Umpqua River Trail

MEETING TIME AND PLACE

This tour will begin at 8:30am PST at Marty's Cycle & Moore 720 Crater Lake Ave, Medford, Oregon, 541-772-9253. You will need to spend the night before in Medford.

ENDING TIME AND PLACE

We will return to Medford between 3:00-4:00 pm on the last day.

ITINERARY

TRIP DAY 1

After a three hour shuttle we begin our trip on the shores of Lemolo Lake at the northern end of the Umpqua Trail. Lemolo Lake is remote, with just a few campgrounds, and crystal blue water. We'll unload and have a quick lunch before our ride. We will pick up the Umpqua Trail right away on a contouring section that is a great warm-up and precursor to the week's ride. The Umpqua is named after the Native Americans who made this area their home. Some think the word Umpqua means satisfied---as we know you will be by the end of this week. The trail is cut into the steep wooded hillsides of the Umpqua River canyon, and while the trail surface itself is not very technical, the challenge is in maintaining good balance to keep your bike on the trail. Today's trail section is cut in the wooded northern slope of the lake snaking between the enormous pines that Oregon is famous for. We'll loop around a lush little stream, which is the very headwaters of the Umpqua River, and return on the same trail to our beach side camp on Lemolo Lake. TOTAL MILEAGE - 16 miles

TRIP DAY 2

Today is the big day, more for the name's sake than the mileage. Our trail section today is called Dread and Terror and you'll see right away what they mean. Our favorite forest service ranger deems this section his favorite; it is profound, dramatic and thrilling. The Umpqua River cuts through a gorge and our trail is etched into the edge. Though very well constructed and maintained there are some exposed moments. We'll pass Lemolo Falls, a 135 foot horsetail waterfall pouring over a wall of basalt. Here the gorge is so tight and the riding is so mesmerizing that we've had some riders miss the falls completely! Don't let that happen to you. Dread and Terror traverses across forested slopes, through grassy flats, steeply crosses a few streambeds and has generally been voted the most technical section of the trip. We pack a lunch to enjoy in the canyon and eventually meet the van for a refreshing soda. We'll resume riding the Umpqua Trail at the hot springs, a spur option off of the trail. We ride another 3.5 miles to our open meadow camp just up from Toketee Lake. There is a great side trip to the dramatic Toketee Falls for the extra energetic and a handy swimming option right from camp. TOTAL MILEAGE - 17 miles

TRIP DAY 3

From Toketee Lake we go east on the North Umpqua Trail, the Deer Leap Section. This is impressive trail building at its best with lots of ups and downs through massive hemlocks, cedars and Douglas Fir. We contour our way high above the river and get great views of the surrounding valleys. This trail is truly a dream. We'll break for lunch at the Soda Springs Dam where we can see giant schools of Coho and Chinook salmon. In the afternoon we ride the Jesse Wright section of the trail. Jesse and her husband Perry Wright homesteaded in this area in the early 1900's. Their outdoor lifestyle and dedication to the land of the North Umpqua is quite inspiring. After all of this spiritualness and inspiration, we arrive at Horseshoe Bend, our national forest campground on the river, with a true sense of "umpqua" or satisfaction. TOTAL MILEAGE - 18 miles

TRIP DAY 4

We continue on the North Umpqua River Trail back at the Marsters Bridge. This section includes some challenging ups and downs with great views of the river. There are some fun side canyons that we contour through as we follow the river east on the way to the ocean. If you pick a strategic resting spot and have a bit of patience, you will be rewarded with the heroic efforts of a very large salmon hurling itself skyward as it makes its way up river to spawn. Back on the trail, we continue to the Calf Creek Trailhead and the next section of trail. At the Mott Bridge we are going to leave the North Umpqua and head across the river to the Riverview Trail, a great cruise to our camp at Bogus Creek. From camp we have the option in the afternoon to lounge riverside or get back on the bike for a short but spectacular loop to Falls Creek Falls. TOTAL MILEAGE - 14 miles, optional additional 6 miles

TRIP DAY 5

We have saved some of the best trail and the best challenges for today. We will be hitting the trail early to head for the Tioga section of the trail. This includes 15 miles of rollicking through the forest. The first part is similar to the last few days with a few steeper pitches, both up and down. There is bit of a climb to negotiate Susan's Creek, but the real killer is Bob's Butte. The trail heads for a rocky outcrop and some wicked switchbacks before we top out in the trees for a well earned picnic lunch in the forest. For the grand finale we get a ripping descent back down to river level. Huge trees and big patches of vine maple make this twisty turny section a hoot. We finish our ride at a giant swimming hole with a beautiful granite beach. We'll load up and shuttle back to Medford. TOTAL MILEAGE - 15 miles

TERRAIN

Riding Surface: Singletrack, mostly firm pack, some loose pumice, smooth pine duff, and rocky sections. A few sections of grassy, rocky trail with exposure. Some dirt roads and a few miles of pavement.
Technical Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult.
Physical Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult.
Altitude: 4,000 - 6,500 feet.

Please Note: This is a technical singletrack trip. A high level of fitness is necessary and singletrack experience is highly recommended. We will be without vehicle support during all of the singletrack sections of the ride. Itineraries are subject to change due to weather, road conditions, rider safety, and other factors which may affect the logistics of the adventure.

TRAVEL LOGISTICS

-Driving
Medford is located near the southern border of Oregon on Interstate 5. There is parking available at the bike shop.

-Flying into Medford
Airport Code: MFR
You can get a cab to your hotel.

-Flying into Portland, OR
Airport Code: PDX
You can rent a car in Portland and park it at the bike shop. This is a beautiful 4-1/2 hour drive.

-Flying into Eugene, OR
Airport Code: EUG
You can rent a car and park it at the hotel. It's a 2- 1/2 hour drive.

TAXI SERVICE

Valley Cab 541-772-1818

LODGING

Medford is a popular summer vacation spot. It is a good idea to book your rooms several months in advance if possible and these are our recommendations.

These first three hotels are less than a mile from the bike shop.

Hampton Inn
$130-145
541-779-0660, 800-426-7866

Shilo Inn
$65-80
541-770-5151, 800-222-2244
offers airport shuttles

Comfort Inn South
$90-115
541-772-8000, 800-424-6423
Located downtown. There is a bike path right behind the Comfort Inn that will eventually run the whole way to Ashland, Oregon.

Holiday Inn Express
$110-130
541-732-1400, 800-465-4329

Above rates are approximate.

WEATHER

There are really just two kinds of weather: weather you like and weather you do not like. Come prepared for both and you won't care what the weather does.

If you have questions about temperatures for your specific trip please feel free to give us a call 800-845-2453 or email us at biking@westernspirit.com. We will be happy to give you packing suggestions and help you with ideas for things to do before and after your bike trip.

PACKING FOR YOUR TRIP

You will receive a tour packing list with your tour confirmation package. Be sure to bring everything on this list. Weather in the mountains can be unpredictable so be sure to bring all the warm clothing and rain gear listed! Please pack all of your gear in a medium to large duffel. It will ride in the trailer. If you have any questions about anything on the list, please call us.

SHIPPING YOUR BIKE

You are welcome to ship your bike to us in advance of your trip. For a moderate fee we will unpack it, build it, and ship it back home to you afterwards. Bikes can be insured to $4,000. Domestic shipping only. If you decide you want to go this route, you must call us in advance of your trip so we can inform the shop that your bike is on its way. We highly recommend having your bike tuned up before your tour. Our guides are fine mechanics, but there aren't any bike shops in the backcountry!

To ship your bike UPS, send it to Marty's Cycle & Moore, 720 Crater Lake Ave, Medford, OR 97504; 541-772-9253. It is critical that you include your name, "Western Spirit Cycling" and tour date on the outside of the box. Check with your local UPS people for the number of days needed for it to arrive in time. It is imperative to have your bike finely tuned and cleaned before your tour so you know it is in top running condition.

If you have any other questions about trip logistics, please feel free to send us an email or, better yet, to call us at 800-845-2453. We will be happy to try to help you answer any other questions you might have about our bike trips.

THINGS TO DO

RESTAURANTS

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
Boulangerie Rue De Main - 237 East Main Street, (541)772-5532

DINNER
Abby's Legendary Pizza - 1080 riverside Ave, (541)773-5568
China Peony - 36 Salem St, (781) 396-4865

MAPS

Your guides will have all the maps necessary for your trip. If you would like your own copy for a souvenir, here is all the info:

For both the Crater Lake Road Tour and the Umpqua River go to store.usgs.gov. To get to the Forest Service maps go to "Featured Products" and then under "Go to product line" choose US Forest Service Maps. Phew. . Choose the state of Oregon and pick map 111622 UMPQUA NATIONAL FOREST OREGON NF, OR

ACTIVITIES
We suggest a trip to historic Ashland, about 15 minutes south of Medford. Ashland is famous for it's Shakespeare Festival and they also have an artisan fair on Sunday mornings. It's a college town with good energy, lots of cool shops, and a park where you can learn about all of Oregon's trees!

For additional information from the Medford visitor's board go to http://www.visitmedford.org/ or call 800-469-6307 ext. 8521.

For rafting adventures and unique guests houses on the Umpqua River go to nuorafting.com and umpquarivers.com.
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