Eastern Oregon's Scenic Byways - Following The Dotted Green Line

The next morning we picked up the second leg of our 'following the dotted green line' adventure. Just out of Sumpter we picked up two Scenic Byways (the Elkhorn and Blue Mountain) that connect to form a 236 mile trek that cuts a diagonal across the northeast corner of Oregon. We head up over the Elkhorn and Blue Mountains that reach 9,000 feet and find the road well maintained, but a narrow two lanes. Again, almost no traffic, often going a whole day only passing 1-2 vehicles. Not far out of Sumpter I tried to convince the guys to head up a dirt road to explore the ghost town of Bourne; but they opted out not sharing my willingness to risk my bike! Dual sport riders find this area target rich with dirt and gravel forest service roads unsuited to those of us with 1/2 ton touring bikes.

Just short of the Blue Ridge Summit Pass at 5864 feet, we stopped in the town of Granite (current population 21). With a population of around 5,000 during the gold rush days, it's about as close to a ghost town as you can get today and not cross the line. Just a couple of buildings make up the town. There is a small store serving cold drinks that has a covered and shady porch we exploit to enjoy our drinks out of the heat. The store also has a gas pump and offers the last fuel for almost 60 miles. If you come through here, hunt around under a medium-sized pine tree about half way between the road and the town entrance and you can find a hunk of rock carved like a tombstone that says: "Gold Found Here July 4, 1862."

Our trek crosses the mountains over several more passes of about 6,000 feet and moves between stands of Fir and Pine, and sub alpine meadows in the higher elevations. We had planned to turn off and climb higher into the Elkhorn Mountains and explore several high mountain lakes, but found the roads closed due to snow even in late June. Hello climate change! So we stayed on the roads below snow level and skirted the John Day Wilderness Area home to Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Black Bear, Cougar, Bobcat and Wolverines. However other than countless deer, the only other wildlife we came across was a Triumph Tiger.

We crossed the Elkhorn and Blue Mountains and continued to head north into the town of Heppner. This is Highway 53 for those following on a map. Note the fine print that states this road is closed in the winter and be sure to check local conditions before you head out.

Comparatively, Heppner was a large city for us with a population of about 1400. We actually had a choice of several cafes but only one motel. Like most of these small towns we found ourselves drawn into conversations with the locals in a way that you never would in larger cities. We soon were sitting in front of the motel watching the activity on Main Street and chatting with the proprietor. As on several occasions on this trip, the topic turned to the economy and gas prices. These smaller towns have seen a real fall off in the number of people and vehicles passing through; but motorcycles seem to be increasing. The proprietor pumped us for information on how to appeal to folk touring on motorcycles. After a long conversation that discussed the philosophical difference between motorcyclists and bikers, why we like rags set out to wipe down our bikes, how we need coffee in the morning to get going, and other assorted trivia we finally called it a day. We couldn't hold back grins the next morning when we pulled out noticing a new sign on the motel reader board: "Motorcyclists welcome to Heppner".

We just grabbed coffee in Heppner and headed out about 50 miles to another of our favorite towns: Condon. Condon is perennial favorite for us and we've made this a destination or at least a must-pass-through on several occasions. It has a couple of great cafes that serve good breakfasts (chicken fried steak & eggs a specialty!) and a friendly, reasonably priced motel. Fuel and other services are available here too. The town even has a movie theater! Quite a bit for town with a population of only about 800! If you want to deviate from the frugal Condon Motel, you can treat yourself and passenger to a wonderful overnighter by booking a room at the Hotel Condon.

Originally built in 1920, Hotel Condon was recently remodeled in a multi-million dollar make-over into a gorgeous 18-room hotel combining historic charm with modern amenities. Expect to pay about 2-3 times what the local motel charges; but this hotel is first class and a real treat in the middle of nowhere! It also has a world class dining room and dinner menu; but this was closed while we were there as it seems their fancy chief had skedaddled back to the big city. Some might think twice before investing millions in a hotel renovation hundreds of miles off the beaten path; but somebody spent the money so enjoy it while it's here.

We roamed around a bit more in the high desert backcountry and finally pulled back out into civilization to spend our last night in Sisters, Oregon. The town of Sisters sits on the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountains. Although only 1800 in population, it feels like a well trampled city crawling with tourists as it sits on a major route between the big cities in the west and the Eastern Oregon resorts. However, it provides a nice jumping off point for a 1/2 day final jaunt back into Portland the next morning. When we finally do roll into our homes, we note the final tally is just a hair over 900 miles over five days. Not much on the odometer but a lot in memories.