Big Mack

Development Route / Maupin, Oregon / Published: Apr 2019 / Directions

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Somewhere along the first half of the ride.

Deschutes River Trail, ~ mile 51.

DRT

Starting to get more primitive.

~ mile 67. This is rideable with 50 mm tires and great technique.

Where the first railway trestle crossing used to be.

Walk/Carry your bike through this section of single track.

After the first trestle, un-rideable.

And more of the same.

The trail re-appears as you near Mack's Canyon campground. ~ mile 71

Goat Heads! The extreme case of bad.

Along the Deschutes river, the last 16 miles.

Ride metrics from a very strong dude! Look at total time.

Route:

Loop | 88 mi

Gain:

6,400 ft

Surface:

~ 70% gravel, 5 % Single Track, 25% paved

Technical Difficulty:

Very Demanding

Navigation:

Challenging

Locale:

Extremely Remote

Tire Suggestion:

50 mm+

Options:

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A scenic loop highlighting the diversity of Oregon’s outback. This route has a bit of everything! You’ll encounter asphalt climbs, asphalt descendants, gravel, washboarded gravel, hike-a-bike, and barbed wire fences to climb over.

Miles 0 to 60. Classic Central Oregon high desert with rolling hills, few trees, and views for miles. The riding is fast and relatively easy.
Miles 60 to Finish: Follow a dirt road / trail along an old railroad grade just above the Lower Deschutes river. Much of the river is classified as Wild & Scenic. The riding is rugged, demanding and at times very slow.

Warning: This is a route that should only be taken on by very experienced riders who are completely self sufficient. Rescue along certain portions of this route would be lengthy and difficult.

This is a Development Route. It has not been fully vetted or ridden by the Dirty Freehub Team. Go prepared and expect a bit more adventure. Any feedback you have would be much appreciated. You can leave it below in the comments block.

Map

Brown = gravel / dirt road

Blue = single track

Red = paved road

Purple = paved bike path

GPX Download Version 0.1

Ride Details

Terrain & Riding

This is a loop that we happened upon while riding and documenting Macks Canyon. The guys at Our Mother the Mountain (OMTM) have ridden and written about miles 49 to 71. The unknown is miles 13 to 46. We know that this section “goes”, just not sure of the quality this section. Thus, the Development Route tag.

We have mapped the route in the counterclockwise (CCW) direction. In this direction, the river views and more demanding trail come later in the route. We know that the single track section from mile 67 to 71 involves a significant amount of hike-a-bike. It is a very slow go. Make sure you’re in bike shoes you’re comfortable walking in. We’ve received feedback from other riders that they were able to ride about half of the 4 mile section of hike-a-bike.

For a longer option (i.e. bikepacking), consider starting in Maupin, and riding to the start via the Lower Deschutes / BLM Access road on the east side of the Deschutes River. The road is paved, very scenic, and with little traffic. This will add about 20 miles and very little elevation gain.

Based on the guidance of OMTM above, and our riding experience in the area, we would highly recommend a tubeless tire set up, 50 mm+, with CushCore inserts. This setup is nearly bomb proof, especially when goat head stickers are involved.

It would be great if someone would take this route on as a project and work with the county / BLM / City of Maupin to improve the 4 miles of hike-a-bike. Any takers??

The Start

Lat / Long: 45.263609, -121.023912

At the intersection of Sherar’s Bridge highway and the BLM access road, north of Maupin by ~ 10 miles. Park on the shoulder of the road.

Food & Water

~ Mile 48: Deschutes River State Recreation Area (water).
~ First 48 miles are spent following the river, so filtering water is also an option.

Notes & Options

Route Notes

At approximately mile 48, there is water and camping at the Deschutes River State Recreation area.

Comments

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Let us know about points of interest and viewpoints,
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Videos

The Deschutes Railroad War

Railroad historian and attorney Martin Hansen talks about the race between two railroad barons to build a railroad line through central Oregon.

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