Riding Around the Hood

[Apple Jam]

Originally Posted by dvwalker

Witnessed the AJ and the Hawk in action on Sunday up on John Mills rd. We turned around at the NF boundary. Sorry no pics. One could almost classify the Hawk as a dual-sport bike with the AJ at the helm.

ahem.
(It's a Shadow, not a Hawk)


Great spending time with you, dv.
Sure is a beautiful property you have up there, especially this time of year.
How many deer did we see? Lots.
I finally saw some turkeys on my way out, at the top of your driveway.

[dvwalker]

The Shadow DS is even more ominous. Good time riding and good company.

Craig, looks like you had a good time too.

[Craig McCurdy]

Did someone say "Go for a ride"? And then to "TourPros" birthday bash, Happy Birthday Chris!

[Craig McCurdy]

Went for a nice little 74 mile ride with TTDave & TourPros. Great fun was had by all and we even got TourPros to stop for a couple photo op's!

This is before the ride and TTDave (Thor) was tuning up his bike! Notice his tool of choice...
He said it was for his brakes.

Out on the power lines Rd by the Ketchum Ranch.

[XB12R]

Originally Posted by Apple Jam

Freebridge was another Railroad stop,
but it also marks the road towards the Deschutes that was the original Oregon Trail river crossing location and wagon route,
as it climbed in and out of the deep Deschutes River Gorge.

I remember seeing this curious building, here in the middle of nowhere before.
It is the old trainstop, and knowing this now, I finally understand why it was built the way it was.
But I've never really noticed the inconspicuous dirt road that followed some powerlines, opposite this building



Having the GPS here now, I find that this is the completely unmarked

"Freebridge Rd"
This is an OLD, OLD road. It is obvious that it has been dug out of the flatland and gently rolling hills it was built through.
Dug out again, and again. And when it got muddy, it was dug out again.
It has become a 6-7 deep scar through the landscape

You won't really want to do this road in the extreme wet or dry. It would be extremely muddy or extremely dusty. It'd be ridable, but.....
There is no gravel, and the surface is several inches thick of sludge. Good enough for riding today, but I think that it's a narrow window.

As I start to see the Deschutes River Gorge, I'm getting kind of excited about what I might find here.
The grade down into the Gorge is pretty rough, steep, and very narrow.
A real Jeep trail; You would'nt really want to take a Super Duty Ford on this road, but you could, really slowly.

The views are really nice

At the bottom, the current road stops short of the Railroad tracks that are still currently used.
The East side had tracks too, started at the same time in 1909 by a competing company, and the first one wins.
The West side tracks won, and the East side grade was abandoned.
It is now a hiking and bicycling only trail through this section of the Deschutes River Gorge.
Take the time, if you go down Freebridge Rd to the bottom of the Gorge,
to walk across the tracks, all the way down to the river's edge.
I almost skipped it, thinking there was nothing left of the last old "free" bridge across the river.
It was named "Freebridge" after Wasco County purchased it in 1909, and stopped charging the toll that all previous travellers had to pay.

Just to the South, out of sight of the end of the current road, are the old bridge foundations.
This bridge was sabotaged in 1914, and was never rebuilt.
For THIS BOY....This was cool shit, indeed.

I spent quite a while here, eating my sandwich, and pondering History.
Imagine being in a frickin' WAGON doing this road instead of a KTM, with a motor???
Back at the top, I ride out a short road to the bluff overlooking the Canyon.
I see that I'm being watched from only 45 feet away.....

I don't think they get too many visitors here, they were NOT afraid.
The view from the top of this bluff was nice.
You can clearly see both RR grades on both sides of the river, as well as the Freebridge Road grade to the right, on the hillside.
Next up: Center Ridge Rd to Tygh Ridge......

Ive been tasked to take some big adventure bikes down Free Bridge this weekend. I pre-drove the route today. Im concerned that so of the less experienced riders will have trouble on this road. The road was what you described but there are places where there are shear drop offs of several hundred feet. The face that your literaly inches from the edge might be too much. I'll brief these guys and at the top of the hill before we go down.
This is one bad ass road for an adventure bike, dual sport not so much.

[Apple Jam]

Originally Posted by XB12R

Ive been tasked to take some big adventure bikes down Free Bridge this weekend. I pre-drove the route today. Im concerned that so of the less experienced riders will have trouble on this road. The road was what you described but there are places where there are shear drop offs of several hundred feet. The face that your literaly inches from the edge might be too much. I'll brief these guys and at the top of the hill before we go down.
This is one bad ass road for an adventure bike, dual sport not so much.

Easy on a 990......Just NEVER SLOW DOWN !!
and don't look down the cliff, until you stop

Have a good ride, that road was my second favorite road I've found this year,
first being the West-East route from Madras through Ashwood to Twickenham.

[Apple Jam]

Originally Posted by Craig McCurdy

Went for a nice little 74 mile ride with TTDave & TourPros. Great fun was had by all and we even got TourPros to stop for a couple photo op's!
Out on the power lines Rd by the Ketchum Ranch.

I'm glad I missed Saturday's ride, now.
Shadow don't likey powerline roads.

I'm lying. I'm very sorry I missed Saturday's ride.
I really hate to miss ANY ride
Got some valuable work done at home, though....

But, actually, dvwalker and I were at the East end of those same Powerline roads on Ketchum Rd, just last Sunday !!



Hippo Birdy, TP
You 40 year old fart

[Apple Jam]

Originally Posted by Craig McCurdy

Did someone say "Go for a ride"?

Nice shot. HR's Prius driving Environ-"mentallists" will just LOVE it !!

[Apple Jam]

Originally Posted by Craig McCurdy

This is before the ride and TTDave (Thor) was tuning up his bike! Notice his tool of choice...
He said it was for his brakes.

This shot?

It deserved to be quoted all by itself

[Squishy]

Tourpro, got any other shots of your bike?, looks sweet!


PS: If you threw an arial wire over those lines above you, you'd get waaay better reception.

[TourPros]

Originally Posted by Squishy

Tourpro, got any other shots of your bike?, looks sweet!


PS: If you threw an arial wire over those lines above you, you'd get waaay better reception.

Your local arent you ? Come on over and you cant take her for a spin. When your done I will offer the beer

Iphone4 (att) seems to like the power lines. Email went out without a hitch.

[TourPros]

Really should thank TTDave (always great having you down!) and Craig McCurdy for the ride. Great views and company. I will try and get he photo op thing in my brain. Stopping wasn't the problem going was. I am so out of riding shape it is pathetic. Some day I will be in shape and learn how to ride and then look out Snoopy

Thanks again guys !!

[Squishy]

Originally Posted by TourPros

Your local arent you ? Come on over and you cant take her for a spin. When your done I will offer the beer

Dang dude, that sounds too good to be true(like a girlfriend asking if it'd be alright if her nymphomaniac girlfriend could stay the weekend).
I'll take you up on that this summer.

Are you taking that bike on the Blackdog?

[TourPros]

Well come on by and be sure to bring the nympho with you. As for the Black Dog well that is a very sore subject !!! I get home 2 days after its over, I didnt get to help with the music I am hearing about and rumor has it that this will be that last year in The Hood.. So I am very very upset. I think it should be postponed for one week.

[matloik]

Originally Posted by TourPros

Well come on by and be sure to bring the nympho with you.

Worth quoting.