Escaping to the Emerald State: An Oregon Family Adventure
After months of lockdown and a school year finished entirely online, it was time for our family to break away from screens and depressing news cycles to reconnect with the real world. With our Ford F-150 loaded down with gear and dirt bikes, we left Southern California behind to chase some peace and good dirt in Oregon for a three-day ride. While Utah, Nevada, and Arizona were already flirting with triple-digit temperatures, Oregon promised ideal weather and an abundance of shade beneath its deep forest canopies. Preparation for the trip was minimal; we simply uploaded a track downloaded from AllTrails.com into our GPS and secured last-minute lodging in a couple of small Oregon towns.
The Three Sisters
The start of our backcountry route was immediately engaging as the track wound up into the mountains surrounding Bend, Oregon. The Three Sisters, as these volcanic peaks are known, stood like giant lighthouses, giving us a clear sense of direction whenever we caught a glimpse of their snowy summits through the thick forest foliage.
This first day delivered everything we had missed about dirt biking: a diverse mix of terrain ranging from fast fire roads to tight singletrack, allowing us to sharpen our skills and quickly get back into the groove. Our fleet consisted of a 350cc, a 450cc, and a 500cc machine, and every rider was having a blast—even though riding in close proximity was out of the question. Oregon’s notorious silt is everywhere, and the dust clouds kicked up by our motorcycles were occasionally as thick as a brick wall. Because visibility was less than ideal for group riding, we ended up spacing ourselves one to two minutes apart to avoid the treacherous rocks hidden beneath the soft powder.
Passing through the burn scars near Bend, we were pleasantly surprised by the majesty of the landscape. Rather than a feeling of desolation, the fallen trees opened up stunning, panoramic vistas. We stopped at a high point to soak in the magnificent views of the Sisters towering over 10,000 feet, their rugged peaks softened by a blanket of colorful Central Oregon wildflowers.
The Bad Track
Our second day proved to be a bit more challenging, courtesy of our poorly planned AllTrails route. Clearly plotted on a computer and never actually ground-tricked, the downloaded track rarely matched the reality of the physical trails. We found ourselves stopping frequently, relying on the topo maps built into our Voyager Pro to navigate the incredibly dense network of logging roads and singletrack cutting through the Deschutes National Forest.
However, getting lost is part of the adventure. The navigational detours led us down incredibly fun trails and over fallen logs we otherwise would have missed entirely. We also used the opportunity to switch bikes frequently, swapping between the featherweight agility of the KTM 350 EXC-F, the instant torque of the Husqvarna FE 501, and the rock-solid stability of the Honda CRF450L.
A Father’s Note: Racing each other was tempting in these conditions, but no matter how much you love speed, a father riding with his teenagers has to be the responsible one. Even though it was exhilarating to see the kids gaining confidence and stretching their cables, paternal instinct won out. I had to pull them back, telling them to calm down and keep it on the right side of the trail. Bummer—it was fun while it lasted!
By mid-afternoon, we resisted the urge to dive into Crescent Lake to wash the dust from our faces, pushing through at a brisk but safe pace to make up for lost time. After 180 miles of phenomenal riding, endless U-turns, and inhaling a few pounds of silt, we finally reached our cabin near the tiny town of Prospect just minutes before sunset. Dead tired, we fell asleep in a matter of seconds right after dinner.
Grand Finale
On the final day, we ditched our original route and downloaded a proven GPX file from GPS Kevin’s Pacific Divide Route. Because this track was recorded during an actual ride, it made all the difference in the world. The blue line on our GPS screen now accurately tracked the physical trails, allowing us to forget about time-consuming navigation and simply enjoy the flow.
Thanks to an overcast sky and a welcome dose of overnight moisture, the dirt quality was pristine. In the hills outside of Ashland, we stumbled upon a winding, rocky downhill that was so much fun we looped back around to ride it twice, swapping bikes once again. The agile KTM, the powerful Husqvarna, and the undaunted Honda (equipped with a Rekluse auto-clutch) each showed off their unique strengths on the technical terrain.
Then, just when we thought the trip couldn't get any better, we hit one of the finest stretches of pavement we’ve ever encountered. Corners cut perfectly through shoulders lined with wildflowers, and our versatile dual-sports instantly transformed into supermotos. We leaned effortlessly into the apexes, engines revving happily down the straights. The day was over before the smiles could leave our faces. We ended the weekend on such a high note that the fatigue and the taste of dust were instantly forgotten, replaced by a singular existential question: When do we ride next?
