Trip
Old Cascade Crest South, OR MTB
Bike
Questions? Let us help! Call us at
1-866-386-1590
1-866-386-1590
Bike the southern section of the Old Cascade Crest with the local experts at Trans Cascadia Excursions.
Exploring the south side of the Old Cascades Crest South begins on Crescent Mountain before heading towards the 3 Pyramids, for riding full of meadows, volcanic views, and hidden lakes. This is such an obscure place to ride, you’d never find yourself here, but when we bring you here you’ll see why the descent from North pyramid is one of the most most coveted of the descents in the Old Cascades Crest, certainly one of best. It’s a long decent down perfect PNW backcountry trail with some fun switchbacks, long stretches of hold er open and on trail features you can jib and jump off.
The Old Cascade Crest trail system was a huge project during the summer of 2017 to uncover some of Oregon’s hidden trail gold. This region has been barely explored for the past 20 years, with very little use… and now it’s your turn to see what it’s all about.
Select Your Trip
Select Your Trip
Itinerary
Itinerary
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1
Arrive
Meet at Lava Lake Sno-Park, OR by 9:30am (please arrive 15 minutes early). Lava Lake is located about 4 miles west of Santiam Junction on Highway 20. Hop in the shuttle, where we’ll go over the plan for the day on the way to the trail.
Bike!
We begin by our day on bike from the S. Crescent Trailhead. It’s a stout climb to the top of Crescent, but we’ll take it slow as we have two big climbs on the day. This can take up to 1.5 hours and as little as 1hr to the top. There is a great lookout and in front of us, and incredible descent. We’ll snack up and then hop on our bikes. The North Crescent descent is long and playful. Not many people ride here so the trail quality is high, lots of duff and the perfect soil. We’ll make our way down, crossing through forest, then through patches of thick rhododendron and back through old growth forest. We’ll eventually hit our low point with a creek crossing and a short pedal to our van and our lunch. -
2
Bike! (cont.)
We can take the time we need to relax and enjoy the day, for some, this halfway point may be enough and we have the opportunity for a mid point return to the car. For those who push on, we’ll hop on bikes from the van and continue on trail towards the 3 pyramids. The trail to get to the beginning of our climb up S. Pyramid is fun and undulating, bouts of fun descending and some punchy climbs. We’ll make our way to S Pyramid Trail and head up. This is our second big climb, we have another 1-1.5 hours of bike/hike a bike. We ascend adjacent to a glacial cirque and up a radical old trail. It’s steep and technical, but its beautiful and raw, and in the spring flower bloom, the place to be in Oregon. We’ll make our way to our high point, high five, and get ready for N Pyramid. Enjoy your turns on this delicious descent.
Ascent: 4,553 ft
Descent: 6,010 ft
Distance: 18 miles -
3
Depart
After an epic day of riding in this unspoiled stretch of forest and mountains, the day’s adventure comes to a close. Make sure you have enough phone battery (or bring a charging brick) so you can share your pics from the day with your new riding buddies.
Trip Package Includes:
- Shuttle transportation
- Professionally guided MTB tour of remote single track
- 10% discount on bike rental at evo stores (subject to availability)
- 20% discount code at evo.com (exclusions apply)
Area Information
Willamette National Forest
The Willamette National Forest encompasses over 1.6 million acres and eight different Wilderness areas, including the majestic Three Sisters Wilderness and Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. The terrain here is diverse, with high mountains, forested slopes, narrow canyons, and rushing streams. This region is home to some of the best mountain biking in the southern Cascades.
Gallery
Gallery
Trip Planning
Trip Planning
For this one-day adventure, we recommend bringing a riding pack with water and snacks as well as a day pack with any layers or additional gear you may need for a day on the trail. Check the local weather pre-trip, as you can expect highs ranging anywhere from the 60s to the 80’s. Please be sure to wear sun protection. Rain also comes and goes so make sure you bring some rain gear as well!
Gear
Clothing
Food
Other
FAQ
FAQ
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Is the trip guaranteed to run?
This trip has a minimum number of guests required in order to run, please do not book travel or flights until you have confirmed your departure with Trans Cascadia. -
When and how should I meet up with the group?
Please meet the group at Lava Lake Sno-Park no later than 9:30 am (please arrive 15 mins early). Lava Lake Sno-Park is located about 4 miles west of Santiam Junction on Highway 20 -
What skill / experience level is required for this trip?
This trip is geared towards intermediate and advanced riders, with trails rated blue square to black diamond. Riders should be comfortable riding a mix of ground conditions, soil, small rocks and roots, as well as varying steepness. On a given day we will ascend around 4,200’ and descend around 7,200’ over the course of approximately 20 miles. -
What gear should I bring? Do you offer rentals?
Please see the packing list above. The best bike for this trip will be a full suspension XC bike. All participants are required to have their bikes in excellent working order before the trip begins. Rental bikes are not available through Trans-Cascadia, please inquire with evo about possible rentals.
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What is the maximum number of guests on this trip?
Trans Cascadia will cap this trip at 12 guests to ensure everyone gets as much riding as their heart's desire. -
Who builds and supports the remote trails we will ride on this trip?
Trans-Cascadia Expeditions partners with Trans-Cascadia Incorporated a non-profit whose larger mission is to promote and build sustainable trails in the Pacific Northwest. Trails are supported by Trans-Cascadia, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Evergreen Mountain bike Alliance and more. If you are interested in trail stewardship in the Pacific NW please visit Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance or check out Trans Cascadia’s page for trail fund donation information or volunteer opportunities. -
What if I need to cancel?
Should you need to cancel for any reason, evo will default to Trans-Cascadia’s following cancellation policy: For cancellations prior to 60 days before departure, a $50 fee per person is retained and the remainder of your trip cost is refunded. For cancellations 60-31 days before departure, 50% of your trip fees are refunded. For cancellations 30 days or less before departure, no refunds. Trans-Cascadia must adhere to their cancellation policy, no exceptions. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you purchase trip insurance to protect your investment, we recommend World Nomads. Trans-Cascadia Excursions reserves the right to cancel any trip. Full refunds will be made in these instances. Trans-Cascadia Excursions is not responsible for non-refundable airfare.
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