Wednesday, July 13, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
21
Commentary...
Suttle Tie Trail offers Cascade views
By Mike Morical
The Bulletin
SISTERS (AP) — The
Deschutes National Forest
just northwest of Sisters has
long held a commanding
allure for me when it comes
to outdoor pursuits.
The fascination starts with
the Metolius River, where
I took my son on his first
camping trip when he was
five years old and where we
return for a few days each
summer — now with his lit-
tle sister as well — to watch
the towering ponderosa pines
climb toward the Milky Way
in a clear night sky, pig out on
s’mores and pray we catch at
least one rainbow trout.
But even without the nos-
talgia, that part of Central
Oregon is a special place.
Sure, it is located on the
crowded traffic corridor
along U.S. Highway 20 that
links the High Desert and
the Willamette Valley. But
venture off the highway just
a few miles and you find
paradise.
Northeast of the high-
way is Black Butte and the
Metolius. Southeast of the
highway is a lesser-known
mountain bike trail that starts
near Black Butte Ranch.
The Suttle Tie Trail, by
itself, is perhaps a forgettable
stretch of doubletrack and
singletrack. But where it is
located, among giant ponder-
osa and lodgepole pines, yel-
low wildflowers and bloom-
ing manzanita (this time of
year), makes it memorable.
And it leads to the 4-mile
loop trail around shimmer-
ing Suttle Lake, making for
a scenic 14-mile ride that is
ideal for mountain bikers of
almost any skill level because
the trail is relatively flat and
nontechnical.
The trailhead is about a
45-minute drive from Bend,
located just off Highway 20
at George McAllister Road.
After parking at the trail-
head last week, I mounted my
bike and began the ride. The
trail started as a dirt road, then
merged into singletrack a few
miles in. Eventually, snow-
covered Mount Jefferson
popped up on the horizon.
Soon I crossed a forest
road and came upon scenic
Lake Creek, which flows
out of the east end of Suttle
Lake. The trail there took me
through a dense canopy of
trees — almost like riding
through a dark tunnel even on
a bright, sunny day.
The relatively new Lake
Creek Trail passes under a
short bridge on Highway 20
and follows the creek north-
east all the way to Camp
Sherman and the Metolius
River. It starts out as single-
track but eventually becomes
more of a dirt road closer to
Camp Sherman.
Deep in the trees, I merged
onto the Suttle Lake Loop
Trail and soon thereafter
arrived at the east end of the
lake.
The trail was just a few
feet from the shore as I rode
the loop clockwise around the
lake. That portion of the trail,
on the lake’s south side, runs
through several campsites,
so bikers should yield to any
campers.
The loop trail also attracts
many runners and hikers in
the summertime, so riding
under control is a must.
Riding past the campsites
got me excited for camp-
ing this summer, bringing to
mind those long days outside
with the kids. While most of
the sites were empty on that
midweek day, they will no
doubt fill up fast on summer
weekends, as the four camp-
grounds in the Suttle Lake
area are extremely popular.
After cruising over a small
bridge to the north side of
Suttle Lake, I glanced back
and saw Mount Washington
— still mostly covered in
snow — towering over the
lake in the distance.
On the north side of the
lake, several anglers cast their
lines from shore, taking their
chances at landing some of
the kokanee, brown trout and
whitefish that make the 250-
acre lake their home.
I cruised along the trail,
picking up speed as a cou-
ple of butterflies fluttered
past my handlebars. At the
day-use area on the east end
of the lake, I stopped for a
quick snack and to take in
the view of Cache Mountain
and Mount Washington rising
above the sun-splashed water.
The Suttle Tie Trail made
for a fairly quick ride back to
the car to complete the lolli-
pop route.
For a shorter option, rid-
ers could also drive to Suttle
Lake Resort and ride only
the four-mile loop around the
lake. The loop trail is family-
friendly, and many sections
could be easily ridden by
youngsters.
To get in more miles in the
Sisters area, mountain bik-
ers can head to the Peterson
Ridge Trailhead just south of
town. The area is home to a
vast network of trails that vol-
unteers with the Sisters Trail
Alliance have spent thou-
sands of hours improving in
recent years.
On my way back to Bend,
I stopped in Sisters and rode
a quick six miles at Peterson
Ridge to make it a 20-mile
day.
But the 14-mile Suttle Tie
and Loop makes for a com-
plete ride, both for novice
mountain bikers and for more
advanced riders.
And it takes bikers through
a truly majestic section of the
Deschutes National Forest.
Directions: From Sisters,
drive 10 miles northwest on
U.S. Highway 20. Turn left
on George McAllister Road
and park immediately.
Distance: About a 14-mile
ride total, two to three hours.
Rating: Technically easy
and aerobically moderate.
Trail features: Relatively
flat and rolling single-
track through a ponderosa
and lodgepole pine forest
along the Suttle Tie Trail,
which includes doubletrack
and singletrack. Views of
Lake Creek and Suttle Lake
along the singletrack Suttle
Lake Loop Trail. Avoid
the loop on busy summer
weekends.