This section features open road with lots of gentle curves. Traveling north from Oakridge, the route parallels the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River (it's real name!). This is a twisty road with curves in the 25-35 mph range. Trees grow right to the edge of the pavement with branches gracing the road, which makes it a very pleasant ride in the heat of summer. At Rainbow, the route travels east over the Santiam Pass, a two-lane state highway with lots of wide, smooth sweepers. After dropping down from the pass, we wind up in the town of Sisters, a western themed town complete with movie-set storefronts featuring western clothing and memorabilia. From Sisters, it is just a short ride back to Bend.

This is open range and there are frequently cows and wild horses on the road, as well as deer and other wildlife. Running briefly through the tall trees of the Mt. Hood National Forest, the road turns east and drops down into the town of Maupin and the Deschutes River Canyon. Maupin is a popular spot for river rafters to pull out after a float from Warm Springs. The road then winds up the side of the canyon to the open plateau above and is known as Bakeoven Road, a well deserved name in the summertime. Bakeoven has unobstructed, 360-degree views and many sweeping curves with plenty of visibility. After joining up with State Route 97 we take a quick side trip to the “ghost” town of Shaniko. Shaniko used to be a thriving town serving the sheep herding industry until the decline of sheep ranching left it deserted. From Shaniko, it is about 2 hours of two-lane road back to Bend, passing through the towns of Madras, Terrebonne and Redmond. About 7 hours.

There are lots of sweepers in this section of road up to the summit of the pass, after which we drop down to even drier country on the east side of the mountains. There is very little straight road on this trip as you climb in and out of canyons and traverse high plateaus past the many cattle ranches, some as large as 40,000 acres, in this part of Oregon. After a brief stop in Mitchell, the road turns north and winds its way toward the town of Fossil. This is a very popular route for locals to ride and encounters with other riders are frequent. If we bypass Service Creek in favor of Twickingham, the road travels through a narrow canyon with steep rock walls into a beautiful hidden valley. This section of road is not well maintained, so travel is slower but the views are well worth it. After arriving in Fossil, a popular lunch stop, the ride turns south towards Bend but is nowhere near over. There is another pass to climb, another canyon to ride, and many wide and gentle curves with spectacular vistas of the American West at almost every turn. This run is one of the favorites of the local riders and after this ride, you will know why! About 7 hours.

Ranches here tend to be large and the population sparse. For the most part, the road here is open with gentle curves and good sight lines. Climbing up into the mountains, however, the last 30 miles before joining Route 395, the road is a little rough and reduced speeds are advised. Turning north on 395 we drop down from the summit of Canyon Creek Pass into the prosperous ranching community of John Day. After lunch and a visit to the Kam Wah Chung Heritage Center for a look at the life of a Chinese herbalist at the turn of the century, we head west through the John Day Valley. Known to some as “God’s Country,” this area offers spectacular scenery, easy riding and an understanding of why many choose the ranching way of life. A three-hour ride from John Day brings us back to Bend. About 7-8 hours.