Riding the Dread and Terror segment of the North Umpqua Trail.
Our campsite was so dark and cold that we moved to the group site to get more sun.
The last time we were in Oregon, we saw a trail called “Dread and Terror” that we wanted to ride, but didn’t have time for. It’s part of the 79-mile North Umpqua Trail, an IMBA epic.
Dropping down from Road 700.
Dad shuttled us up to Road 700 so we could start part way down, because we didn’t want to ride the entire 17 miles from the top.
The second major blowdown.
The trail is much different from the McKenzie River Trail. It has a lot of short up-and-downs, and a lot of technical rocky sections.
There’s a trail in here somewhere.
There was also a bunch of large blowdowns.
There was a little exposure in places.
There was also some exposure, where a downhill fall would land you in the river in very bad shape.
The third major blowdown.
The North Umpqua cuts its way through a basalt canyon, so it stays narrow with steep sides.
Getting close to Surprise Falls.
Typically for Oregon, there is lots of mossy banks and water everywhere.
There was a washed-out bridge about two miles below the hot springs that forced us to backtrack to the road.
Columnar Falls
The trail was a lot harder than we expected. It’s a beautiful trail, but prepare to get on and off your bike a lot if you’re not in shape.
