I cut my teeth learning to ride on the McKenzie River Trail. As a student at the University of Oregon in the latter part of the 90's, it was the obvious destination, given its prominence in the local guide books. Fast forward almost 10 years later, and I found myself visiting this epic trail once again. Even after moving away from Eugene, we would make our regular pilgrimage yearly to ride the trail.
However, after moving to the California Bay area the trips stopped happening, and were replaced by other local riding destination. Almost eight years after my last visit, I've returned to experience the wonder this trail has to offer. In what feels like a previous life, I had ridden the trail on everything from a lightweight Ti hardtail complete with a Sid fork, to what was then a heavy freeride bike. This time I came prepared with my current favorite steed- a sub 30lb. all mountain bike equipped with an adjustable height seat post, and it resulted in my best experience to date.
The starting point at the top of the MRT. Photo: Jason Van Horn
The trail is about 26.5 miles in length end to end. In the past, I had ridden it as an out and back, skipping the lower section of trail to start at the ranger station near the lower camp ground. This season we're finding ourselves on a return to form, but as it was my birthday, elected to ride it as a one way all mountain shuttle. Taking advantage of the local shuttle service, we parked at the bottom trail head, and began our experience at the trail head near Fish Lake.
During the time I've spent away, I've not only grown as a rider, but having spent a significant amount of time talking about and building trails, I have an appreciation for trail design and construction at a level I never had before. Seeing the MRT with these new eyes brought a whole new level of appreciation for what the designers of this trail have accomplished with this masterpiece of single track.
Inga Beck flies down the MRT with Clear Lake in the background. Photo: Jason Van Horn
Like any contemporary sustainable trail, it was built using a rolling contour design that follows the roll of the land. The route runs parallel the river that acts as its namesake, and along the way, passes a number of natural features that will give any rider pause to appreciate the spectacle of nature surrounding you. Unlike many great northwest trails, the scenery surrounding the twisty single trail shifts several times, as does the surface. Through it all, the flow of the trail continues, with shifts in the tread surface varying from smooth and pine needle covered, to tighter and root covered, to rocky, and includes some of the most fun rock gardens you'll find anywhere.
Mossy twisty trail goodness. Photo: J. Van Horn
The most notable shift in flow happens when you near the Clear Lake area. Due to the camp ground and recreation on the lake, the trail is at its busiest here, and the tread reflects this. None of the flow this trail is known for is lost though, and with excellent sight lines, it is possible to maintain high speeds and slow down appropriately before approaching hikers without any conflict with the users on foot. In fact, the faster you ride this trail, the better it gets. Assuming the incredible blue hue from the body of water on your left doesn't distract you into dismounting and pulling your camera out, the smooth surface of the upper trail will have you reminiscing of Jedi speeders on Endor as you swoop along every turn. At this point in the trail, our companion on her hardtail was smiling the hardest.
Tim Zimmerman negotiates one of the numerous bridges on the MRT. Photo: J. Van Horn
This smile ended briefly as a wrong turn brought confusion and added additional time and mileage to our ride. When passing Clear Lake, you have the option of riding the buttery green/ blue level trail, or negotiating the lava flow section on the other side of the lake. We ended up riding around the entire lake and managed to experience it all. The lava flow section on the upper trail is easily the most technical part of the trail- should you attempt to ride all of it. A few sections are paved, making progress easier. Amazingly, even the paved sections echo the flow this trail is famous for.
After finding ourselves riding back to our original start point, we recognized our error turned in the correct direction towards Sahalie Falls. As we leave the Clear Lake area, the trail's twists and turn tighten up, while the flow remains, the speeds drop as the tread becomes more technical as you thread your way between trees and moss covered rocks.
One of the many incredible views from the trail. Photo: J. Van Horn
As we ride down the trail even further, my aggressive pace became ever more challenging to maintain, as the lava rocks on both sides of the trail promise retribution for those that lose focus. The sight gave me flashbacks to the first time I rode the trail and encountered the rocks painfully due to errors with my then-new clip in pedals. A decade later, I'm a seasoned rider, and attacking the trail in a way that fully takes advantage of the lightweight travel and high volume tires of today. At one point, due to a flicker in attention in a moment of fatigue, I make my latest offering to the trail and fall over heavily on a rock. Dues paid, I pick myself up, and while I'm partaking in some energy food and water my companions roll up. More photos are taken, and exclamations of praise are spoken aloud for the unknown trail builders that created the riding experience we were enjoying.
Inga Beck negotiates a section of trail that passes through lava flow. Photo: J. Van Horn
After lunch we continue on our way, stopping frequently to appreciate and document the gorgeous sight of the falling water and glistening pools. The incredible turns and unending flow keep the adrenalin levels high, and each turn motivates more effort from the legs. The epic flow never lets up until we finally reach the end, where we collapse in the parking lot, smiles permanently affixed to our sweaty faces.
One of the best trails in Oregon? Yes. Photo: J. Van Horn
For more information on the epic McKenzie River Trail click here.
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