Head out directly south, with the reservoir to your right. The first mile is paved, then the road becomes gravel with a smattering of potholes. They are easy to miss and but also make for better cycling than driving experience. At first, the views of the lake are obstructed by the trees. But in the later miles, the views become more open and appealing.(Micro-video) In the early morning, this entire sector is shaded.

At mile 10.7, make a left onto a 2-lane paved road [NF 21]. This sector is paved for its entire length, 16 miles. To your right will be the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. From the road, its beauty is mostly hidden. At mile 16.4 and 20.7, we recommend you make a short detour by going right. This will bring you to a bridge crossing and an unobstructed view of the river. We used these stops to get a drink or a bite of food.

This 16-mile sector has an average uphill grade of 1% resulting in an elevation gain of 1200 feet. Again, mostly in the shade from the forested canopy of trees.(Micro-video)

As soon as you turn off NF 21 and onto NF 23, the road pitches up, marking the beginning of the real climb, a Category 1 climb. 2800 feet of gain in just under 10 miles, with 8 miles on gravel. The first 2 miles is a single lane paved road with turnouts. After that, the road is gray, hard-packed, with pea-sized gravel. The grade averages about 6% and stays between 4 to 6% almost the entire way.

To your right is Swift Creek. If you look carefully, you will get a couple of scenic glimpses of the creek. From your left, several small creeks will flow across and under the road: Chaco, Coulee Creek, Minnehaha, Baboon, and Moss Creek. At mile 31.5, in a small meadow, Swift Creek crosses under the road. Shortly after this, Forest Service road 2749 bears right. Stay left.

To this point, the climbing has been mostly in the shade cover of the trees. From here, though, you will need to dart to the left or right side of the road to find the shade. Even at noon, on August 1st, we were able to find shade cover.

At mile 34.5, make a hard right to stay on NF 23. The climbing continues. In a little over a mile, there is a flower-filled high alpine meadow, signaling that the summit is nearly in hand. Continue. Just before the summit, and just as you are leaving the meadow, stop and turn around. Boom! Diamond Peak. The best view of the day. The summit lies ahead by about 100 yards.

Get ready to descend! The first 3 miles are gravel with big, sweeping views to the left. The grade is 8%.

Just before mile 40, the road returns to a single paved lane. The trees are big, giving nearly 100% shade cover. At mile 41, Hills Creek appears to your left. The descent is a zippy, almost brake free, but use caution. The road is sloughing off to the left in spots, there are some divots, the sightlines are limited, and you are popping through several brightly lit patches.(Micro-video)

As the road becomes wider and 2-lane, you are approaching the finish. Cut across the bridge and over the reservoir and smile!