A6
LOCAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Gravel cycling takes people around the county
Dirty Freehub
provides routes
online
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA COUNTY
— An online nonprofi t
group that promotes gravel
bicycle routes is taking
advantage of the many
miles of gravel roads in
Wallowa County, as well
as the history and beauty of
the county by establishing
routes for gravel cycling.
The Bend-based Dirty
Freehub maps out routes
it shares with cyclists. The
group has a guide to more
than 8,000 miles of gravel
bike routes across Oregon,
Washington,
California,
Arizona and Tasmania.
So far, the group has
mapped four fi ve-star routes
in the county, according to
Executive Director Linda
English.
“One will go through
Zumwalt (Prairie) Pre-
serve,” English said in a
press release. “We will have
one that starts in Enter-
prise and uses Hurricane
Ridge, another that starts
in Imnaha and another that
uses logging/forest roads
up toward Hells Canyon
Lookout.”
Linda English/Dirty Freehub, Contributed Photo
Gravel cyclists traverse a route between Enterprise and Joseph recently. From left, are Kevin
English, Chris Kutach and Kelly Kutach.
Dirty Freehub’s
purpose
dirtyfreehub.org/Contributed Map
English said the group’s
goals are multiple.
“We’ve been provid-
ing fi ve-star gravel bike
route guides since 2014,
but becoming a nonprofi t
better refl ects our mis-
sion,” English said. “While
cyclists use our website to
This map, from Dirty Freehub’s website, shows a gravel bicycle
course in the Enterprise and Joseph areas.
fi nd routes, our real mission
is to connect cyclists to the
places they ride.”
The group also has other
missions.
“We have a bunch of
social missions: inspir-
ing people to get outside
and ride, utilizing exist-
ing roads but trying to keep
cyclists off busier roads,”
English said in an email.
“Economic development
for areas that depend on
tourism, inspiring cyclists
to become donors, volun-
teers and advocates to orga-
nizations that preserve the-
ses areas.”
She
said
Wallowa
County off ers some unique
opportunities for cyclists.
“To connect a cyclist to
where they ride, we can use
a variety of approaches,”
she said. “The stories about
the granges are fascinat-
ing. The history of Joseph,
information about the fi sh
hatchery and environmen-
tal info from organizations
that work to protect the
beauty of the area, the eco-
systems, etc.”
Dirty Freehub also is
focused on how to utilize
technology to help cyclists
fi nd the best routes.
“I’m so impressed with
the range of technology
they have implemented,”
said Chuck Allen, a board
member and retired Micro-
soft executive. “They off er
downloadable routes with
turn-by-turn directions, a
searchable database and
mapping overlays that let
you look at multiple routes
on a map in one area. With
media, they have pictures,
videos, and now podcasts.
They are really changing
the game of route guides.”
Another board mem-
ber, Mike Hobson, said
the group’s goals fi t right
into places like Wallowa
County communities.
“Farming towns … are
just a blast to ride,” he
said. “I love the big views
of the mountains and quiet
roads.”
He also noted that this
means tourism dollars to
communities that could
really benefi t.
And what about e-bikes?
Dirty Freehub fully sup-
ports gravel e-bikes, with
each route clearly tagged as
e-bike friendly.
Dirty Freehub’s past
Dirty Freehub has a long
history with gravel cycling.
“Back in 2014, Dirty
Freehub founders Linda
and Kevin (English) were
enthusiastically convincing
me that gravel was going
to be the next big thing
in cycling, they were on
the forefront of the gravel
scene with a pointed vision
to start creating routes for
their community to enjoy,”
said
Nicola
Cranmer,
& Skylight
Gallery
founder and general man-
ager of TWENTY24 Wom-
en’s Pro Cycling Team
and Dirty Freehub adviser.
“They were so passionate
about riding gravel, who
could have foreseen the
explosion of events, cul-
ture and participation in the
years that followed, they
were such visionaries.”
English said she’s partic-
ularly eager to get cyclists
around Wallowa County,
with which she’s become
familiar.
“We also love to help
with dispersing people;
we worked on routes that
used roads up toward Hells
Canyon Overlook and saw
absolutely nobody,” she
said. “Same thing with the
road up Zumwalt, which
was spectacular. There
are loads of great farm-
ing roads around Lostine
and Enterprise. Same thing
around Imnaha.”
Regarding the future
of Dirty Freehub, Linda
English said, “We will keep
adding route guides. Right
now we are focused on
Oregon, California, Wash-
ington and Arizona. We are
also adding information to
the existing route guides
including 2-minute vid-
eos that provide an amaz-
ing feel about the route and
podcasts that tell stories
about the history, culture,
or environment of an area.
We will add to our bike
packing routes and con-
tinue to learn more about
supporting e-bikes.”
For more information
about Dirty Freehub, go
to www.dirtyfreehub.org,
email
info@DirtyFree-
hub.org or call English at
541-550-8930.
Church
Directory
Finding books is
our specialty
CLUES ACROSS
1. “___ making a list ...”
4. Bedside fixture
8. The San Diego
Chicken, e.g.
14. Number not found in “The
Twelve Days of Christmas”
15. ___ fresca (Mexican drink)
16. Bird that may be black
and yellow
17. Study of government
revenue?
19. Sent an emoji, say
20. Classic sporty Ford,
informally
21. Be worthy of
23. Ultimatum word after “or”
24. Study of “Bodak Yellow”
rapper B?
30. Inverse of addition?
32. Feeler
33. Give a ticket to
35. Former student, briefly
36. Study of supermarket
conveyances?
41. Slightly open
43. Core, or meat
44. Coped
48. Writer’s block?
53. Study of the
Punxsutawney groundhog?
55. Relative of Hindi
56. Stomach woe
57. Gradually exhaust
58. Word after “physical”
or “mental”
62. Areas of study, and a
hint to 17-, 24-, 36- and
53-Across
65. “Let me get back to you”
66. Peach or beech
67. Youngster
68. Shower problem
69. Toy that isn’t fun in the
summer
70. Full show letters
CLUES DOWN
1. More popular
2. Allow
3. What the Equal Rights
Amendment combats
4. Come down
Joseph United
Methodist Church
Grace Lutheran
Church
3rd & Lake St. • Joseph
Pastor Cherie Dearth
10 AM Worship
Phone: 541-432-3102
409 West Main - Enterprise
Online AND In Person
For More Info
Worship
Online at
541-432-3102
JosephUMC.ORG
JosephUMC.org
SUNDAY
WORSHIP
at 9am
Pastor Cherie Dearth
Pastor John B. King Jr
phone (message): 541-426-4633
web: gracelutheranenterprise.com
Enterprise
Christian Church
St. Patrick’s
Episcopal Church
85035 Joseph Hwy • (541) 426-3449
We have ‘In-person worship” @ 9:00 am
(Guidelines observed)
Sunday School at 10:30
Parking Lot Radio/Facebook @ 9:00
100 NE 3rd St, Enterprise
NE 3rd & Main St
541-426-3439
Worship Service
Sunday 9:30am
David Bruce
Pastor, Enterprise Christian Church
Lostine
Presbyterian Church
Discussion Group 9:30 AM
Worship Service 11:00 AM
Childrens program during service
Blog: dancingforth.blogspot.com
5. Previously
6. It’s the word, sometimes
7. Single-___ system
8. Pain relief brand
9. Playground taunt
10. Half a dozen
11. Simple place to sleep
12. Spanish cheer
13. Kind of talk on the internet
18. Layered cookie
22. Org. that approves toothpaste
24. “I Am ___” (Jenner’s former
reality show)
25. Voice below soprano
26. She and her sister married Jacob
27. Nothing but
28. Antelope seen on safari
29. Thanksgiving root
31. TV adjunct, once
34. Food that might be juggled
36. “Pretty please?”
37. Disappearing sea in Asia
38. Well-off
39. Like a dirty fireplace
40. School meeting grp.
41. Sound booster
42. Rastafarian deity
45. Tony Stark’s beard
46. Shun
47. Quote from Homer
49. Like distilled water
50. Real estate developers’ plots
51. Person who may read a book
many times
52. Reaches a total of
54. Pains in the neck
57. Spun some records
58. That tomcat
59. ___ Lilly and Company
60. Everyone
61. Trip essential?
63. www address
64. Insect like a drone
107 E. Main • Enterprise • 541-426-3351
www.bookloftoregon.com
Summit Church
Sundays at 9:30 am and 11 am
Sundays
at 10 am
at the Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise.
at are
the required
Cloverleaf
Hall available
in Enterprise
Masks
- but made
at the door.
Pastor: David Pendleton
541.398.0597
Hwy 82, Lostine
www.summitchurchoregon.org
Stephen Kliewer, Minister
Cloverleaf Hall • 668 NW 1st St. • Enterprise, OR 97828
Wallowa
Assembly
of God
702 West Hwy 82
Wallowa, Oregon
541-886-8445
Sunday School • 9:am
Worship Service • 10:am
Pastor Tim Barton
Visit Us on
Seventh-Day Adventist
Church & School
305 Wagner (near the Cemetery)
P.O. Box N. Enterprise, OR 97828
Church 541-426-3751
School 541-426-8339
Pastor David Ballard 503-810-9886
Worship Hour
10:30 a.m. - Noon
Christ Covenant
Church
Pastor Terry Tollefson
Church Office: 541-263-0505
Worship 9:00 a.m.
723 College Street, Lostine
Enterprise Community
Congregational Church
Join us at the
BIG BROWN CHURCH
Sunday Worship 11:00 am
Sunday Worship 11:00 am
Bible Studies:
Bible Studies:
Sundays
9:30 am &
Sundays, 9:30 am &
Thursdays, 5:30 pm
Thursdays, 5:30 pm
Led by Lay Pastor Archie Hook
301 NE First St. • Enterprise, OR
Find us on Facebook! 541.426.3044