Riding the Historic Barlow Trail

[XPLORZ]

Barlow Trail History.

Barlow Trail wikipedia.


Map of the ride:


GPS tracklog of our ride in GPX format.

Actual Original Barlow Trail condensed from NPS file in GPX format.

GPX files can be converted to most standard formats using a GPS Babel converter.


In order to save a little time, and to save my wife the punishment she would have had to endure riding I-205 and I-84 freeways on her XT250, I had decided to trailer to Government Camp on the south side of Mt Hood.




We parked in the O-DOT parking lot on the south side of Hwy 26. For free! If we parked at a trailhead, we would have had to buy a National Forest day pass.




KO, She says "lets ride". From here it is just a couple of miles to the trail.




We took the road segment that goes by the "Pioneer Womans Grave".








One corner has a great view of Mt Hood.




Sign at the western end trailhead where the gravel/dirt/sand starts.




Some original wagon trail heading east.




Some original wagon trail heading west.




Checking out Devils Half Acre. It was too over-grown here to find the original trail.




Time to head back out. This detour was only a few hunder yards.




Another section of the original wagon trail. Much of the original Barlow Trail lies under other roads, like Hwy 26 and the road we are on now.




Just some of the road we are riding.




A sandy section, photo taken at speed while hoping the front wheel doesn't wash out. LOL!




White River.




An earthen aquaduct, but what for I have no idea.




Immigrant Springs.




Happy rider, and so was I. I had her pack her own gas this time ;-).




Out in the open it had warmed over 45 degrees. In this shot it was 101 degrees. Yes, this stop was to re-adjust layers.




After that, we lost the Barlow Trail due to ranchers fences everywhere. So we decided to head in to Wamic for lunch.




Somebody keeps the taxidermist busy.




But its clean inside!




Heading back from Wamic on the nine miles of slab to back-track our way over the Barlow Trail.




Where we eventually run into a couple of crazy sidecar guys pulled off the trail. One guy hands me his card.



LOL! Here is his ride report.


Back at the rig, a grey haired old woman tells me its dusty following me.




Not the way a TKC-80 should look. I discovered it flat with about two miles to go. Said f'it and rode the shoulder. The bead finally broke on one side with 100 feet to go.




And since we were near the brew pub at Government Camp.....




An Ice Axe IPA settled the dust quite nicely.




Thats all!

[Ladybug0048]

Nice report. Barlow is one of the many rides I want to do some day.

[Klay]

Originally Posted by XPLORZ

Back at the rig, a grey haired old woman tells me its dusty following me.

That looks like it was a nice day of trails. Thanks.