Best Guess for 2013 Route?

[Cycle65]

Hello all, I've been on three CO's and I always love the guess work that goes on regarding next years route. I missed last years ride, so I didn't hear all the clues, but if you have a prognostication I'd love to hear it. Thanks, Ron

[Force 5 Robert]

I too would be interested if there is any snippets of info out there. I missed 2012 and the plan in 2013 is not to have that gaping empty feeling again come September!

[funtimes]

Well I rode the last three which included:
a loop in the Northeast,
a loop in the West Central, and
a loop in the Southwest.
The three gaping holes here are:
the Southeast, (which I think is no man's land, so I hope not),
the Central, and
the Northwest.

I guess there is a North Central route, too.
Clearly I do not know anything, but I am hoping for a Portland-centric ride.

[EZPZ]

If you're on the mailing list, you heard the hint. But, if not we will be riding through and by ranches.

[Leedo]

From the latest Cycle Oregon email blast...

Git along, little roadies! For 2013, we'll be riding past - and through - some of Oregon's finest ranches. Of course that doesn't tell you where we're going: More than 12,000 livestock brands have been registered in this state. And Oregon's ranches range from coastline to valleys, sagelands to pastures, forests to rimrock.<br>
We can tell you this about our 2013 route: it will showcase parts of the state you might never see if you weren't on Cycle Oregon. It will present you with breathtaking vistas and challenging climbs. It will feature small towns eager to show you their hospitality. And it will create indelible memories for those who ride it, on a daily basis. In other words, all things you love about CO. So get yourself ready to come along.... Come out and ride the range with us.

Main points:
1. Cattle country
2. Riding past and through ranches
3. Climbs and views
4. Parts of the state you might not otherwise see
5. Small towns

I'm thinking central and eastern Oregon. Look at the loop from Bend, Prineville, Mitchel, Canyon City, Burn, Brothers, and back to Bend. Maybe even take in the Steens Mountains.

[mytrot]

Steens sounds good to me!!

[capthawk]

I too think it will be SE Oregon like 2001. Only this time we will enjoy it much more without the horror of 9-11 that fatefull Tuesday day 3.

[grandpabent]

I can't wait to get back to Mitchel.I still have dirt in my gear bag I would like to return.

[dunshay04]

Okay, here's our guess. We always have fun trying to figure out the clues. Today's email talks about "Williams" and the "Rolling J Ranch" in southwest Oregon. We think those two hints are meant to mislead. We think the "J" is for John Day, Oregon and the wavy line under the "J" is the rippling water of the John Day River. We also found indication of a Williams Ranch on Forest Service Road 15 a/k/a Canyon Creek Road not too far from John Day and Seneca. Grant County is major ranch country. My husband grew up there. We have two possible routes in mind. So here's our guess on the towns/areas that we'll visit, in no particular order (CO likes counter clockwise):
Canyon City/John Day
Prairie City
New state park in Bates
Sumpter
Possibly Anthony Lakes for some climbing
Ukiah/Dale
Heppner
Spray
Dayville
Seneca
Paulina

Oh, and don't forget the new Old West Scenic Bikeway is out there too. CO hasn't been in John Day since 2002. So many possibilities. I'm getting so excited.

[HalfBent]

My wife and I agree with the above guess of Eastern Oregon John Day area but with much less sophistication of the clues. Well done on the analysis of the significance of the 'J' and the river.

Our spin is that not only has a route with John/Day and the Strawberries been neglected, but so has Burns and there are a lot of ranches inbetween (Izee area, Post, Paulina) and even possibly up to Fossil again. We have been back to Heppner, Ukiah and Sumpter in 2005/2006.

We're looking forward to the announcement and hope to be back again riding and volunteering. If I hadn't substituted the Cycle Oregon Double Century for the week long ride in 1994, I'd be past 20 in a row by now...

[teaspoon]

Without a doubt my favorite areas are the NE or the SE corner of the state. My first, many years ago was up to Anthony Lakes, and the SE in 2001. Can't go wrong with either of these areas. This will be my 10th and I would enjoy riding in the company of French Glen, Diamond, and the Steens. Fantastic riding country. Now I just have to beat the crowd and get registered.

[John A Campbell]

What I'd like to see: We haven't down a loop in the central part of the state and crossed the Cascades twice for a while and we haven't done Timothy Lake in a long time. So something like Lake Oswego, Lebanon, Sisters, Madras, Option day to The Cove Palisades State Park (why have we never done this?), Tygh Valley, Estacada, Lake Oswego. I have no idea how "Rolling J" would relate to this but at least it has Lake Oswego

Or Maybe: We haven't done a point to point for a while and "Rolling J" e.g. John Day might be the road, not the town. So something like La Grande, Ukiah, Fossil, Madras, The Cove Palisades option day, Tygh Valley, Estacada, Lake Oswego.

OK, so I took two guesses. They're probably both wrong.

[John A Campbell]

I posted my guesses and then read my email. Note to self: Do *that* in the other order next time.

The first hint says "you might find yourself ..... in Lake Oswego" and the ranch is the "Bar B", think Barbie. I think the first part of the ride starts in the Portland suburbs and goes down the valley.

Hint two says "you might find yourself spending a night ....somewhere near Williams", and the ranch is "The Rolling J" with a wiggle that looks like water on the bottom. The second part of the ride goes down near Williams and then hooks toward the coast

Hint three says "you might end up ..... near Pacific City", and the ranch is "Hanging 10". The last part of the ride "ends up" on the coast near Pacific City.

Here's my best guess. We're doing the SE. Starting in the suburbs of Portland, all the way down to Williams and then across to the coast (water at the bottom), and then "ending up" in Pacific City.

The only problem is that I don't believe it. We "Went Coastal" just a couple of years ago.

[Seal Rock George]

Hmm, let's see ....

CO is championing a bike route from Portland to Tillamook. What better way to stir interest in this effort than highlighting the area. And where is Pacific City? Right near Tillamook.

And - to my knowledge, it has been a LONG time since CO has done the nrth coast.

But - having said that - my guesses have been pretty good - but a year off. So maybe north coast in 2014.

[lars]

From the hints I would guess Lake Oswego, Pacific City and Williams are on the route. Probably in that order with others in between. To go from Lake Oswego to Williams and back north to Pacific City would be a bit long.