Spring break came this year with the best of western spring weather. My wife had 11 days and the road beckoned. I had purchased a Surco trunk rack and added oak slats for function (keeps objects from settling through the bars to the trunk) and looks. It was used for extra folding chairs for beach use and roadside picnics. It turned out to be worth its weight in gold.

We left Good Friday. Our path was from east of Sacramento to Sonoma, Valley of the Moon and Santa Rosa to spend the night. Up 101/1 through the redwoods and coast of northern California. Great topdown weather. Patricks Point, Crescent City, and Brookings Oregon for our B&B stay on the beach. Continued up the coast to Canon Beach for 3 nights. Toured around and saw Lewis and Clark's Fort Clatsop. Spectacular scenery. Still northward around the Olympic Peninsula to our Bainbridge Island B&B. Took the ferry to Seattle and Pikes Market. The rain hit then and we went south in heavy rain and traffic almost to Portland before turning east along the Columbia to Hood River. A great B&B there; could see Mt Hood from bed. Toured the area and spend Friday night in Portland to see an old friend. Had fun seeing the city that night and next morning. Hit the road, top down, to Mt Hood and went up to the lodge. Was shocked when it suddenly began to snow. Headed back down to top down weather and Sisters OR was next to the Long Hollow Ranch. We were the only ones there in the old school farmhouse. Great couple running the place. Went to town for steak and Easter vigil Mass. Easter day we continued through Sisters west towards Eugene on 126 but turned south on this maybe 2 lane 64 mile road through the mountains and Willamette River. Wow, that was a showstopper. Just beautiful.
Spent the night in Klamath Falls and down through Redding, Red Bluff, Chico CA and home. Just outside of Redding I got an unrepairable flat. I was in a safe spot, perfect really, to change the tire but I had a full car with jammed trunk. That is when the trunk rack came into its own. I had to swap the front to the rear and then put the flat rear on the rack. I don't know how I could have done it without it short of abandoning gear. We limped all the way home (3 hours) and I got new tires.

Brookings Or




Canon Beach OR



Forks, WA



Olympic Peninsula



Ferry Seattle




Columbia River



B&B Hood River









Cold on Mt Hood



Long Hollow Ranch, Sisters, OR



58 in OR





Here is the rack:






On return home:




Columbia River


Pikes Market Seattle



Fellow Aviator on Puget Sound


Olympic Peninsula








Lewis and Clarks Ft Clatsop



Here is the route.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=E...t=h&mra=ls&z=6

 

It's not showing in your route, but if you were heading west towards Eugene out of Sisters (Hwy 126) and turned south on a 60+ mile road, it sounds like you were on the Aufderheide which runs past Cougar Reservoir and follows several creeks before dumping out to Hwy 58 just south of Eugene. It's a fantastic run, but it's not the Willamette river

 

Loving this post, nice documentation!

 

I think its called the NF-17. We did go by the Cougar Reservoir but we ended up in Westfir/ Oakridge/ Willemette at the West and Middle Fork of the Willemette to 58.

I regenerated the google map link in the original post; it seems to work now. Thanks for the heads up.

 

Yup, that's the Aufderheide. Great road. One of the Oregon crew's favorites. I especially love the long right hand sweeping curve that seems to take you in an almost 270 degree turn. When you mentioned driving along the willamette, I thought you were referring to the creek that follows the road . Once you come out on 58, then yes, you're right.


A shame you were up here "early". Another week and you could have taken the Old McKenzie Pass (Rt 242) out of Sisters, which dumps out just before the McKenzie Ranger Station and it's only a few miles to the turnoff for the Aufderheide. Both in one day!
McKenzie just opened today after being closed all winter. It's our local version of the Tail of the Dragon with many tight switchbacks and slaloms.

 

These are the kind of tips I look for. Will take a look at that and when I head up there again, will run things by you for any advice. You are correct about the other roads being closed. I checked at a few ranger stations and they pointed out the routes that were promising but closed.
Thanks.

 

I'd be happy to point you in the direction of many great roads in the area. Just hit me up next time you're planning a trip.

 

Awesome! Humboldt is really a beautiful place, and Patrick's Point is no exception. About 35 minutes south is the redwood tree where you could drive through (it's hollowed out).

 

There are a few of those trees around! Patrick's point is a nice place. Have camped there. Another really great spot is Prairie Creek Redwood Park and campground near Crescent City Ca. Tons of trails through old growth forests. That is where some Star Wars parts were filmed.

 

Great pix....mind if I share some of them?

Tks
\rlr
Carolina