By Tony K
If you have never been to the McGrew Trail it is well worth the time and effort to get there. I had seen the sign up sheets for the McGrew Trail run for years and finally decided to make the trip down to Southern Oregon to join some fellow cruiserheads in the woods. This almost 24 mile trail runs through the aftermath of the Biscuit Fire, apparently the largest in Oregon’s history. Way different than the trees of the Northwest I am used to.
This trip started out interesting when we were forced to make a bit of a detour around an accident on the main highway on our way south. Got to see a bunch of Washington that I may never have seen. Found out later the wreck was pretty serious but fortunately no one ended up seriously hurt.
We were the first to arrive on Thursday night and no one at the store new anything about it. So we checked into the campground for a quiet night and to see what happened in the morning. Hosts were great and even though the store didn’t know about the run they did.
Next morning we packed up and were pleasantly surprised to find 10 or 11 rigs camped out and getting ready to go. All told there were 15 rigs gathered for the Friday run to camp. (Rumor had it that another 20 or so rigs made the run in on Saturday) And even though I drove down with just my wife and middle son Jeremiah, turns out I knew quite a few of the guys we were going to run with for the day. My son even managed to hop in with my friend Chad in his 60 so he was
n’t by himself for the day.
The run itself started out with a lovely little inspection by the US Forest Service looking for spores that kill Port Orford cedar trees. Too much loose dirt and you have to wash your rig again before you can enter the trail, fortunately no one was turned back at the trailhead. While many might think this is an inconvenience, doing our part by cooperating with the USFS will help to keep trails and access open.
This run is put on by the Jefferson State Cruisers. Hats off to these guys for putting this together. While the trail itself is pretty mild compared to some runs I have been on, I have to say I had a great time, even with the heat. And you couldn’t say our trip was uneventful, one mild clutch repair, some 90wt for the tcase in a 40, a flat tire on an 80 and the need for some air on another 80 with a hole in the side wall. Even got a bit of a scare when Carlos put his 55 in a less than desirable lean on a rock. Fortunately all it took was several of us hanging off his rig to help him off the rock safely.
Yes, to a guy that lives in the rainy northwest it was Hot! Somewhat funny when the Jefferson State guys said I should have been there last year when it was hot…
Saving grace at camp was a gorgeous swimming hole on the Smith River (actually I think there were at least 3 
maybe more). Water was just about perfect to cool off after a long day on the trail.
Potluck in the middle of nowhere. Yes you read that correctly, Saturday night dinner is a potluck. Was a bit skeptical about this idea but to say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. Lots of effort put in considering just how far from a road we were. And to say there is plenty of food is putting it lightly. There is no way you will leave hungry. Heck of a spread and something for everyone.
Saturday’s dinner was followed by a heck of a raffle with a great laid back attitude. Imagine 60 or so cruiser heads all gathered around a campfire while all the goods were passed out by some of the kids, didn’t even have to leave your chair.
One more surprise when it came time to leave. I had no idea how far from pavement we really were (never bothered to check my GPS) and then I found out it was going to take 2 hours to get back to our starting point. But the route out was way smoother than the way in and was actually a nice ride through more of Oregon and California I had never seen. The road out (if you dare call most of it a road) actually hops into California 3 different times.
Trip home was a bit long due to highway messes but the pleasant feeling from having made this run lasted all the way home, all 14 and a half hours of it.
What really makes this run worth the effort is the people. Absolutely everyone I met and talked to were just plain good folks. No attitudes, friendly and generous. I am definately coming back again. Might tie it to something else or then again maybe just go to reconnect with the new friends I made…
