This has been on our bucket list for some time, but with the legendary McKenzie River Trail right next door it tends to get voted out if we’re headed into the central Cascades neighborhood. Since our Three Sisters Three Rivers trip comes down the McKenzie River and heads over to Oakridge we decided we should explore the lesser traveled trails of the area so we headed out to ride the Olallie O’Leary Loop. It has garnished an IMBA Epic bookmark and just looking at the stats you can see why: over 6,000′ of climbing in the 27 mile loop.

It’s classic central cascade mountain biking with thick dark forests and steep terrain. We parked at the King-Castle trailhead and rode a few miles of pavement before a long, steady climb to the top of the ridge. After mile 11 we were rewarded with intermittent views of endless blue ridges volleying off into the distance as we rode along a rock ridge through alpine meadows. While not quite the highest point, we found Macduff Mountain at mile 15 to be the best place for a quick scramble and panoramic picnic views.

Just like the long climb, the descent was relentlessly steep and switchbacking, dropping all that gained elevation quickly and saving the best for last: King-Castle. The last 5 miles of trail swoop and flow through lush old growth and fallen rotting giants. Fantastic riding and an even more fantastic journey into what seems like another land.