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Hammerhead Tour: Fast Cascade Mountains Road Tour
Challenging riding surrounded by the snow capped Cascade Mountains
MEETING DAY: Arrive in Bend. Bend is a relaxing town at the base of the Cascade Mountains. Come early and enjoy some of Bend’s great local riding.
It's a very bicycle-friendly community. If you arrive early we can suggest some day tours. We will provide a listing of accommodations and recommended restaurants. We will meet at 7:00 pm for a brief orientation.
DAY 1: After a short shuttle from Bend to Sunriver we begin our tour with a gradual climb into the Cascade Mountains through groves of Ponderosa Pines. As we ride along you’ll gain an appreciation of the turbulent volcanic history of this area. Glimpses of 9,065 ft Mt. Bachelor will be visible as we begin our tour. By the end of the ride you will notice a distinct change in vegetation from the dry side of the Cascade Mountains to the wetter West side of the Cascades. Tonight we stay at Odell Lake Lodge. Plan on falling asleep to the rhythmic sounds of Odell Lake. Today we ride 49 miles.
 DAY 2: After a hearty breakfast, we’ll get on the road. Snow capped Diamond Peak (8,744 ft.) will be visible on our left and deep forests of the Cascades will be in front of us as we descend from Willamette Pass. The miles of downhill coasting will put a smile on your face!
After passing through the quaint village of Westfir we begin our travels along the Aufderheide Memorial Drive. This ride is nothing less than spectacular! The quiet, winding road is covered with moss along the edges and a canopy of spruce and fir trees tower overhead. There is one challenging hill climb as we ride through Box Canyon. After riding by the Cougar Reservoir we will descend to our lodge along the McKenzie River. Today’s mileage will be 98 miles.
 DAY 3: We begin our climb over the McKenzie Pass, back to the dry side of the Cascades. This will be the most challenging day of the tour. As we climb 3,700 ft. out of the McKenzie River valley we transition from huge spruce and fir trees to vast fields of lava. Once above the forest spectacular views of the Three Sisters (10,000+ ft.), Mt. Washington (7,794 ft.), and Mt. Jefferson (10,497 ft.) come into view. Following an easy 15 mile descent we travel through the Western style town of Sisters. From Sisters it’s a relatively flat 26 miles through the rural countryside to Bend. Today’s mileage will be 69 miles.
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