A cyclist takes in the view of the Three Sisters during the 2022 Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder race.

The Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder bike race started Wednesday and runs through Sunday on gravel and dirt roads throughout the Central Oregon Cascade range.

The fully supported race (riders are set up with tents, gourmet food, etc. each night) includes miles of forest, rivers and two historic wagon roads.

According to oregontrailgravelgrinder.com, four categories were offered for the 2023 race: Pioneer (hardest), Settler (a little less hard), Tag Team (alternate days with teammates) and Ironhorse E-Bike (motor-assist).

Pioneers are expected to ride the longest stages each day and navigate the roughest roads.

Wednesday’s Stage 1 (Sisters to McKenzie) for the Pioneers was 74.5 miles with 6,600 feet of elevation gain. The course included sections of the Santiam Wagon Road and views of the Three Sisters, Mount Jefferson and Mount Washington.

Thursday’s Stage 2 (McKenzie to Oakridge) starts in Blue River and takes cyclists through the dense Willamette National Forest. Riders eventually climb over Huckleberry Mountain and into Oakridge. The stage for Pioneers is 61.6 miles with 5,970 feet of climbing.

Friday’s Stage 3 (Oakridge to Oakridge) includes an enduro-style day with a tour around Hills Creek Reservoir. Pioneer riders will race an uphill segment and a downhill segment for a total of 47.3 miles and 4,354 feet of elevation gain.

Saturday’s Stage 4 (Oakridge to La Pine) is the Queen stage of the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. The race website calls it “one of the most spectacular days of gravel riding in all of North America.” From Oakridge, cyclists climb into the heart of the Cascade range and top out at 6,500 feet. The course for Pioneers is nearly 95 miles with 10,000 feet of elevation gain.

The Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder concludes Sunday with the fifth stage (La Pine to Sisters). The course takes riders up near Mount Bachelor and then down the Tumalo Creek drainage. The finish is at the Village Green Park in Sisters. The stage is 82 miles with 6,041 feet of climbing.

A celebration and awards ceremony is scheduled for Village Green Park from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder is organized by Chad Sperry’s Bend-based Breakaway Promotions, which formerly organized the now-defunct Cascade Cycling Classic, a road cycling stage race that was held for 39 years in Central Oregon but has not been staged since 2019.

The Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder is part of Breakaway Promotion’s Gravel Grinder Series. The Gorge Gravel Grinder was staged in April in Dufur and the Cascade Gravel Grinder in May in Bend. The Ochoco Gravel Grinder was set for July 8 in Prineville but has been postponed until 2024.

For more information, visit oregongravelgrinder.com.