There’s something about Baker City……..

I know what it is and I want you to learn first hand what this thing is about Baker. Here are a few questions that bring the important stuff up to the level of serious thought.

What city allows bikers to campout during the rally on the High School football field?

What city has local residents contact the Chamber of Commerce to volunteer their homes for bikers to stay during the rally?

What city rolls out the red carpet for bikers and welcomes them like they are veterans returning home from war?

Baker City during the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally is the answer.

For nine years Baker has welcomed me and thousands of my closest friends to come on their motorcycles and enjoy everything that Baker and its people have to offer. A friendly atmosphere, warm outgoing residents, great food with beverage, a Main Street that any American Mayor would die for. And that’s just Baker. Add to this the great motorcycle roads that intersect at Baker, I-84, Hwy 30, Hwy 7, Hwy 203, Hwy 245 and Hwy 86. Also close by are Hwy 244, Hwy 237, Hwy 26 Hwy 82 and the Hells Canyon, Blue Mountain and Elkhorn Scenic Byways. Let us not forget the most important road. The Devil’s Tail. This 22 mile road from Oxbow to Hells Canyon Dam is the signature ride of the rally. It could very well be the most inspiring 44 miles of your life.

There’s more. All of this is set in the mountains. Fantastic beauty surrounds you on all sides. The Blue Mountains, the Elkhorn Ridge, the Seven Devils, the Wallowa Mountains and the Strawberry Mountains. These mountains provide the snow pack for several rivers which include the Snake, Powder, Grande Ronde, Wallowa, Minam, Imnaha and Burnt. More natural landscape and beauty in one area than can be imagined!

SteveF

Here is what happened on the way over – I was on the Busa and my wife was in her Passat on our way to the Hells Canyon Rally in ‘06. She had left Redmond, OR an hour behind me. I got nabbed in the middle of nowhere doing 79 in a 55 (off the throttle after passing a group of cars doing triple digits – WHEW!!!) Knowing my wife’s a leadfoot, I tried to phone her, but of course had no cell service. Sure enough, she gets pulled over, Sheriff walks up she hands him her license:

Sheriff: after pondering a second…. “Are you related to a Billy _____ ?”
Wife: Yes, that’s my husband.
Sheriff: Well, he wasn’t going as fast as you.”

-Also, because she was in the car going to Hell’s Canyon Rally and the Rally motto: “SEE YOU IN HELL’s canyon”. She had on her back window “See you in hell!” painted in white shoe polish. Ummm… he didn’t get it and didn’t like it one bit and thought it was rude… After lecturing her about the back window, open range and cows on the road… blah blah blah… he writes her up for doing 83 in a 55.

Spendy trip

I have since bought an escort and have it wired into my headphones with my MP3. It has saved me numerous times when I have been riding a little more spirited than I should. Last year we just avoided Mitchell altogether. I’ve had several friends get popped in Mitchell. Prineville-Post-Paulina-Seneca-Strawberry Mountain-Unity-Hereford is a MUCH better route and less worries of police.

This year I am thinking of doing something on the north side of 26… Fossil Condon type route…

By the way… Thanks again for the whole rally!!! We went in 2007 as a group of 6 sportbikes and had a BLAST! We have 4 rooms booked for this year and are bringing a lot more riders. We can’t wait!!!

We stayed at Mt. View RV, great people there and nice facilities. The shuttle was a great new addition this year. All in all, the rally was lots of fun, the ride over and back as well as the rides and time at the rally.

The Baker City and Hells Canyon Area is great riding country. The rally was very well organized and a lot to do and see, with all the local businesses and towns welcoming bikers like they did, great people in this area.

We had a great time and have plans for returning next year.

Hells Canyon Rider 2007

HELLS CANYON RALLY, Baker City from a female rider!

First of all, my husband is the motorcycle junkie, not me. He dragged me into it over time.

The Hells Canyon Rally was my first motorcycle rally. I was aprehensive about riding 400 miles in one day, but the route was beautiful and it was a very nice ride.

Baker City is a charming town and the locals were very welcoming. I had no interest in attending a “Sturgis” type rally but my husband assured me that this was a family friendly event. There were all types of people and bikes at the rally. I had so much fun just looking at bikes and people-watching that I didn’t even ride one day. When I did ride, the routes listed in the TourBook were excellent, with both short and long trips.

If you haven’t ridden to Hells Canyon, it is a must. And the best way to experience it is the Hells Canyon Rally.

HCMR Veteran 2006

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