little time!
bob |
| Are you kidding? Of course! | Spar¡cus
May 28, 2003 10:07 AM | | Anything worth doing is worth doing to excess, I always say.
:D
I'm definitely in for the Alpine/Lefty cam shoot!
Are you doin' "June In The Hood" in mid-June? I hope to be there for one day/one night.
--Sparty |
| Hey, thanks guys! We'll just head on up and wing it from there.. | kyezle
May 28, 2003 9:20 AM | | I cannot wait to ride the MRT. I've heard so many good things about it, I am going to be in for a treat, I'm sure. It's my birthday present to myself. And we'll definitely try to hit the King's Castle ride. Group ride anyone?
Kyle |
| Damn! | Spar¡cus
May 28, 2003 9:57 AM | | Glowboy and I will be on our Owyhee canyonlands tour June 4-8. Otherwise I'd be all over joinin' ya fur a MRT ragefest.
Hmmmm... maybe we'll be driving home (right past MRT) on Sunday the 8th... hmmmmmm...
--Sparty |
| oh! and one more thing! | red-haze
May 28, 2003 11:51 AM | | If'n yer gonna ride it on the SS, gear it a little harder than 32:18. 2:1 would work great, mebbe even a bit harder, specially as a shuttle, some of the joy of MRT is going toooo fast on the bottom 15 miles but get up to decent speed ya gotta have a gear to push it. There really ain't anything at the top that would be too tough to climb at 2:1.
bob |
| WAIT!!! Kyezle -- stay here····································· | Spar¡cus
May 28, 2003 1:25 PM | | McKenzie area
Although they don't have their own link, check out Belknap Hot Springs. Worth a call at (541)-822-3512. It's right on the McKenzie River Trail -- literally. Beautiful private gardens across the river by footbridge. Wanna hot spring soak after the ride? You're already there. Very short drive from the eateries. You won't regret it.
--Sparty |
| Ride it all. | JoshO
May 28, 2003 12:33 PM | | |
| Don't bother with the shuttle... | JoshO
May 28, 2003 12:40 PM | | I've ridden with you Kyle, and I know you can do it. Easily. Just don't race the road ride up. Take it easy and make a day of the whole ride, and you'll have a blast.
As far as places to stay goes, I haven't been back there in a while, but, um.. busy is a relative term that really doesn't apply to that part of the state, so don't sweat it too much.
I'm jealous if you're riding it on your Airborne. I'm double jealous and want a report if your riding the Jericho.
Joshua |
| road ride????? | red-haze
May 28, 2003 2:21 PM | | methinks you may want to reconsider that remark :)
I think he is also riding with the SO, so that could be a shuttle factor.
you are right, busy is a relative term, especially this early in the season.
bob |
| I used to do it that way | shiggy
May 28, 2003 3:18 PM | | Now I ride out and back on the trail.
Sparty and I have been looking at a doubletrack that follows most of the upper part and the west side. May ride up the trail to the doubletrack, take it to the upper trailhead (or farther) and back down on the trail. See some new scenery. You can ride MRT only so many times before you get bored ;^P. |
| Tough call, Bob nailed it... | kyezle
May 28, 2003 3:13 PM | | My wife will be with me, and while she is a singlespeed hammerhead, I think 50+ miles may be too much for her. In fact, she wouldn't even attempt it. (Not to say that I won't, though, just on a separate ride.)
Oh, and I'll prolly be taking the Jericho. That bike is butter, man, butter. And the 1x9 setup works *really* well. It's proven itself a true champ on Braille and Sawpit several times already. Thanks for building great bikes. |
| Okay, then do this... | Spar¡cus
May 28, 2003 3:30 PM | | Catch a ride in somebody's buggy, or ride your bikes on the highway from McKenzie Bridge or Paradise Campground or Belknap Springs or wherever you wanna start near the lower trailhead up to Clear Lake. Get on the singletrack at Clear Lake and head downriver to wherever it is that you wanna end the ride. If you're only going one direction, that's definitely the direction you wanna go.
But first get a local map of the MRT.
Remember that the river flows underground between Carmen Reservoir and Tamolich Falls AKA "the blue pool." Tamolich Falls also marks the beginning of the Lava Zone -- righteous!!!
Plan on taking the whole day and bring a camera. This trail has multiple personalities and you want to experience them all. The bottom half is where you'll get the flavor of the "McKenzie Rhythm Trail." Beginning at about Trailbridge Reservoir, tell your SO not to worry if you get a little off the front, you'll regroup with her often. Then let 'er rip! You need to spin and spin and feel the zen that flows in there. It's soul satisfying!
I recommend you fly the MRT on a weekday, preferrably Monday through Thursday. Friday gets busier and the weekend, especially a good weather weekend, will leave you wishing you'd picked a less hectic day to ride.
--Sparty
Dammit Jim!!! Wish I could be there. |
| Dammit, Jim! That's good advice! | kyezle
May 28, 2003 4:30 PM | | I'm thinking we'll do this: I made reservations at the McKenzie River Inn. Sounds like a nice, quaint little place. Quiet, restful cabin on the water. On Friday, they're gonna shuttle us to the top. We'll do the whole thing, take our time, take pictures, hit the hot springs, the works. Then on Saturday, while the wife hangs out, reads, sunbathes, I can do the whole out and back. Then that evening, we'll celebrate my 31 years alive if I don't kill myself on the ride.
Any cool restaurants in or around Eugene to visit? A good brewpub? Gotta sample some fresh Oregon suds... (If only Deschutes was closer!) |
| uh uh, You MUST do Kings Castle instead , as an out and back | red-haze
May 28, 2003 5:20 PM | | instead of MRT the next day
trust me :)
bob |
| Good point, Bob | Spar¡cus
May 29, 2003 5:47 AM | | Kyle's GOT to ride King-Castle while he's here. It would be a crying shame if he missed it. But it wouldn't be fair to fail to point out that we're comparing a 14 mile experience (King-Castle) to a 52+ mile experience (MRT). Me thinks he needs to find a way to do it all, though his legs may give him pause.
Personally, Kyle, I think Bob's right. Sure you could do MRT twice but the full-on out-'n-back will leave you with little energy to enjoy the good romp on King-Castle. Heck, do K-C and if you've still got anything in your legs, do it again! Descent of the Gods!
When you're in Eugene, I recommend The Wild Duck, downtown on 6th Ave. Great micros (that's where I get kegs for my kegerator, mmmmmmm...), good food and reasonable prices. As for waiters, ask for Bill and tell him Dave & Milly sent you.
--Sparty |
| Okeedoke. I think I'll be riding King-Castle... | kyezle
May 29, 2003 9:51 AM | | Definitely sounds like a no-misser. That might even be one my wife would want to ride (not usually up for riding 2 days in a row). I'll be sure to take lots of pics to prove we were there! Thanks for all the advice, guys! This trip will be a much needed break to (not from) reality.
Kyle |
| Okeedoke. I think I'll be riding King-Castle... | sasquatch
May 29, 2003 10:44 AM | | If you want a tougher ride on Saturday, you could do King's Castle, and link up with the other Casatle Rock trail, and even link with O'Leary trail. Check a Willamette FS map (search online) and you will see how to link multiple trails. Kings Castle is 11.6 miles roundtrip with 2200 feet of climbing, but you can easily double the distance and climbing and fun by adding on these other trails. By the way, some DOD riders may be doing a shuttle on Saturday June 7, if your wife wants a second round, or you find the MRT too addictive to not ride 2x. But I would recommend Kings Castle as its super fun, and a different typer of ride than the MRT. Wish I could ride it next week, but Im busy so maybe I'll do it this weekend. |
| We rode it as a shuttle | Tom 411
May 29, 2003 8:50 AM | | Had a group of riders with mixed abilities/fitness levels. It's a fantastic ride. I've been al over this great land of our's mountain biking and I have to say the MRT is probably the coolest trails I've ever done. |
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