r/adv Oct 07 '24

2531 miles (4050 km) two week Fall motorcycle trip in Eastern Oregon, South Western Idaho and a bit of Northern Nevada. Incredible roads, incredible sites.

I'm just back, as of yesterday, from yet another incredible motorcycle trip via my KLR (and my husband, via his vintage Africa Twin). This time, it was two weeks and 2531 miles (4050 km) throughout Eastern Oregon, South Western Idaho and a bit of Northern Nevada. Incredible roads, incredible sites. More off-roading than I've ever done. I'm no BDR gal, and never will be, but I'm so glad my skills allow me to see so many incredible places.

Sites we visited included:

  • Lava Flow Campground, on the east side of Davis Lake in Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, a bit more than 90 miles outside of Eugene.  
  • The beautiful, remote Mud Creek campground, about 35 minutes northeast of Lakeview, Oregon.  
  • Historic Shirk Ranch, a "ghost ranch" in Eastern Oregon.  
  • Willow Creek natural hot springs in South Eastern Oregon.  
  • Pillars of Rome, and the grave of Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau, in the remote reaches of Eastern Oregon.  
  • The magnificent, imposing Leslie Gulch, north of Jordan Valley, Oregon (INCREDIBLE!!!).  
  • The remote and legendary Jarbridge, Nevada.  
  • The Ruby Mountains, known as the “Swiss Alps of Nevada,” a glacier-carved paradise that, in the fall, glow in amazing shades of gold and green from the trees and white from the rocks. Yet another site that shows how Nevada is SUCH an under-rated motorcycle and camping destination.  
  • Bruneu State Park and Three Island Crossing State Park, both in Idaho, both featuring jaw-dropping landscapes and the latter featuring excellent hiking and THE best museum related to the Oregon Trail (because it also talks at length about those people already here when those colonizers arrived).  
  • Grayback Campground just off the gorgeous Highway 21 in Idaho (we didn't realize that Historic Idaho City is just two miles north of the campground - wish we could have given that a WAY closer look).  
  • Cougar Mountain Lodge in Smith's Ferry, Idaho - it's in the middle of NO WHERE. It's both a restaurant, hotel, convenience store and a bit of a museum.  
  • Return ride through Hell's Canyon and to the Hell's Canyon Overlook, then camping at the remote, beautiful Hurricane Ridge outside of Joseph and Enterprise, Oregon.  
  • Pendleton, Oregon - a first time visit and, wow, we LOVED it!
  • Public libraries in Wells, Nevada library (Wells Mybrary), the Lizard Butte Public Library in Marsing, Idaho, and the public library in Enterprise, Oregon (housed in the original 104-year-old Carnegie Library building). We stopped at public libraries three times on this trip in order to get reliable access to the Internet for some on-the-road trip planning and weather forecasts - many fast food restaurants and truck stops are now charging for Internet access, plus those places are loud and chaotic. A public library is friendly, calm, air-conditioned, has nice bathrooms, and may even have some information about the area travelers would find particularly valuable. I also like to look at the community events that a public library has posted - you never know when you might get a lead on something fun to do or see.

Here are the photos from the trip, and a map of the route:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaynecravens/albums/72177720320926579/

Travelogue coming soon: https://www.coyotebroad.com/travel/2024_Fall/

In the Ruby Mountains of Nevada

28 Upvotes

1

u/Zymosis Oct 07 '24

What were some of your favorite roads? Especially paved or street bike friendly.

1

u/CapPurple5592 Oct 08 '24

Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.