Deschutes national forest is a swarm of Ponderosa and other evergreen trees that carpet the country on the outskirts of the Cascade mountain range. Not far out of the short span of high-priced seasonal homes and lodging near the Bend, Oregon perimeter, you can find single and double tracked mountain bike and hiking trails that disappear into the lushness of forests hills. This is a little brief on some of the trails you can expect to find for biking in the park.
Deschutes National Forest Trail Runs
This forest was discovered by western civilization by French fur traders that were exploring the northwest. The name comes from the description of the river that runs through Bend today. If you would have followed the river in those days you would have come across many series of waterfalls.
The tumultuous river at the time cut through so much of the glacial land of central Oregon. The waterfalls along the way gave the name Riviere des Chutes, or River of Falls, hence shortened name -- Deschutes.
The city of Bend is the start of some of the trail systems. From the Deschutes River one can take quick bike run along the banks that go on for several miles. It's something pretty easy to do for most bikers; in fact, some of the highly active citizens in Bend take this as a breather during a lunch break workout routine.
You can come across many trails outside of Bend near the Swampy Lakes Sno-Park area (about 16 miles out of Bend heading West on highway 46). They have many beginner to intermediate trails which cover an average of 7-9 miles with small altitude change, usually around 500 feet difference.
The Swampy Lakes Loop route 52.1 is a single track trail with manageable obstacles. You don't even have to be in great shape to take on this trail. It covers only about 4 miles and brings you through the Swampy Lakes meadow.
Swampy Ridge Loop route 52.2 on the other hand can be troublesome. It will loop you on a 9 mile course that has a pretty steep climb to get up to the ridge with a just as dramatic descent. It's about half single track and half double track. It's better for intermediate riders.
Going west on highway 46 out of Bend you can find many other trail heads. Be careful biking on these as they will often double as hiking and horse trails so, keep that in mind as you round the bend full steam.
The Biking Tourist Finding Lodging in Bend, Oregon
Bend is a happening town and every season seems to bring in every type of outdoor recreationist, latte drinking Patagonia clone from California to B.C. Make sure you get a booking in early before you go. Finding a hotel, or any other lodging in Bend, Oregon, may be tough to do last minute (some hotels are backed up 4 months deep) so use some foresight and planning.
Mountain Biking used to be the passion of a selected few until it became widely accepted as a competitive and enjoyable sport. The reason for this change was due to three factors. These factors were the individuals who used the extreme sport of Mountain Biking to fulfill their passion, the location or geographic aspects and the construction of the Mountain bike.
Factor No.1 – The People
The late 1960s marks the beginning of the history of Mountain Biking when San Franciscans getting tired of their extremely busy and frantic lifestyles moved away from San Francisco and into the Marin County. Life in the Marin County was less hectic and metropolitan thus bringing the much sought after tranquility that the San Franciscans were looking for.
The Marin Countys were famous for their mountainous terrain and San Franciscans who loved bicycling developed a passion for competitive bike races. Initially it started as a 3 mile fire trail bike race in the city of Fairfax. The race included a downward slope extending over 1600 feet. This race gradually became a craze with bikers who wanted to break past records and thus vehemently took part in the competition.
The race grew immensely popular because of its competitive and entertaining nature. However racers were unable to comply with the Insurance requirements and since the competition was highly risky and dangerous the result was the cancellation of these races.
Factor No.2 – Location or Geography
Termination of these races did not affect its popularity, so much so that the biker community endeavored to establish the birthplace of modern-day mountain biking. Mount Tamalpais in California won this honor.
Initially, the only races held on Mount Tam would involve bicyclists racing down the mount and once down they would get their bicycles transported by various methods to the top of the Mount. Over the years, the races became more competitive and extreme and bicyclists not only raced downhill on their bikes but also cycled back to the top of the mountain.
Factor No.3 – The Equipment
The transformation of the bicycles began at Mount Tam where they acquired their present-day appearance as well as the inclusion of the balloon tires. Safety emerged as the top priority and as a result the ordinary bike was modified keeping this aspect in mind. Thus the transformation of the mountain bike also made a place for itself in the history of Mountain Biking.
These modifications included installation of light as well as strong breaking mechanisms like the cantilever breaks. The breaking device in ordinary bikes wasn't apt while cycling uphill or moving across rough and dangerous terrains. The cantilever breaks served this purpose due to its light yet strong characteristic.
Another significant modification was the use of additional gears on the mountain bikes. Riders scaled mountain heights and precariously traveled across terrains and these additional gears greatly benefited them.
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