Originally Posted by
kevmcd
204 is a cake walk with regards to great scenery. It would make a good overnight loop for you to "iron out" your gear (pun intended). You could return along the Umatilla river and maybe convince the folks at the Bar M ranch to let you take a swim in the Bingham hot springs pool.
As I remember the ride starts with a steep meandering open cheat grass hillside which allow some glimpses of multiple Cascade volcanos 100 miles to the the west. As you reach the summit of the Blue Mountains you can take a break at the Tollgate store near Spout Springs ski resort. Then there is a dramatic downhill into the lush high pasture land of the Wallowa valley. Maybe my memory of the ride is unrealistically beautiful, but I like it that way.
that would be backwards for me, I live in La Grande.
And even if I didn’t live in La Grande, 204 ends in Elgin when it intersects with HWY 82 in the Grande Ronde Valley and the most Norther town of Union County. Heading up 82 into the Minum River Gorge out of Elgin and then opening up into the Wallowa valley is quite beautiful…
I wouldn’t ride from La Grande to Pendleton, HWY 30 doesn’t run between Perry and Meachum anymore, so I would have to ride on the freeway. So I don’t know how to make a loop to the west without starting out on a very steep (15%) grade on gravel and adding about 100 miles to the trip zigzagging a crossed the blue mountains until I get to Meachum to hit HWY 30 into Mission where I would have to ride the deadly 11 to Athena/Weston to hit 204.
I have ideas for shorter rides over easier terrain heading southeast. I’m looking at. New trail I found between Union and North Powder that would cut the mileage in half.