From the parking area head west across the Deschutes River via Highway 206 and then turn immediately left onto Old Moody road. Use this first mile to get a short warm-up in. Just as the road turns to gravel and passes under the railway, it pitches up. Steeply! In 1.1 miles you climb 600 feet with short pitches approaching 15%. But … don’t forget to look back over your right shoulder, for views of the vineyard and the Columbia River.

Once on Fulton Ridge, Old Moody road rolls up and down with majestic views of the hills and the Columbia River Gorge. This 6 miles of gravel is a highlight of the route. At mile 7, there is a short steep down pitch into Fairbanks. At the junction, go left on Fifteenmile Road [paved]. Look to your left for the historic Fairbanks schoolhouse and the Oregon Trail historic marker.

In the first years of the Oregon Trail, pioneers arrived at The Dalles (via Fairbanks) with their only choice to float the wagons down the mighty Columbia River toward the Willamette Valley. However, when the Barlow Toll Road opened two years later, this offered an alternative route around Mt. Hood. The Dalles is still the eastern gateway to the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area. Visitors can get a taste of the region through one of the local farms or wineries, experience amazing outdoor adventures, or explore the town’s rich history.

The next 8 miles follow Fifteenmile creek. The road climbs gently gaining 475 feet over the distance. The area is dominated by farming and ranching, but interspersed are some really cool rock formations. At mile 15.6, marked by a large corral area, Fifteenmile creek exits to the right and the road begins to climb more steeply.

Fifteenmile Creek and its tributaries (Eightmile, Fivemile, and Ramsey Creek)originate in the Mt. Hood National Forest and flow northeasterly, discharging into the Columbia River just downstream of The Dalles Dam. In the rain shadow of the Cascades, the watershed receives most of its rain in the winter with an occasional summer thunderstorm. Rainfall averages are 27 inches in the west grading to 12 inches in the east. It is home to the eastern-most run of wild winter steelhead in the Columbia Basin. Agriculture is about 72% of the land base.

The next 15 miles are marked by a series of four climbs [the Teeth]. Overall, you gain and lose 1800 feet. The longest climb is the first at 600 feet of gain over 3 miles. The shortest climb is the last at 300 feet in just under a mile. There are some steep pitches both up and down on the gravel, be prepared and don’t overcook a turn and become ditch bound.

A highlight of this section are some old historic farm buildings and grain elevators from the early 1900’s.

The Great Southern Railway ran from The Dalles to Dufur. Every few miles a siding was built with accompanying warehouses and grain elevators. The stops along the line included: Petersburg, Fairbanks, Fulton, Emerson, Wrentham, Rice, Boyd and Dufur, and Friend. The train ran daily until the late 1920s.

At mile 31, make a hard right onto Eightmile Road [paved]. The next 7 miles are slightly downhill, softly twisting and turning following the creek through meadows and oak trees. On this section, we saw a herd of deer and gang of wild turkeys.

When the road widens slightly, this marks your cue for a right-hand turn onto Fifteenmile road. A very quiet road. The creek will be to your right, and the area is dominated by farms, hayfields, and cows. The going is ever so slightly uphill.

Upon reaching Fairbanks, make a left and begin a short climb back atop Fulton Ridge. The 5 miles back in on Old Moody road are (in our opinion) more scenic and fun than that of the outgoing. But … don’t forget about the short technical descent at the very end!

Fairbanks was established in 1905 as a station on the Great Southern Railroad.^[3] It was named for Charles W. Fairbanks, then newly elected vice president under Theodore Roosevelt. Fairbanks post office was established in 1905 and ran until 1909.