“Indian Ford Meadow was donated to the [Deschutes] Land Trust in 1996 by a local landowner to protect its dramatic scenic views and important wildlife habitat. Bisected by Indian Ford Creek, this picturesque 63 acre meadow near Sisters … contains a unique diversity of habitats ranging from wetlands to pine forest. The Preserve also serves as a migratory corridor for mule deer and a breeding ground for migratory songbirds.” [Deschutes Land Trust]

Warm Springs Indian legend describes Oregon and Washington’s mountains as people who were marching toward the Columbia to take sides in a battle between Mt Adams and Mt Hood. Black Butte and her husband Green Ridge joined the march. But along the way, Black Butte became tired in the heat so she sat down to rest, sweating rivulets that would become the Metolius River. Coyote the mediator prevented war by destroying a bridge across the Columbia, and everyone halted in place, where the mountains stand today. [Oregon Websites & Watersheds Project]

In 2002, a forest fire exposed a geologic wonder with a stunning vista as its backdrop. Heading a fraction of a mile off-route here, you can enjoy the site of stacked rocks defying gravity, with the Metolius River and Mt Jefferson behind. The rocks are the geologic result of different layers of volcanic tuff sandwiched atop each other but eroding at different rates. It’s worth the slight addition of mileage, we promise!

Did you know that the Forest Service currently manages 20 National Grasslands consisting of 3.8 million acres? America’s grasslands were protected in 1960, thirty years after drought and agricultural tilling by settlers combined to cause the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. For much of the second half of this route, your tires will be rolling on the Crooked River National Grassland. It supports a small herd of antelope as well as mule deer, quail, and chukkars.

The Grandview Cemetery “dates to the late 1800s when Nick Lambert, one of the early homesteaders, donated the land. Every year on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend those with relatives and connections to Grandview hold a gathering. They invite all who are interested in learning about the history to join in potluck.” The Agate

No publicly visible remnants of the ghost town of Geneva remain today other than this broken down cold storage building. The town was named for the wife of a Kansas rancher who had migrated to the area and opened its first post office in 1914. Geneva and the nearby town of Grandview flourished as the climate had been unusually moist and seemed to hold promise for farming and ranching. A prolonged drought beginning in 1917 combined with highly destructive winds during the Dust Bowl ultimately contributed to the abandonment of both towns in the 1930s.

The 6,032 acre Grandview fire just 10 miles northeast of Sisters was reported on July 11, 2021, burning on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Crooked River National Grassland. It took 12 days for fire crews to achieve full containment. The area is flush with lupine during wildflower season, a visual treat in the later miles of this ride.

About a mile off-route at mile ~3 or ~64 lies the 151-acre Camp Polk Meadow Preserve which was protected by the Deschutes Land Trust in 2000. “The Preserve contains approximately 1.4 miles of Whychus Creek with wetlands, meadows, aspen groves and ponderosa pine stands. It is home to a variety of plant and wildlife species and is one of Central Oregon’s birding hot spots. Camp Polk Meadow Preserve also has a long and illustrious history as a crossroads for Native Americans, explorers, soldiers and settlers. The Hindman barn on the Preserve is believed to be one of Deschutes County’s oldest structures.” [Deschutes Land Trust]