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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2022)
SPORTS PULLOUT & CLASSIFIEDS INSIDE • B SECTION • FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022 THE REGION’S HUB FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURES Get text alerts with up-to-date outdoor activities and events around Central Oregon. Scan the QR code or go to bendbulletin.com/text Time to hit the HIGH country Mark Morical/Bulletin photos Bend’s Will Mowry, 15, rides up the Tumalo Ridge Trail west of Bend on Tuesday. Tumalo Ridge-South Fork loop is a classic Central Oregon summertime ride BY MARK MORICAL • The Bulletin S KYLINER SNO-PARK — It was an exceptional spring of mountain biking here in Central Oregon, as frequent rains made for ideal trail conditions on our renowned singletrack. Summer is in full swing, and that means drier conditions and dustier trails, but it also means more options for higher-elevation rides. After significant snowfall well into May this year, some trails in the high country remain under snow. But others are now rideable, including the Tumalo Ridge-Swede Ridge-South Fork loop. The 14-mile route is one of my favor- ites in Central Oregon, and it requires just a half-day commitment. While it does not include free-ride jumps and features like the Wanoga area (also west of Bend) that might appeal more to the modern mountain biker, it does feature some grueling climbs, panoramic views and speedy downhill. Emma Maaranen rides through trees that have been marked orange to protect the ride-feel of the trail. Submitted photo I made the 10-mile drive to Skyliner Sno-park, just a couple of miles before Tumalo Falls, on Tuesday. I started out on the Tumalo Ridge Trail, which took me on a switchback- ing climb above Tumalo Creek and the Bridge Creek Burn area. A fire in 1979 tore through the area and opened up dramatic mountain views of Broken Top, South Sisters, Mount Bachelor and Tumalo Mountain. The steep climb was a challenging way to start a ride, but I reached the top of the ridge in just a half-hour or so. Tumalo Creek trickled far below, cutting through the narrow valley. The trail soon rolled through a downhill stretch, and I gained speed as the singletrack weaved among tow- ering ponderosa pines and Douglas fir trees. Eventually I arrived in a clearing along thick snowbrush and manzanita, with sprawling views of Cascade peaks to the west. Soon thereafter, the singletrack turned to doubletrack and I began the long, slow climb toward Swede Ridge Shelter. This might be the toughest A mountain biker rides the South Fork Trail near Tumalo Falls on Tuesday. stretch of the loop, as the climbing seems endless along the dirt road. But I finally arrived at the shelter, located at about 6,000 feet in elevation. See Ride / B9 Deciphering the West Bend Project and tree-marking system BY EMMA MAARANEN For The Bulletin It’s Friday after work, and I’m pedaling up to ride Lower Whoops. The trail is closed weekdays for logging operations but opens at 3 p.m. on Friday for the weekend. I’ve not ridden the trails in the closed area since last fall and am excited to do a few Marking refers to those spray paint rings you see on trees. Orange paint designates a tree that must be left standing. Blue-painted trees are ones that need to go to thin the number of trees. playful laps. When I get to the area I’m shocked by the altered look of the forest. Bare ground, little canopy, and one of my favorite big trees is gone. It’s hard not to be upset seeing a place I love be- ing changed. Is the forest go- ing to recover? With this question in mind, I reached out to the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project. The DCFP is a group of wild- life biologists, ecologists, ge- ologists, recreation advocates and logging industry profes- sionals who have studied the science of a dry forest ecosys- tem and are working to find a balance of interests. See Trees / B9
