Sawtooth Motorcycle Tours | Day 4: Baker to Boise

Day Four

SITE MAP AND RIDE

ROUTE LENGTH - 265 miles or 410 Kilometers

Pull Over Info:
From Baker City we will head north on the old HW-30, then west over Elkhorn Scenic Byway to the Summit via HW-73 and south into Sumpter, OR. Then pick up OR-7 to HW-26 at Austin where we head East through the small towns of Unity, Vale, and Nyssa, OR as we reenter Idaho to our final destination of Meridian. We will then enjoy a goodbye celebration dinner and share our stories of the ride. There are lots of photo opportunities throughout the Oregon route. Do not forget your camera for the dinner!!

Hotel and Area Information:
Marriott Courtyard, Meridian

Washington Scenic Byways

In the late 1800s, Baker City was dubbed the Queen City of the Mines. Indeed, many who pushed west on the Oregon trail stopped short of the Willamette Valley in the Baker City area to mine gold. While the mines in the Elkhorn Mountains eventually stopped producing, agriculture and the arrival of the railroad helped Baker City outlive many similar boom towns.

If you toured the city's downtown when you arrived you saw some fine examples of turn-of-the-century Victorian architecture, including the famous Geiser Grand Hotel where we stayed. A five-pound gold nugget is on display at the U.S. Bank on Main Street.

As we traverse the Elkhorn Scenic Byway up and over Elkhorn Mountain Summit (7,392 ft.) look for rock "walls" made by early Chinese gold miners along Granite Creek, as they set aside larger boulders in their search for gold. The "Wild and Scenic" John Day River is recognized for outstanding fisheries, water quality, scenery, recreation, wildlife, and historical values, and is a popular destination for outdoor people. The jagged peaks in your rear view mirror form the backdrop for the Anthony Lakes Recreation Area.

With a population of 130, Sumpter is a shadow of its glory days when miners produced over $10 million in gold ore, and the town had 15 saloons, three newspapers, and an opera house. Though the business district was destroyed by fire in 1917, gold was extracted from the area until 1954. A 2.4 million pound dredge that dates back to 1935 is on display in a park at the edge of town.

As we leave Sumpter we will back track on HW-7 a few miles to Austin and then pick up the more heavily traveled HW-26 which will take us through a number of small towns back to our originating hotel. There we will check into the hotel and check in any rental bikes. For the evening we will dine for one last time to celebrate the tour, share our stories, and exchange photos.