ExplOregon Ride 10 : The Oregon Badlands

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The starkness of this state continues to astound me. If it isn't sweeping beaches, it's thick pine forests. But this ride I did yesterday showed me a part of the state that is forgotten by a lot of outsiders, but a well-known secret amongst residents

My ride started out in the bustling city of Bend. This city of over 80,000 used to be a small outpost in Central Oregon. I can actually remember the day not too long ago when Bend was this small, little community. But with an average of 300 days of sunshine and land to build on, Bend exploded with the snowbird population and has swelled to be one of the largest cities in Oregon and certainly the largest east of the Cascades. I parked my car right in the middle of Downtown on a busy Saturday night. The bars and small restaurants that lined Wall Street were packed and hopping. I had an inclination to duck into one of the smaller watering holes for a beer before the ride, but I really wanted to get on the road.

Downtown Bend in front of the Tower Theater

I headed due east out of Bend along Highway 20. This road, that stretches coast-to-coast from Newport to Boston, bisects Bend as it makes its easterly run. While dotted with strip malls and cinemas in Bend, the road quickly empties out into pure High Desert terrain. Despite the large amounts of traffic, you really started to feel the desolation and isolation of this region of Oregon. Central and Eastern Oregon are some of the most sparsely populated areas in the United States. You could go for hundreds of miles without seeing another person or house. Especially when I made the left-turn onto Dodds Road about 15 miles out Highway 20, all I could see was miles and miles of sagebrush and rocks.

Dodds Road straddles the western border of the Oregon Badlands. The Oregon Badlands is a federally-designated Wilderness area just east of Bend in the High Desert. An expansive area of protected desert habitat, the Badlands were formed millions of years ago through geologic uplift and lava flows. Nowadays, lava rock outcrops and undulating terrain support dry, desert plant life and hard-scrabble wildlife. You have to be tough to live out here as the winds can whip up to 30 or 40 mph and the temperatures in summer can climb to nearly 115 degrees while dropping to below freezing. Precipitation is few and far between as the little water that does fall, mostly as snow in winter, is channeled and preserved. Still, there are some hearty ranchers and farmers who have adapted to life out here and made a living.

The Oregon Badlands

 The seven miles or so on Dodds Road was the most isolation I had ever felt. I didn't pass one car. I didn't see one person. I always ride with my iPod turned on for entertainment and rhythm to climb hills, but I turned it off so I could literally hear silence. And silence I did hear. Nobody around for miles. No spread of civilization, It was me, my bike, the road ahead, and this environment. It was at this point I gained a huge appreciation for those settlers and cowboys of the past that had to traverse this land on foot or horseback. The daunting task shows their will-power and determination.

After Dodds Road, I made a right-turn to the tiny settlement of Alfalfa. Supporting only a Community Hall and a small general store, Alfalfa is essentially a wide spot in the road. I did some research on Wikipedia and found that Alfalfa used to have a one-room schoolhouse and post office until the 1980's, but those have all gone away. As the sun was setting, the windswept village quickly turned dark and I turned back to the west towards Bend.

Alfalfa Community Hall

Heading west on Alfalfa Market Road was the most difficult riding I have ever done. I rode straight into the most brutal headwind I've ever encountered since ExplOregon began. My best estimation was that the wind was somewhere between 25-30 mph. As I fought the wind, my body started to degrade. The constant exertion of effort put a lot of stress on my lower back making riding nearly unbearable. I would stop for a few moments to rest only to have my back flare up as soon as I got back on. It made for some difficult riding that made those eleven or so miles back to Bend the hardest eleven miles I have ever rode.

Sunset over the Badlands with the Cascades in the background

This trip was originally scheduled to be a two-day tour through Central Oregon. My plan was to originally ride the Badlands, drive back to Tumalo State Park and stay in the hiker/biker camping there, and then ride the Crooked River Gorge on Highway 27 from Prineville. But after the headwind, my heart wasn't really into it anymore. It was pushing nine o'clock, so I decided to pack the bike up and come home.

I got what I wanted out of the ride. I saw another side of the state that only adds to the ExplOregon experience. But I am tired and have decided to do one more ride. One more ride that defines Oregon. The ride is a simple one to guess: Crater Lake. A ride along the Rim Drive will close out ExplOregon. I think I might go here in a couple weeks, so stay tuned.

ExplOregon by Bike Ride 10: The Oregon Badlands Summary
Total Miles for Ride- 34.7 miles
Total Time on Bike-2.5 hours
Weather- High 50's to low 60's with Cloudy Skies
Miles Traveled Overall in ExplOregon- 478.2 miles
Time Spent on Bike Overall- 40.5 hours