best highway over Oregon's Cascades from the coast

[clikrf8]

I should be doing income taxes but this is more fun. Frustrating at times but anticipation is high. We will be driving from our home crossing from Whidbey Island to the Olympic Peninsula then down inland Highway 101 then coastal 101 to the Oregon Coast. It is preferable to running the I-5 gauntlet through the meglopolis of Marysville-Olympia. We will depart after March 19 or 30 and return in 3 weeks more or less.

My question to you Oregon experts is which highway to take from the coast to cross the Cascades. We may go as far south as Bandon or begin eastward at Newport. Last September we crossed from Newport to Corvallis on 20 then 34 to 20 turning south on 126 then took the Aufderheiden Scenic Byway to Oakridge then meandered our way via Waldo Lake, Diamond Lake, Crater Lake and highway 62 to 97. Highway 20 several miles past Cascadia State Park was fairly curvy so I am thinking that if it is icy and shady, it won't be fun. We returned in mid-October via 140 from Klamath Falls to Eagle Point then 62/227 to I5 then 42 to Bandon. We like backroads. 140 wasn't curvy but 227 was but had little traffic except for log trucks. These are the only 2 routes we have driven across Oregon's Cascades/

What about the other passes? I know that pass conditions will change according to whatever the weather does. Washington state highway 20 is closed form November to May every year but the other 3 are usually open except at times closed for avalanche control and severe weather. I do know we want to avoid logging trucks, lots of curves and lots of snow/ice. We don't plan to carry chains. Should we?

Our destination in eastern Oregon is highway 31 to revisit Summer Lake area to rockhound. Then south to Death Valley and other POIs.

The following are our choices:
Highway 20 from Newport to I5 then 34/20 to Bend
Highway 126 from Florence to Eugene then 126 to Bend or 58 to 97
Highway 38 from Reedsport or 42 from Bandon to I5/Roseburg then 138 to 97.

Any suggestions? Once this is figured out then I will ask for some help further south. Last April we spent 2 weeks in eastern Oregon going as far south as Frenchglen and although it was cold, the only time we encountered a few flakes was on 395 between Burns and John Day.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Yes, carry chains! In Oregon, they or snow tires are required in snow zones. You can be ticketed if the 'chains required' conditions are called and you don't have them.

Across the coast range, there are many interesting routes. If your shooting for 31, I would go down to Florence, then over to Eugene and 58. Catch 31 at LaPine. A stop along the way would be Fort Rock. There is a small RV park in the little town, at the cafe/tavern. Are you going down to Lakeview and through Cedarville, Gerlach and Reno? Lots to see and do.

 

[ntsqd]

My vote goes for McKenzie Pass, but I'm doubting that's a good choice in cold/snowy/icy/inclement weather even if it is open.

 

[clikrf8]

Okay, after looking at the map again and factoring in that we love the Oregon Coast, we will head east from Florence on 126 to Eugene the 58 to 97. We have traveled 58 before from Oakridge down to 97 and it was somewhat steep (but what do you expect when you travel from mountains to the high desert?). I remember it was a good road. The Crescent Cutoff will bring us to tada Crescent where I think we paid a reasonable price for fuel. Then north on 97 and east on 31. We will probably stop at Fort Rock and Crack In The Ground as we were there last April but wanted to get some better photos and camp at Cabin Lake, a free rustic campground up the road from Fort Rock.

Wandering sagebrush: yes, we are taking 395 through Lakeview, then Goose lake, Davis Creek for obsidian then Cedarville, and Gerlach. There is a cool collapsing red barn along 395 that my sister liked my iPhone photo of so the big gear will come out. We weren't able to spend as much time exploring the Black Rock Playa and High Rock Canyon due to government shutdown. Whenever we explore off highway, we notify authorities but no one was home. Lots of photography and boondocking possibilities. From Gerlach, we head south bypassing Reno to check out "the Sump", Queen Valley obsidian, some colorful hills near Lunar Crater, Lunar Crater and then head into Death Valley via Beatty, Rhyolite and Titus Canyon. Several days in DV to include the Racetrack, Zabriskie Point, Dantes View, etc. then on to Darwin, Trona Pinnacles, Red Rock Canyon State Park and, depending on time, Mojave Preserve or maybe Joshua Tree. The last one is too close to southern California megalopolis so we may head back home on 395 up into Oregon and see the Sheep Rock and Painted Hills units of John Day National Monument and head north and west along the Columbia Gorge and up I-5 to home.

Quite an itinerary. I hope 3 weeks is adequate. If not, we will return.

Many campgrounds will be closed in teh Oregon Cascades so we will dry camp if we don't make it through. I like Drews Creek USFS campground west of Lakeview, OR. It is a pretty little site and not too far from town.

Any suggestions to the above choices. Some are new and some are repeats. Never a lack of things to see and do while wandering the west. Thanks for your help.

 

[searching for nowhere]

Not directly related to your question, but your trip planning brought back memories of my trip last fall.

A few ideas:
- Stay at the wildlife refuge at Summer Lake. You can fall out of bed and walk through the refuge viewing the birds. I was there last Sept. and was the only one staying at the refuge. 7$/night.
- Visit the Paisley Caves a bit north east of town. Perhaps the oldest record of human life in North America. Not a lot to see, but a lot to imagine. For the location ask at the post office or there is a geo cache there.
- Visit Fossil Lake, a dry lake bed. There is a huge amount of fossil bones there, most are buried and one can not remove them. So once again, a lot to imagine but not a lot of bones to see. I saw a number of very small bones on the surface. Access is located by driving east on Lost Forest Road (North of Christmas Valley) turn right about a mile past the high voltage power line. Drive to the end of the road (about a mile).

What kind of rock hounding are you doing by summer Lake?

 

[clikrf8]

Depending on the weather, is 140 from Medford to Klamath Falls better than 58 from Eugene? We drove 140 last fall and it was a good road. 58 was also so which would be better for an early April trip? We decided on March 30 departure.

Searching for nowhere: Thanks for the heads up on the caves near Paisley. I know some 9000 year old sage moccasins were discovered at Fort Rock so this makes sense. We spent the night at the rest stop just north of the refuge but the refuge sounds better. We got very lost on the Lost Forest Road last April looking for the Christmas Dunes and Lost Forest. Now getting lost is fun and leads to all sorts of discoveries. But, the road out was a scrambler and a vehicle other than a long bed full-sized truck would have been better. very rocky, as in small boulders and pine trees tightly spaced along the road. We did fine but there were so many roads that several times we had to back track. Not bad if you have all day but it was getting dark. And, if you look at a map of the area, it is pretty desolate. Looking back, it was fun and I am getting better about being out in the middle of nowhere.

Just read that the Summer Lake Refuge from March through May is prime viewing for migrating birds. When we were in the area last October, hunting season was on. Eastern Oregon (and Nevada are my favorite states. Hardly any people and lots to see and do.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

In terms of road, I think 140 is a better drive than 58, but... it puts you way south of hwy 31. You can take the Silver Lake highway across Klamath Marsh, and get back up into that area. Give me a PM if you're interested in another photography spot in that general area...

 

[Smokecreek1]

Before you go poking around in the High Rock Country, better call the BLM, I heard that they close the roads there now during the winter-we never did in the old days-seven years ago, but times change. Same suggestion for the Black Rock Country, while we are still in a drought-all it takes is one normal storm out here and you could become a statistic and the "star" of your own "getting unstuck" thread on this site. Liver and onions at Brunos in Gerlach-mmmmmm-can tast it now!

If you stay on the major paved and gravel roads you should be okay, but follow your thoughts and phone or stop by the BLM and FS offices, better safe than sorry! 140 is a great road but between Adel (only cash to get gas there) and Deno that long grade might be interesting to go up/or down when its snowy or icy-you have a USF&WS CG at Big Springs-to camp! The North Warners have had more weather so far this year than the south, so again check before you go off road adventuring around here! The road to Big Sage Res.CG-north of Alturas should be open two if you get desperate ! Weather here now and in NE Cal/NW Nevada and the Reno area is very high winds, chance of rain or snow all week, but temp are way above normal here in Susaville so no one knows what it will do here-they think it will be getting cold later. Have a good trip and let us know when you leaver and we can give you updates on the weather-etc; one of the great things about this site.

Smoke

 

[clikrf8]

Wandering sagebrush: pm sent. Thanks for sharing your stunning photo and photo locations.

Smoke: we won't be going as far east as Adel and Denio. We did travel 140 to Adel in September last year but will go that route on to Denio in May or June of this year.

We didn't travel too far on the Soldier Meadows Road in Black Rock area as gov't shutdown shuttered the BLM office in Gerlach. But, photos of the High Rock Canyon are proof of a fine photo location. We will see when we get there. We can also hit it on the return home and on the way and back in May or June to Arizona.

In November 2013, we camped at the Pit River campground on 299 west of Alturas. pretty little place. All the others nearby were closed. The USFS office in Alturas told us about it. We had it all to ourselves. $2 I think with Sr pass or $4?

We never really follow our itinerary that closely anyway as we usually find something interesting that wasn't on the "List".