Return to the OBDR (Route 5 - OR/CA border to OR/WA border)

Return to the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route
July 29, 2017.

Back in May, we'd attempted to run the northern 40% of the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route, from Seneca to the Washington border. A day in, we chose a more reasonable goal: Seneca to Unity. And at day three, we called it quits - less than 50 miles from our start point.

So you can imagine that we were excited for a second chance. Redemption as it were.

In the month leading up to the trip, we got ready. Alcan leaf springs, a new HAM radio, and an ARB fridge were going to make us more capable, safer, and well fed.

Our plan was to run Route 5 - from New Pine Creek, California to Walla Walla, Washington - in a week. It would mean approximately 150 miles per day (assuming no major re-routes) which we knew was a lot, but we hoped we could do.

Our daily goals would be:

Day 1, Saturday:
Home to Starting point in New Pine Creek, CA

Day 2, Sunday:
New Pine Creek to Summer Lake - 160 miles

Day 3, Monday:
Summer Lake to Riley - 150 miles

Day 4, Tuesday:
Riley to Seneca - 140 miles

Day 5, Wednesday:
Seneca to Granite - 170 miles

Day 6, Thursday:
Granite to Kamela - 130 miles

Day 7, Friday:
Kamela to Walla Walla - 100 miles

Day 8, Saturday:
Walla Walla to Home​

And the route we would take would be based on a route we’d found from 2015:

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While this route was close to our ultimate path, there were a few deviations - mostly to keep us off of ATV-only tracks, and out of the middle of lakes. Luckily, we recorded everything so that the next time we want to make the run (hahaha, that’ll be a while), we know right where to go!

I'll be posting the story and pics a day at a time - a lot happened, and there are some 300 pics to get uploaded and worked in to the story. Enjoy!

--- read on ---
Intro and Day 1 - Excitement, Adventure, Disaster

OBDR Day 2: There's always a go-around



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If you enjoyed Day 1 of our trip on the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route, I just completed OBDR Day 2: There's always a go-around. Enjoy!

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Awesome photo! Looks like a killer time off the grid!

 

Thanks. Bunch of them in the story. It was a great time (and there are several more days!)

 

a lot of nice pics and a good read, thanks for sharing

 

Thanks! Day 3 is on it's way, nearly done writing it up .

 

Day 3 was a CRAZY day. Perhaps the only day we were less prepared than we should have been.

• One the one hand...You never want to find yourself in a wet clay "meadow" (shallow lake), miles from anyone, without some traction devices. Slowly sinking.
• On the other hand, there were awesome sections like this...

--- Read OBDR Day 3: Crazy Day over here on my adventure thread ---​

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OBDR Day 4: Flying Debris Ahead
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We slept soundly through the calm night and woke up just as the sun was painting the sky the next morning. Well rested, we were excited for the coming day of travel - the plan was to reach Seneca, the town where we'd set off on what turned out to be Mission Impossible: OBDR, back in May.

--- read on: OBDR Day 4: Flying Debris Ahead ---​

--- read on: OBDR Day 4: Flying Debris Ahead ---

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Day 5 was the day we'd been looking forward to - the run from Seneca to Granite was what we'd tried to accomplish in May but had been foiled, clearing dozens of down trees and ultimately running into two water crossings that we couldn't ford. Would our trip, three months later bring us redemption? Yes, yes it would.

Read on for OBDR Day 5: What Were We Thinking in May?




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OBDR Day 6: Lookouts​

... "Within 20 minutes, we arrived at what would be our first extended stop - Desolation Butte Lookout.
And as we pulled up, we each looked at each other knowingly - parked there, under the lookout, was another Tacoma." ....

read the full day




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OBDR Day 7: Out of the Mountains.

... And then, we arrived at the end of the OBDR and the Oregon - Washington border.
A non-descript section of road, where the gravel transitioned to pavement, we couldn't believe we were done.

850 miles of Oregon backroads, less than 50 of which were on pavement, and with relatively few problems.

- - read the last day - -


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catch up
[Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6] [Day 7]


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Inspired!!!! Wow
I know I’m late to the game but if you don’t mind I have questions!!

 

Questions any time!

If you like this trip, you might also enjoy other BDRs: https://adventuretaco.com/tripdest/bdr-backcountry-discovery-route/

Or, more trips in general. There are lots more:

• https://adventuretaco.com/index/state/
• https://adventuretaco.com/index/destination/
• https://adventuretaco.com/index/date/

 

Okay a few easy ones I hope.. I wanna do this really bad! Everything I have looked up it seems I can find anything about if it’s truck friendly? I see in one pic you had a brush up on fender paint from a tree. Is the trail doable in a full size Tacoma? Meaning 4dr longbed. second how would you say the difficulty was? If I do it I’ll be solo truck with me and my father..

 

The route is easily doable in a DCLB Tacoma. Difficulty of the Oregon BDR is a 2 out of 10 - nearly everything is a forest service road. The one caveat to that is that the stage from Seneca to Granite (see this post) has two water crossings that can be reasonably deep during spring melt. As long as you go late enough in the summer (late Jun, I'd say) then none of the trail is very difficult (though some is bumpy).

The place where we had the run-in with the tree, it turns out that we were off the route and didn't realize it. At the Moonlight Mine, you want to keep going straight; the road leads to the (poorly named) Dismal Swamp. You do not want to turn left, as that's where we ended up.

 

Okay great! Ya I’ve seen a lot of your posts with some epic trips, is this one worth the week off of work to do? I’m kicking around a few things like Pony Express and oregon BDR I can only take so much time off just want a real epic journey to take with my father.

 

Hi All,
I am wanting to travel several of the BDR routes. I would be open / interested in joining up with another rig or 2 as opposed to going alone. Very flexible regarding timing as I have free time. Have not done much research yet. If you're thinking about one later this year and / or next year hit me up.