Regardless of how often I've gone to a rally, each one seems to offer something new. That has to do with the nature of rally. These events will take spectators to places you most likely would not find or even seek on your own. You drive obscure roads well away from well-traveled thoroughfares. If the rally is away from your region of the country, you'll see powerfully beautiful sights that are far beyond what you'd expect from a rally weekend.
The May 4-6 weekend marked only the second time I've attended the Oregon Trail Rally. The first time was a few years ago, and the stages were set up to the west of Portland. I was enthralled by that area's boldness and the size of the trees. New to rally at the time, I was learning how to time my travel to the spectator areas and what and how to watch.
This year, the super special stages still took place at Portland International Raceway as they did the first time I attended, but the stages, service areas, and parc exposes were to the east of Portland approximately 60 to 80 miles along the Columbia River and to the south.
I wasn't prepared for the beauty of the land and its power. The drive along the Columbia River to The Dalles was one of the most scenically stunning that I've ever seen -- even in the rain. Wooded cliffs stand as sentinels along both sides of the Columbia. They visually match the power that the river's water must have as it bounds toward the ocean.
During the weekend, I saw kiteboarders, sailboarders, sailboats, and cargo boats ply the waters. Up and beyond, travelers along Interstate 84 get glimpses of the snow-capped peaks of the mountains that rule the area -- Mount Hood, Mount Adams, and more across the horizon. Other spectators were as much in the dark as I was about which mountains were which. (I've got to do a better job studying geography before going on these trips!)
Look up the town of Dufur, Oregon. Dufur is the epitome of the places you’ll find when following a rally -- out-of-the-way places that are the heart of rural America. River towns, farming towns, mining towns, logging towns, ski resorts (off-season) -- they lie dozens of miles from the nearest urban center, and, generally, the roads surrounding them are marvels to drive for their scenery and/or their fun factor.
Dufur was the center of much of the action during the Oregon Trail Rally -– on Sunday, in particular. The town is the location of headquarters for a U.S. Forest Ranger Station, the Historic Balch Hotel that seemed renovated, and an agriculture museum. Mount Hood is its backdrop, and the town opens on to the high plains to the east. Multicolored crop and grazing lands, orchards, and vineyards spread boldly across the foothills. A thresher in the middle of town advertizes a threshing bee (do you know what that is?).
Photographers have ample fodder for subject matter because abandoned skeletal-like buildings, grain bins, horseback riders, and vast, breathtaking landscapes are easy to find nearby. But plan ahead for water, fuel, and food, because there isn’t much out there for dozens of miles.
Roads range from pavement to dirt. Local roads -- even state highways -- have no shoulders and often drop precipitously into a gully or down a canyon wall. There’s no margin for error. None.
We parked our vehicles in fields for the spectator areas as we followed the rally. For one (Fir Mountain), spectators took a shuttle up and down a one-lane trail that gave them a good idea what the stage roads were like. Other areas were fields right next to the trails used for the stages. A couple were subsidized land areas that were difficult to walk because they hadn’t been farmed in quite some time. Others were wheat fields that still smelled of dry straw, especially in the heat of the day.
The views from some of the spectator points would inspire anyone’s muse. Mount Adams and Mount Hood were backdrops for most of the stages. You could see for miles, across valleys that had roads we couldn’t see. But we could see the dust trails of the rally cars and trace their progress on stages miles away. By tolerating a little cold and a lot of dust, a rally spectator lives an adventure, views skilled driving, and visits what could well be considered exotic lands.
By virtue of their remote locations and inordinate beauty, these rally venues should be called exotic, and the roads surrounding them generally rate highly on any fun-to-drive meter.
Even if you’re not interested in following the rallies as a racing enthusiast, you can enjoy the areas defined by the events as a traveler. Use the Rally America schedule to find the spectator guides for the individual rally events. They’ll lead you to some unforgettable places and memorable drives. The spectator guide for the Oregon Trail Rally is here.
Those who came for the rally witnessed amazing displays of driving throughout the weekend. Many teams fielded Subaru WRX and WRX STI models.
Subaru Rally Team USA (SRT USA) finished 1st by a comfortable margin. Driver/co-driver David Higgins/Craig Drew continue to lead in the Rally America National Championship -- by 35 points at this writing.
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SRT USA Performance in the
2012 Rally America National Championship
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Round/Date
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Event/ Location
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Driver
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Finishing Position
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Driver Standings
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Round 1 – January 27-28
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Sno*Drift Rally
Atlanta, Michigan
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David Higgins
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1
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1
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Round 2 – February 24-25
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Rally in the 100 Acre Wood
Salem, Missouri
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David Higgins
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2
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1
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Round 3 – May 4-6
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Oregon Trail Rally
Portland, Oregon
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David Higgins
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1
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1
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Find more details about the rally here.
So come out and follow rally. You can find the schedule here. If you can’t come out to cheer for SRT USA, visit the areas and drive the roads. I think you’ll like them!
-- Ric Hawthorne
