BEND PARKAPALOOZA
60 Parks | 70.02 Miles | 8 hrs. 38 mins.
Overview: the Challenge was to visit every single community park in the city of Bend, OR in under 8-hours, using only my bike to transport me. After pouring over Google Maps and investing over 40-hours in reconnaissance rides to develop the route, everything lined-up in the Spring of 2021 for an attempt. I decided it would be best to split the ride into two 35-mile loops that started and finished at my house in northeast side of town. This allowed me to refuel and restock on supplies between sections while also jumping on a quick, prescheduled conference call I had to take during lunch. Although I missed my intended cut-off time of 8-hours, I could have cared less as it was an amazing day filled with blue skies, temps in the low-50s and the satisfaction that comes only when you complete something truly challenging.
Tuesday, April 6, 2021 | Bend, OR
CHALLENGE MAP
BLUE LOOP
Blue Loop: 40 Parks | 34.49 Miles | 3 hrs. 58 mins.
5: Gardenside
6: Larkspur
7: Foxborough
8: Sun Meadow
13: Hollygrape
14: Renaissance Ridge
15: Pine Ridge
16: The Pitt
21: Miller’s Landing
22: Columbia
23: Harmon
24: Pageant
29: First Street
30: Riverview
31: Juniper
32: Goodrich Pasture
37: Canal Row
38: Boyd
39: Rockridge
40: Pine Nursery
12: River Rim
11: Wildflower
18: Farewell Bend
17: Blakely
26: Brooks
25: Drake
28: Pioneer
27: Pacific
34: Hollinshead
33: Orchard
GOLD LOOP
45: Sylvan
46: Hillside I
47: Hillside II
48: Overturf
53: Shevlin Park
54: Alpine
55: Skyline
56: Woodriver
2: Mountain View
1: Eagle
4: Providence
3: Big Sky
10: River Canyon
9: Stone Creek
20: Riverbend
19: McKay
36: Al Moody
35: Stover
Gold Loop: 20 Parks | 35.5 Miles | 4 hrs. 39 mins.
42: Sawyer Uplands
41: Sawyer
44: Sunset
43: Awbrey Village
50: Lewis & Clark
49: Compass
52: Three Pines
51: Discovery
58: Ponderosa
57: Kiwanis
60: Pilot Butte
59: Old Ponderosa
CHALLENGE SPLITS
BEHIND THE SCENES
MY RIDE: a hardtail mountain bike probably wasn’t the ideal choice for this ride, as most of the course featured fire roads and long sections of pavement, but in life you have to use what you got and my Trek Roscoe 8 was up for the challenge.
BACKYARD WATERFALL: The Central Oregon Canal service road is a major artery that helped me connect the east and west sides of Bend without ever touching pavement. It is also filled with amazing views and a glut of unexpected waterfalls like this one.
RIVER OF LIFE: I crossed water 8x during the challenge and each crossing was unique unto themselves. This is one of my all-time favorite crossings found in Shevlin Park on the Loop Trail.
ASPHALT RIBBON: The views from this snaking high desert trail were unparalleled to any other place on my ride. I could see 7-Cascade peaks, including all 3-Sisters from this spot and nearly went over my handlebars taking in the view more than once.
PERFECTION: One of my favorite sections of the ride was a meandering trail that led me through a forest of towering Ponderosa Pine trees as it paralleled Tumalo Creek inside Shevlin Park. I ended up spending nearly an hour inside the park and enjoyed every second of it.
BE ALL THERE: tacked up behind someone’s fence along the Larkspur Trail is of my all-time favorite signs. It’s such a clever reminder to enjoy life and simply slow down and “be all there”. Sage advice for a guy who is always on the move.
