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SPRING 2019 ISSUE 01 / VOL . 04
bikes on loose , uneven dirt and gravel . Within a few miles the road leveled out and we turned north , passing through the green meadows of the ( not so ) Dismal Swamp and crossing into Oregon .
After riding a challenging spur road up to the top of 8,000-foot Crane Mountain for panoramic views and navigating through a herd of cows , we stopped at Willow Creek Campground , which was deserted . We crossed a cattle guard to get into the campground and it was surrounded by a fence , but we still had to pick our way through a minefield of cow patties to set up our tents . After bathing and rinsing out our sweaty clothes in the creek ( but not drinking the water ), we fortified ourselves with backpacker meals and relaxed around the campfire , swapping stories and sipping whiskey .
The OOHVA ’ s detailed , full-color OBDR map booklets offer the following words of advice : “ Your journey will be one of few contacts with others . One needs to plan for being self-sufficient . Travel with others is highly recommended . If one ’ s means of transport fails , it can be a really , really long hike , and it could be many days before someone comes along .” Over the course of five days on the OBDR , we saw only a handful of people — a few ranchers , some forest service workers and the occasional hunter . We traveled as a group , each of us brought our own food , water and gear , and we carried a SPOT satellite tracker / communicator . Gas is available every 100 miles or so , often in small towns or at
As they say , if you ’ re not the lead dog the view never changes . To avoid riding in his dust , I kept plenty of distance between Paul and me . And the view wasn ’ t half bad .