From the Mountains to the Praires

The first dusting of October snow marks the start of Central Oregon's prime mountain bike riding season. The trails get firm and fast, the aspens and tamaracks change color, and the crisp, clean air makes spectacular views even more memorable. Now's the time to pack up the car, load the bikes and head toward Bend, the hub from which to start an autumn mountain bike riding adventure.

For a classic three-day tour, start in the town of Silver Lake, 90 miles south and east of Bend on Highway 31. Drive 25 miles west of town past Thompson Reservoir on Forest Road 28. Then drive five miles south on Forest Road 3142 to dirt roads and trails that wind through spectacular aspen groves on Winter Ridge.

A ride of moderate difficulty starts there at the Pole Butte Sno Park and ends 14 miles later with the breathtaking view from Fremont Point over the vast high desert 3,000 feet below. From Fremont Point double back to your car at Pole Butte. Or, if you've arranged a car shuttle, head north following Forest Road 2901 for 18 miles of downhill to the junction with State Highway 31. Load up the bikes and drive north back to Silver Lake or south to Summer Lake for lodging and food.

As winter sets in, ride a forest road or the steep single-track trail to the summit of 7,200-foot Hagar Mountain, seven miles west of Silver Lake. If there's more than a skiff of snow, hike or snowshoe to the top for the superb 360-degree view north to the Three Sisters, south to Mt. Scott and Mt. Shasta, east to Hart and Steens mountains and west over forests to the horizon.

On to the second tour stop, drive back to Bend on Highway 97 for gas and supplies before heading 30 miles west on Highway 20 to the town of Sisters. Named for the Three Sisters volcanoes (North, Middle and South), which form a backdrop for this quaint Western-themed village, Sisters is home to superb mountain biking.

A great 40-mile ride starts at the Hoodoo ski area 19 miles west of Sisters. This new route, inaugurated during the 2002 Sisters Bike Festival, starts with steady downhill on logging roads and a single-track trail through densely forested country dotted with clear alpine lakes. Midway between Hoodoo and Sisters, the trail skirts one side of Suttle Lake, a narrow body of water surrounded by tall evergreens. The trail then climbs before merging into a rolling stretch to the junction of Highway 26 and Camp Sherman Road.

Across Highway 26, a single- track trail leads six miles into Camp Sherman, an old logging camp turned popular summer vacation area at the head of the Metolius River. Trail and dirt road then lead around the flanks of Black Butte - a 6,400-foot volcanic cinder cone - and back into Sisters.

Want a break from riding? There's good hiking around Sisters. Or, as the snow flies, put on your cross-country skis and head for groomed trail and ungroomed wilderness near the Hoodoo ski area.

From Sisters, drive east about 20 miles to Redmond, then northeast about 12 miles to the final tour stop at Gray Butte, which offers rides of all skill levels with amazing views of the Cascades and Smith Rock State Park. The best rides start at the Skull Hollow campground, which you'll find by turning east on the O'Neal Highway, just north of Redmond, and then turning north on Lone Pine Road. Near the campground a winding, technical single-track trail climbs up to meet the main Butte trail.

Head south or north on the main trail and use intersecting single-track and old roads to create short and long loop rides. There's a Southwest feel to some of these rides as they pass through rock-walled canyons.

A great way to end any riding tour is by taking a point-to-point (car shuttle required) route that follows the Gray Butte trail north and swings east for a descent into the Crooked River National Grasslands area between Redmond and Madras.

And what's more...

Silver Lake
Not to miss vista Look east from Winter Ridge (while winter on the ridge, it can look like summer in the valley - hence Winter Ridge and Summer Lake). Get maps and information at Fremont National Forest. 541-947-2151 or visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/frewin

Fire-watch cabins
For solitude with unrivaled stargazing, rent a U.S. Forest Service fire-watch cabin. The cabin at Fremont Point on Winter Ridge is available all year; the one atop Hagar Mountain, November through May. $25 per night. 541-576-2107 or http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/frewin

Sisters
360-degree view Two-mile hike or snowshoe to Black Butte's summit is worth it. Take Camp Sherman Road to the "Y" and bear right on Metolius River Road and then right onto Forest Road 1110. 541-549-7700.

Metolius headwaters
With Mt. Jefferson as a backdrop, the crystalline waters of the Metolius River rise from the ground. Viewpoint is open daily, no charge. Metolius River Road. 541-549-7700.

Cross-country skiing
Trails from Hoodoo ski area are open when snow is deep enough to groom, daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. $10. 541-822-3799. Ungroomed wilderness trails start at sno-park areas just west of Hoodoo on Highways 20 and 22. Skiing is free but a parking permit is required: $3 per day, $15 for the season.

Redmond
Smith Rock State Park World-famous technical climbs and superb hiking. Open daily year 'round, sunup to 10 p.m. $3 day use; $4 walk-in campground use. Northeast Crooked River Road. 541-548-7501.

Steelhead Falls
Easy one-mile hike leads to the 18-foot falls on the Deschutes. Take lower Bridge Road to Crooked River Ranch. On ranch property, go left on Badge Road, then right on Quail Road and finally left on River Road. 541-416-6700. The river above the falls is open to year 'round fly fishing. Pick up the Oregon State Fish and Game regulations pamphlet, available at local shops. For information on both parks, visit www.oregonstateparks.org