OBCDR Trip Report

[Decidion]

Here is a web page I set up with a trip report of the 4 days, 3 nights we spent doing the southern 2/3 rds of the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route....

OBCDR Trip Report

[Binford]

Great trip report! I love the heavy dose of pictures you posted! Looks like you guys had a blast....

[RidgeRunner]

Very nice pix and report. Looks like you had a tough go of it in a few places.

I've been on the route three times and I still have about 25% left to complete it.

Mick

[rlwjaw]

Great Report
When were you on the trail? We just finished the entire route from California to Washington on route 5 and back on route 3 and 4. I was sort of disipointed in the route in thad it was not really a 4x4 trail. As you demonstrated with your FJ it is more of an suv route. only had to put in 4 wheel drive for about 100 yards because we chose the 4x4 required route which was only loose dirt on an incline..We found several places we had to reroute arround because of downed trees. Would have cut tem out of the way but there were too many and they were too large for our chain saw. Even the reroute had to be rerouted until we were on pavement. The endless gravel wore the tires doun to about half of there original tred depth. Aside from the great scenery the attractions can almost all be reached on pavement. We also had to dodge a fire near Senica. My least favorite part of the trail is from Summer Lake to Christmas Valley. If I were to do the trip over again I would by pass this section.
Great pictures.
Thanks

[Jerry]

Here is a web page I set up with a trip report of the 4 days, 3 nights we spent doing the southern 2/3 rds of the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route....

OBCDR Trip Report

I enjoyed your trip report and pics, Jeff. I hope to drive Route 5 one of these days. Thanks for sharing.

[Decidion]

Great Report
When were you on the trail? We just finished the entire route from California to Washington on route 5 and back on route 3 and 4. I was sort of disipointed in the route in thad it was not really a 4x4 trail. As you demonstrated with your FJ it is more of an suv route. only had to put in 4 wheel drive for about 100 yards because we chose the 4x4 required route which was only loose dirt on an incline..We found several places we had to reroute arround because of downed trees. Would have cut tem out of the way but there were too many and they were too large for our chain saw. Even the reroute had to be rerouted until we were on pavement. The endless gravel wore the tires doun to about half of there original tred depth. Aside from the great scenery the attractions can almost all be reached on pavement. We also had to dodge a fire near Senica. My least favorite part of the trail is from Summer Lake to Christmas Valley. If I were to do the trip over again I would by pass this section.
Great pictures.
Thanks

We were out on the trail one week ago (well we got back one week ago). We actually did quite a bit of trail clearing in the area north/northwest of Lakeview, either pulling the trees aside or cutting through with the chainsaw. At one point there was probably about 7 or 8 downed trees within a 100 yard stretch, the largest being about 30" in diameter. But it's all clear now

I would have to agree about the section from Summer Lake to Christmas Valley. Hot, arid, rocky trail for miles and miles. Getting bounced around at 2-3 miles an hour for hours on end make that section a pita. Some of the gravel roads north of Christmas Valley are extreme washboard too...very bad.

Our favorite areas were the part from Lakeview to Summer Lake and around in the Malhuer Forest area.

I am pretty sure a high clearance 2WD could do 99% of the trip too.

[Binford]

That 1% is all my wife would remember of the trip though!

[smbisig]

Anyone do route 3 through the mountains?

Recommendations for maps?

Thanks.