After a long winter spent dealing with health issues that kept me off the bike, I was sitting around on the couch on Sunday morning last week, when it occurred to me, I was actually feeling pretty decent. “Go to the dunes!” said my brain, so I answered the call. I loaded up the bike in my truck and was out of the house by about noon. I stopped in Florence, Oregon, just up the road from the dunes and grabbed a sandwich at the local Subway. I’m thinking a Sunday in May, it’s going to be busy, but apparently the threat of some mild rainshowers is enough to keep away the throngs. The staging area has maybe just a half-dozen rigs. This is awesome! I haven’t done any real riding in at least six months, and I’m physically and mentally out of shape, wondering if I’m going to bite it is soon as I hit the sand, since the first few hundred yards out of the staging area is all rutted, soft and chewed up from quad and buggy traffic. Muscle memory saves me, and I gas it safely out on the open dunes, where there’s a gentle rain falling, a stiff breeze blowing, and I haven’t been this giddy in a long time.



I gradually meander my way down to the southern end of the OHV area. The dunes are all flattend out here, and there's a wide area of grassy *****, flats, ponds and the occasional water filled sinkhole. The sinkholes are bad news, and are hard to see, so cruising easy out here is a good idea. I let my guard down here last year, and almost broke my neck when I plowed into one that I didn't see until it was too late.


After wandering all around the south end for a good hour or so, I start heading back toward the middle of the dunes when I'm coming over a crest and off to my right something catches my eye so I jam on the brakes.


This is what caught my eye.


Of course I must take a picture of the bike in front of the lake, but the light is changing fast and the green just starts to fade away. Either that, or the KLX just sucked up all available green light waves in that scene.


I'm ready to move on after taking about 20 picture of the lake. I decide to head over to this next tree island. I could ride straight over there, but that never happens. I end up zig-zagging all around just having fun blipping over little bumps and generally roosting around randomly.


Looking off towards the ocean, the dunes start to flatten out.


At the tree island I take another break


There's this crazy bowl lake at the base of the tree island. I rode into this bowl once on the KLX and I barely made it out. (need more Power!)


I can see from the tracks that people have been here recently, but the place feels abandoned and empty. I love that!


The open sand feels like a blank canvas to me. It just begs to have moto-tracks carved into it. No need to "tread lightly" out here! Cut all the ruts you want, the wind never stops erasing them.

 

When i had my sand rail we made the trip from Vancouver, that place is amazing one of the best holidays we ever had, but i always thought the sand was too soft for stock tires, glad to see I'm wrong, next year we are planning a trip to Oregon now i can take my bike.

 

Fantastic. Nice to see that there are some spots like that left in America.

 

Awesome! Looks like fun. Reminds me of the sand play areas i found in FL.

 

Love those pictures! Blank canvas for sure. Glad you had a good time.
Dan

 

That looks like some cool terrain to ride on! Nice!

 

mmmm.....sand

 

EMS still does not know what sugar sand is ... he was riding hard pack lol

Whats up with the red flag? .... is that mandatory?

 

Someone mention sand?? That's me on the orange 530 BTW (top right,) with Robin trying to catch me on the KLX. Props to Robin for the test ride. GRRRUUUUNT anyone??

 

Yo West Oz ..... got a link to your ride report on adv or sumthin?