For those of us who love mountain biking but sometimes dread daunting uphill sections in the midsummer heat, there is always the “shuttle.”

Hitch a ride to somewhere high in the mountains and ride back down into town or back home.

Swampy Lakes Sno-park is a perfect place to start: about 15 to 20 minutes from Bend by car along Century Drive, and sweet singletrack all the way to town, with a limited amount of that pesky climbing.

It may not be a ride for training die-hards, but for those who just want a fun, thrilling experience, Swampy-to-Bend is one of the best. And it’s still about as high as you can go in elevation so far this summer before running into snow.

I bummed a ride up to Swampy Lakes last weekend and found that a few enthusiastic groups of mountain bikers had the same idea. Still, the ride started out with the solitude not easily found on Central Oregon’s lower-elevation trails these days.

A short climb uphill and riders reach the Swampy Lakes, which this time of year are pretty much just open, marshy fields of long grass. The trail skirts the lakes, and Broken Top pops into view.

Last weekend, areas of the trail were still wet and muddy from snowmelt, so I walked my bike over those areas to avoid leaving ruts that will dry and damage the trail. Patches of snow still remained just off the singletrack.

Oddly, sections of the trail were also sandy, perhaps the result of the rapid transition from winter to summer.

But most of the trail was packed and smooth, perfect for riding. Bikers can take the South Fork trail toward Tumalo Falls, which leads them to Skyliner Trail and the Phil’s Trail network, or head toward Swede Ridge, which will lead them back to the Phil’s system via Sector 16 and Whoops trails.

I cruised around the densely wooded sections and tight corners of the trail at Swampy Lakes and headed toward Swede Ridge.

This section is one of my favorites. The forest to the north eventually fades, leaving a stunning vista of Broken Top and South Sister, both still covered with a significant amount of snow. Riders would be wise, though, to keep their eyes on the singletrack, which cuts narrowly through thick manzanita.

Swede Ridge Shelter is a rest stop for cross-country skiers in the wintertime — in the summer, mountain bikers use it for the same reason. But they do not typically huddle inside for warmth. Rather, they can sit outside the shelter on a bench, soak in the views and eat some lunch.

If sightseers focus hard enough, they can even see Tumalo Falls to the northwest from a unique, faraway vantage point.

From Swede Ridge, riders can loop back to Swampy Lakes Sno-park or connect to Sector 16. This trail cuts sharply through thick forest, and for the tired mountain biker it can seem to drag on and on. But soon enough, riders can easily connect to the Upper Whoops trail.

A slightly tamer version of Lower Whoops, Upper Whoops offers lightning-fast singletrack and flowing turns for a suspended period of time. Bikers will no doubt let out the occasional “Whoop!”

Upper Whoops connects to Lower Whoops, Storm King and Skyliner trails. Lower Whoops has undergone a transformation, much to the delight of high-flying free-riders. The once-natural dirt jumps have been transformed into behemoths by Central Oregon Trail Alliance volunteers.

A timid cross-country rider, I tend to ride slowly over the big jumps, gaining pathetic inches of air. But the fast, rolling trail is still a blast for the less-aggressive biker.

Lower Whoops hooks right into Ben’s Trail, which takes riders to Phil’s Trailhead and back into Bend.

Shuttles have become popular to Swampy Lakes, and Cog Wild Bicycle Tours of Bend offers one for $10 every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

“With gas prices, people see the value of not taking their own car,” says Melanie Fisher, co-owner of Cog Wild. “It’s a fun ride, and you can meet people in the shuttle. It’s mainly locals.”

Fisher says Cog Wild plans to start the shuttle from Dutchman Flat, across Century Drive from Mount Bachelor, once the snow melts there. She estimates that might be late this month or early August.

“We definitely are paying attention and are out there clearing trail,” Fisher says. “Sounds like there’s still a lot of snow up there.”

For now, shuttling to Swampy Lakes is a fine way to cut out some climbing and enjoy the trail.