Steve Folkestad

From a dusty shoe box forgotten in my basement these photos from the very FIRST Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally were just discovered by my wife. That she didn’t just throw them away is a miracle! Captured by a disposable camera and in hiding for eight years – the first Hells Canyon Rally.

Flash back to June of 2000 and my desire to escape from the rat race of the Portland area and get out on the bike. After some phenagelling rooms were secured at the Geiser Grand Hotel. Now I rounded up a few of my buddies and we were off to Baker City. We arrived after dark on Friday and made our way to the Geiser. Paradise found! That night we walked two blocks north to Barley Browns Brew Pub. After a Flat Iron steak and LOTS of beer it was decided that we would ride the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway and make our first stop at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. Just 7 miles east of Baker on HWY 86 the center has everything relating to the Oregon Trail, including covered wagons. We spent way more time at the center than we should have but finally got on the road to Halfway. Back then it was called Half.com as part of some internet scam. The town got a little bit of money and we got some trivia. It’s Halfway again and for all you Harley riders they do have PREMIUM gas.

Now we were scraping floorboards all the way up to the Hells Canyon Overlook. The view from here is rivaled only by the view of the canyon from the river itself. You should be sure and see both before you are all done in. Across the canyon, but out of view in the picture at the top, are the Seven Devils Mountains. Next stop on our big adventure was Joseph. This little town is well know as home for artists and artisans like the ones that made this bronze horse on Main Street. This type of sculpture is on virtually every corner. We had a fantastic lunch in Joseph, there are plenty of great places to eat, but one I always hit is the Hydrant, 100 Main Street in Joseph. A biker friendly place with great food!

From Joseph to Enterprise and on toward La Grande the road is a little more relaxed and you can really soak up the view and scenery. This part of Oregon is so beautiful that I have been making plans to move here in retirement! As we made our way back to Baker everyone was thirsty and hungry. So after a few beers in the Geiser Saloon we made our way across the street to the Main Event. Now this is a biker tavern if I ever saw one. Great burgers and stiff drinks. Once you get east of the Cascades, some how the drinks just get better.

Someone in our group said they thought we should go home on the freeway. What the hell? Not for me! So my brother-in-law and I got up super early and took the back way home. There was no way I was going to be talked onto the freeway. The ride home turned out to be just as good as the other rides we took that weekend. We stopped at the Elkhorn in Sumpter for breakfast and headed west past Prairie City, John Day, Mitchell, Prineville and home.

That’s how it all began. Now eight years later, with thousands of bikers converging on Eastern Oregon, you too can discover the motorcycle magic of the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally.

Rally Founder