The precise moment when the Coos Bay Wagon Road emerges from forest to valley in Brewster Canyon.

“Ride a bull. Bag an elk. Land a steelhead. Climb a mountain. There is no shortage of adventure to be had in Myrtle Point.” That’s one of the marketing slogans you’ll find on the City of Myrtle Point’s website.

After a 104-mile journey yesterday through the forests and river valleys that surround this small town, I think they should add, “Ride a bike” to that list.

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Graves speaking in The Dalles in 2014.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Cycle Oregon announced today that Alison Graves is no longer the organization’s executive director but will remain involved as a member of the board.

Graves was hired by the Portland-based nonprofit in February 2014. Current Deputy Director Steve Schulz will take over leadership of Cycle Oregon.

For more details read the press release below:

Cycle Oregon Executive Director Passes Leadership Baton to Deputy Director
Organization will continue to focus on bicycle tourism and rural investments
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New Seasons on Williams now offers complimentary bike valet service (with optional cuddling).

BikePortland doesn’t do April Fools jokes. We just don’t. But that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate them and we’re certainly not above highlight them.

Portland did very well today with bike-themed April Fools pranks. Even a non-bike business got into the act. Check out our roundup below and if you came across other good ones today, feel free to share them in the comments.
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One of the grants will fund new wayfinding signs along the Historic Columbia River Highway in the gorge.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

You might think of Cycle Oregon as that big ride that happens each fall. But did you know that proceeds from the annual ride are put into a fund that gives back to the communities it passes through?

Since 1996 the Cycle Oregon Fund has awarded 190 grants totaling $1.6 million. Earlier this week Cycle Oregon announced their list of community and safety/tourism grants for 2015 and they include awards for 11 projects worth $95,150. Nine of those grants are going to projects that will improve bicycle safety and tourism across the state. They include funds for bike trail and rack projects, improvements to the Historic Columbia River Highway, an advocacy program for women and cycling, and redevelopment aid for communities hit by last year’s forest fires.

Here’s the full list:
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The three Mark Bosworth Fund riders in 2015.
(Photo: Mark Bosworth Fund)

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Great news for anyone planning an adventure in this spectacular part of our state. And speaking of which, I was just out there last summer!

Here’s the official statement from Oregon State Parks:

Joseph OR — The Cycle Oregon Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation has awarded a $10,000 matching grant to develop a new hiker-biker camp at Wallowa Lake State Park. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will contribute an additional $10,000 to complete the project.

The current camp for people who hike or bicycle into the park is in an open area along the main camp entrance. Over the next year, park staff will build the new 8-site camping area in a more secluded spot by redesigning the park’s former amphitheater. The new camp will include covered and uncovered sites, lockers, tables, and charging stations. Park staff created a new area for park presentations in a more central location, freeing up the old amphitheater for this project.

From 2009 to 2014, visits to Wallowa Lake State Park have increased 10 percent, from 348,000 to 381,000. As curious travelers from Oregon and around the world discover the Wallowas, the park is interested in encouraging less polluting, less congestion-causing forms of transportation such as hiking and bicycling.

“This is a tremendous gift from Cycle Oregon,” says Park Manager Nancy McLeod (mih-CLOUD). “They’ve always supported the region, but this goes beyond goodwill. They’re investing in the community, and we’re grateful for it.”

The project should start this spring, finish a year later, and be open for its first season in April 2017. The park will work with the Eastern Oregon Visitor Association and the Wallowa Chamber of Commerce to promote the improved service as it opens.

A scene of what day four will look like when riders go from Gold Beach to Brookings.
(Photo: Cycle Oregon)

BikePortland is an official Cycle Oregon media partner.

At their annual route announcement party and gala at the Portland Art Museum tonight (and streaming live on the web) Cycle Oregon unveiled the route of their 29th annual ride that will take place from September 10th to 17th. Hundreds of people waited in the rain (some for several hours) for a chance to get first crack at guaranteed early registration for the event.

Cycle Oregon usually sells out quickly, so organizers gave the first 500 people at tonight’s event a spot on the list. Registration for everyone else begins tomorrow (2/4) at 12:00 pm.
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Another Cycle Oregon rides off into the sunset.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Cycle Oregon wrapped up its 28th edition in Baker City on Saturday. 2,200 riders and hundreds of volunteers and staff have packed up their tents, taken down road signs, and returned their support RVs and “sag wagons.”
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Medical Springs Highway with the Wallowas in the background.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

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Portlander Jackie Yerby rides on Old Highway 30 past the
limestone hills of the Burnt River Canyon.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

I hope no one complained on today’s ride. Sure, our 50-mile route from Farewell Bend State Park to Baker City had its share of climbing (about 3,000 feet) and a stiff headwind; but it was nothing like what pioneers faced.
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