All roads lead to LaPine. Some are pretty smokey.

With all the wild fires what routes are folks taking to the Rueben Run? Many of our favorite roads are going to be pretty smokey or worse.

I was thinking of taking a westerly route, staying west of I-5, and going east around Salem or Eugene.

Someone told me Terratorial Rd in OR is awsome. Anyone familiar?

Not familiar with that road. Will have to look it up. I can say that when the sun came up this morning I can see blue sky and the mountains. Supposed to last for a while.

Hey Allrider great minds are thinking alike. I haven't been on Territorial Rd so I may have to check it out if nobody chimes in here.

Looks like it runs through farm country in the willamet valley. Internet says it's county maintained so should be paved but the road to my house is supposed to be county maintained also. The only thing they do is collect the taxes. Try that road and report when you get here.

FJRay said:

Looks like it runs through farm country in the willamet valley. Internet says it's county maintained so should be paved but the road to my house is supposed to be county maintained also. The only thing they do is collect the taxes. Try that road and report when you get here.

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Yeah even some of the state roads in Western Oregon will knock your fillings out and wrench your back as they get a lot of log truck traffic.

I spend a bit of time this morning checking out NE Oregon web cams. It looks pretty good over there. Here is a lists of sites:

1) Trip Check - Clicking on the camera icons worked best using IE. (not so good in Chrome)

2) Grant County Airport @ John Day.

3) Sheep Rock at John Day Fossil Beds (wonder if Bust was ever there)

Things are looking up......

Thanks for that, Jim. It's good to see the air looking pretty clear with those traffic cams. Two weeks ago the smoke was a lot worse all around LaPine, north, south and east, that I can speak to. Looks like another good RR.

Nothing but beautiful smoke free scenery. Or you money back!

dcarver said:

Nothing but beautiful smoke free scenery. Or you money back!

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Glad you're talking with your checkbook.

I'm looking at this for Thursday staying either staying in Corvallis or Eugene then picking 20, 126 or 58 depending on what the smoke & fire maps say.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Edmonds,+WA/Quilcene,+WA/Matlock,+WA/Olney,+OR/Elsie,+OR/Blaine,+OR/Eugene,+OR/@43.9789759,-122.9372117,10.25z/data=!4m54!4m53!1m5!1m1!1s0x54901b1d8b6c6fe9:0x72449f271b246a0!2m2!1d-122.3773551!2d47.8106521!1m5!1m1!1s0x548fd8434add83a3:0x8a2c71e11a50d07b!2m2!1d-122.8757198!2d47.8223137!1m5!1m1!1s0x54918d7d7f67a6c1:0xd79f34206b7f763d!2m2!1d-123.407894!2d47.2381309!1m5!1m1!1s0x54949d5d40e5cc5f:0xece5497dc2c2abeb!2m2!1d-123.75639!2d46.10028!1m5!1m1!1s0x549494607149f321:0x63e670e3a4538e26!2m2!1d-123.5948486!2d45.8656665!1m15!1m1!1s0x54ead1dfbc308931:0x6549929ad226d031!2m2!1d-123.7045586!2d45.2773303!3m4!1m2!1d-123.229459!2d44.8323361!3s0x54c01b4d0ca28183:0x56fa9d5e9fb75cda!3m4!1m2!1d-123.2846731!2d44.3919971!3s0x54c0503645f39079:0x1e374baa04e73f8f!1m5!1m1!1s0x54c119b0ac501919:0x57ec61894a43894d!2m2!1d-123.0867536!2d44.0520691!3e0?hl=en

Panman said:

I'm looking at this for Thursday staying either staying in Corvallis or Eugene then picking 20, 126 or 58 depending on what the smoke & fire maps say.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Edmonds,+WA/Quilcene,+WA/Matlock,+WA/Olney,+OR/Elsie,+OR/Blaine,+OR/Eugene,+OR/@43.9789759,-122.9372117,10.25z/data=!4m54!4m53!1m5!1m1!1s0x54901b1d8b6c6fe9:0x72449f271b246a0!2m2!1d-122.3773551!2d47.8106521!1m5!1m1!1s0x548fd8434add83a3:0x8a2c71e11a50d07b!2m2!1d-122.8757198!2d47.8223137!1m5!1m1!1s0x54918d7d7f67a6c1:0xd79f34206b7f763d!2m2!1d-123.407894!2d47.2381309!1m5!1m1!1s0x54949d5d40e5cc5f:0xece5497dc2c2abeb!2m2!1d-123.75639!2d46.10028!1m5!1m1!1s0x549494607149f321:0x63e670e3a4538e26!2m2!1d-123.5948486!2d45.8656665!1m15!1m1!1s0x54ead1dfbc308931:0x6549929ad226d031!2m2!1d-123.7045586!2d45.2773303!3m4!1m2!1d-123.229459!2d44.8323361!3s0x54c01b4d0ca28183:0x56fa9d5e9fb75cda!3m4!1m2!1d-123.2846731!2d44.3919971!3s0x54c0503645f39079:0x1e374baa04e73f8f!1m5!1m1!1s0x54c119b0ac501919:0x57ec61894a43894d!2m2!1d-123.0867536!2d44.0520691!3e0?hl=en

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If you take 58 follow the sign for the Crescent cut off east of Crescent lake and then take Cascades Lakes hwy to Century drive and then Burgess to Lapine. If it isn't to smokey and you have time follow Cascade Lakes hwy around Mt. Bachelor and then to Sun River and on to Lapine. If you decide on 126 remember that 242 is closed for the duration. It's still a fun road.

I had seen that McKenzie was closed, I also thought the Oakridge to Cougar Reservoir might be a bad choice being a goat trail and all.

I do like the ride your stating "follow Cascade Lakes hwy around Mt. Bachelor" but maybe a stop by the Deschutes Brewery for a Black Butte Porter.

Riding the "box" is looking up!

--G

Panman said:

I'm looking at this for Thursday staying either staying in Corvallis or Eugene then picking 20, 126 or 58 depending on what the smoke & fire maps say.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Edmonds,+WA/Quilcene,+WA/Matlock,+WA/Olney,+OR/Elsie,+OR/Blaine,+OR/Eugene,+OR/@43.9789759,-122.9372117,10.25z/data=!4m54!4m53!1m5!1m1!1s0x54901b1d8b6c6fe9:0x72449f271b246a0!2m2!1d-122.3773551!2d47.8106521!1m5!1m1!1s0x548fd8434add83a3:0x8a2c71e11a50d07b!2m2!1d-122.8757198!2d47.8223137!1m5!1m1!1s0x54918d7d7f67a6c1:0xd79f34206b7f763d!2m2!1d-123.407894!2d47.2381309!1m5!1m1!1s0x54949d5d40e5cc5f:0xece5497dc2c2abeb!2m2!1d-123.75639!2d46.10028!1m5!1m1!1s0x549494607149f321:0x63e670e3a4538e26!2m2!1d-123.5948486!2d45.8656665!1m15!1m1!1s0x54ead1dfbc308931:0x6549929ad226d031!2m2!1d-123.7045586!2d45.2773303!3m4!1m2!1d-123.229459!2d44.8323361!3s0x54c01b4d0ca28183:0x56fa9d5e9fb75cda!3m4!1m2!1d-123.2846731!2d44.3919971!3s0x54c0503645f39079:0x1e374baa04e73f8f!1m5!1m1!1s0x54c119b0ac501919:0x57ec61894a43894d!2m2!1d-123.0867536!2d44.0520691!3e0?hl=en

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Oregon Hwy 53 is a very nice road!

FJRay said:

Looks like it runs through farm country in the willamet valley. Internet says it's county maintained so should be paved but the road to my house is supposed to be county maintained also. The only thing they do is collect the taxes. Try that road and report when you get here.

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Judging by the street level views in Google Earth it looks to be a pretty good road!

Mike Cook and I are doing the 500 mile route shown below on Friday. Yakima River Canyon, Bickleton Hwy, Hwy 206, Hwy 19, Hwy 218, Hwy 293, Madras Hwy to Crooked River Road then on to La Pine.

Panman said:

I'm looking at this for Thursday staying either staying in Corvallis or Eugene then picking 20, 126 or 58 depending on what the smoke & fire maps say.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Edmonds,+WA/Quilcene,+WA/Matlock,+WA/Olney,+OR/Elsie,+OR/Blaine,+OR/Eugene,+OR/@43.9789759,-122.9372117,10.25z/data=!4m54!4m53!1m5!1m1!1s0x54901b1d8b6c6fe9:0x72449f271b246a0!2m2!1d-122.3773551!2d47.8106521!1m5!1m1!1s0x548fd8434add83a3:0x8a2c71e11a50d07b!2m2!1d-122.8757198!2d47.8223137!1m5!1m1!1s0x54918d7d7f67a6c1:0xd79f34206b7f763d!2m2!1d-123.407894!2d47.2381309!1m5!1m1!1s0x54949d5d40e5cc5f:0xece5497dc2c2abeb!2m2!1d-123.75639!2d46.10028!1m5!1m1!1s0x549494607149f321:0x63e670e3a4538e26!2m2!1d-123.5948486!2d45.8656665!1m15!1m1!1s0x54ead1dfbc308931:0x6549929ad226d031!2m2!1d-123.7045586!2d45.2773303!3m4!1m2!1d-123.229459!2d44.8323361!3s0x54c01b4d0ca28183:0x56fa9d5e9fb75cda!3m4!1m2!1d-123.2846731!2d44.3919971!3s0x54c0503645f39079:0x1e374baa04e73f8f!1m5!1m1!1s0x54c119b0ac501919:0x57ec61894a43894d!2m2!1d-123.0867536!2d44.0520691!3e0?hl=en

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Kevin, be careful on the stretch of 202 from Olney. It has been a little white sense I've taken it but there are a lot of dips, holes, drops, ect... It has the ability to be an amazing road, but it is used by a lot of log trucks and dump trucks. It is still worth going down, but just be extra vigilant.

Carl

Blue sky this morning. Virtually no smoke. Weather for the weekend looks good with highs in the 70's for good riding.

AdamK said:

Mike Cook and I are doing the 500 mile route shown below on Friday. Yakima River Canyon, Bickleton Hwy, Hwy 206, Hwy 19, Hwy 218, Hwy 293, Madras Hwy to Crooked River Road then on to La Pine.

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Going through Bickleton, eh? Fun.

I've been through there just once riding my 86 Concours in ~1996. The other bikes were an 86 Concours and a brand new Triumph Daytona 1200. As we headed east from Bickleton the Daytona disappeared even though we weren't letting the grass grow underneath the Connies. When we caught up with the Daytona it was parked where there's a good overview of the lower lying countryside and the dude looked like he should have been "smoking a cigarette.....".

We parked our bikes, bellied up to him and asked, "Well...how fast"?

He said, "155".



No wonder we lost sight of him.