Route Details

There is no sugar-coating it: the climb is brutal. Six miles of loose, steep doubletrack that will have you questioning your decision to embark on the ride. It’s worth it, though, so take your time and enjoy the variations in the landscape and geology as you climb towards Marble Pass.

Once you’re on the trail you are mercifully rewarded with a rolling alignment that gives your legs a break. Surfing along at 8,000’ above sea level affords amazing views in all directions but you’ll have to stop to enjoy them because the narrow, jagged tread demands every ounce of your attention. You’ll make steady progress but your hands will cramp from death-gripping your bars as you link together an endless array of moves over rock notches and around outcroppings. The exposure is omnipresent and you don’t want to fall this deep in the backcountry.

You’ll pass a couple trail intersections but pay them no mind as you continue to head northwest along the ridgeline. About 11 miles from the start of the trail you’ll hit a mining claim with a hilarious and otherworldly bit of folk art that creates a mandatory photo op. Time to turn around and retrace some of your route but don’t be discouraged, the trail feels sufficiently different heading back.

Once you’re returned to the shadow of the namesake Elkhorn Peak, prepare to drop down the scenic and challenging Twin Lakes trail. After miles of traversing you’ll have to reacquaint yourself with tight switchbacks that appear to have been blasted into the bedrock. You’ll brush alongside the Twin Lakes and make sure to stop so you can marvel at the pristine, cool waters that are feed by the surrounding cirques.

After the lakes, the trail continues plummeting on one of the best descents in the state, with fast, raw singletrack that is punctuated by switchbacks, roots, rocks, and a single-log bridge. The trees fly by as you dive deeper into the forest, eventually peeling off 3,000’ by the time you hit the three miles of doubletrack descending that will take you back to your car. Congratulations, you’ve just ridden one of the best trails in Oregon!

Riding Season

The high elevation keeps the trail buried in snow until summer; make sure to check the conditions before starting the climb. The trail stays clear through fall, and even though early-season storms drop a little snow it can melt away in a matter of days.