[Wherewolf]

The short version of my North Umpqua ride with UncleMTB, long version and more photos on my site.

The plan: meet UncleMTB in Roseburg Oregon on Saturday and ride 36.2 miles of the IMBA certified epic North Umpqua Trail on Sunday.

Saturday: I wake up with knees covered in blisters from allergic reaction to neoprene, but drive 500 miles to Roseburg and meet UncleMTB.

Sunday Morning: UncleMTB's truck has dead alternator and battery and no jumper cables so we roll start it. Eat breakfast and roll start again. Caravan 55 miles and drop off my truck. Drive dying truck 40 miles into the wilderness and park on a hill hoping to roll start it when we return at the end of the day. Self proclaimed "mountain man" at the trailhead warns we "flatlanders" will die if we try to ride the "Dread and Terror" section. Ride report posted on mtbr.com begs to differ. UncleMTB decides we had better ride fireroad bypassing that section, but I trick him into riding it. It is difficult but doable and spectacular, but I have to wear my knee braces over the blisters. 23 miles and many hours later we begin to worry about dying truck with no lights awaiting us. We skip the rest of the singletrack and take road back to my truck. We drive back to dying truck, roll start it and get it to Klamath Falls as darkness approaches.

Monday morning: truck now dead. No roll start and literally burns up some guys jumper cables. Time to call AAA and I leave. 40 miles from home at 75 mph in lane four I get first flat tire in my life. Not easy getting to right shoulder and fixing it in 100 degrees along busy freeway.

Was it worth it? You bet! A few photos below, video in a day or so.

Dread and Terror trail map

Nice trail

UncleMTB taking a cold shower

UncleMTB

UncleMTB

Rare photo of me

 

[Sasquatch]

sounds like yall m,anaged to have fun despite all the car troubles. I still havent made it down to the Umpqua trail. Can you give more details about what make sthe trail difficult thru Dread and Terror, It it the climbing? Rocky and rooty trails, or is it just alot of exposure and a skiny trail (or is it all 3)??? I still plan on doing the whole ride over a long weeeknd this summer. 26 miles a day sounds pretty easy, but I am concerned that I am missing something about the difficulty. How much climhing did you do throughout your ride? Was it sustained, or lottsa short climbs, and was it really steep. Is it SSable (not for me)?? Nice pics, and sorry about the alternator problems, but good job on not letting it ruin the trip. Later, Sasquatch

 

[Wherewolf]

Challenging but not terribly difficult

UncleMTB said we only did 1,700 ft of climbing. It felt like a lot because there were lots of short steep climbs. As I said the trail was challenging but not really that difficult, even for me. And I'm old, I've averaged less than one ride per week for the past two years and I have really bad knees. The short steep climbs kill my knees. I believe UncleMTB never got off the bike on that section. There is absolutely NO technical stuff whatsoever! And I have the poorest technical skills of anyone. It is very smooth singletrack all the way. The trail is narrow with some good drop-offs but I'm afraid of heights and none of it bothered me. It is no worse than many NorCal trails I've ridden. If you can SS then you are a whole lot better than me. I have no concept of what it would be to SS but as I said, anybody I've ever ridden with could do this trail. You might try it with gears first. But go for it, it is spectacular!

 

[kitchenware]

Very cool! I think you forced me head out to a cool swimming hole today.

 

[gonzostrike]

North Umpqua? garbage.

Wade the Vulture sent me there once, I haven't ever forgiven him.

Wade, you're gonna die.

The rest of you?

Stay outta North Umpqua. You'll think you just found yourself in the remake of the "Boy you gots a purty mouth" scene in Deliverance, only worse, with more inbred ******** and dirt eaters than you can imagine. And the trails? craaaaaaaahhhhhp.

friggin' Vulture.



PS, I posted this before all the pics loaded. You actually read the sign "Dread and Terror" and went through with the ride? What, are you daft?

dang that N Umpqua. dang it all.

stay away, people. I tells ya, it's not fit for man nor beast.